HVAC contractors now have the opportunity to provide consumers with the most comfortable homes in history. When you sell premium comfort, your customers are happier and you make more money. One reason profits soar is because it takes the same overhead to install amazing comfort as it does basic heating and cooling.

Here are seven things you can do now to sell more premium comfort.

REALIZE ANYONE MAY BUY PREMIUM HVAC

There are three things that must be in place before people will buy from you.

1. They must want your solution to their problems;
2. Value must exceed price; and
3. They must be able to afford the purchase.

Just because someone drives a 15-year-old car and lives in a home that needs a paint job doesn’t mean they can’t afford to be more comfortable. With today’s home offices, the aging population, and Netflix, people are spending more time indoors than ever before. The more time people spend in their home, the more likely they are to invest in making it as comfortable as possible. A large and growing number of consumers will gladly invest their hard-earned money to live in a healthier home, breathe cleaner air, and pay lower energy bills.

The demographic group most likely to afford premium comfort are the baby boomers. Born between 1946 and 1964, boomers own 70 percent of our nation’s wealth and control 50 percent of all discretional spending. Boomers are the most likely group to fund HVAC solutions for their children, grandchildren, family, and friends.

One way to find premium customers is to determine the location of your 10 best customers and test market to homeowners near them.

BE CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY

The customers you choose are determined by the sales process you use. Contractors selling non-differentiated entry-level products typically use the “We have the lowest price” sales process. A much different sales process is required to sell premium comfort. For best results, use a process that gives you the tools to justify the big price difference between basic HVAC and premium comfort — a process that makes buying fun and owning premium comfort your customer’s idea. Aristotle gave us a key to closing premium sales when he said, “Men do not resist their ideals.”

IT’S ABOUT DESIRE, NOT MONEY

People don’t buy what they need, they buy what they desire. We could probably eat healthier and cut our grocery bills in half by changing our diet to fish, rice, and cabbage. This won’t happen because our desire for greasy hamburgers, salty fries, and high-fructose drinks far outweighs our desire to live healthier or save money. When funds are limited, consumers usually spend less in other areas to afford the benefits they desire most.

HELP BUYERS DISCOVER DESIRES

The renowned behavioral psychologist Abraham Maslow said, “Humans are rarely in a state of complete happiness; we always desire something and as one desire is satisfied, another appears.”

When you ask buyers if they’d like to enjoy benefits like the most consistent temperature, quietest operation, lowest energy bill, and cleanest air, you are helping to create new desires. The best way to learn your buyer’s desires is to ask questions, listen intently, and take great notes.

OFFER FINANCING

The person who schedules the sales call should mention that financing is available to make owning a new comfort system affordable. This small step helps buyers listen instead of worrying they can’t afford to be more comfortable.

When given an opportunity, a significant number of homeowners will gladly pay you to solve today’s comfort problems with tomorrow’s dollars.

Understand the necessary paperwork and be able to complete it in front of your customers without hesitation. Show how a larger down payment or longer payment terms lowers their monthly investment. Subtract estimated energy savings from their monthly investment to show their estimated out-of-pocket expense.

REVEAL ROI

No matter how small, when you show your customers their estimated return on investment (ROI), you’re giving their emotional brain a very logical reason to buy. It also helps you eliminate your non-HVAC competition because no other industry can show homeowners higher ROIs than HVAC.

GAIN COMMITMENT

When presenting your proposal enthusiastically, review the benefits each buyer desires. Demonstrate that you’ve thought out the entire project. Tell the important steps you’ll take to ensure they will be delighted with their new premium comfort system. And finally, allow buyers to buy. One reason more premium comfort isn’t sold is simply because shoppers aren’t given an opportunity to buy.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said it best: “You always miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Publication date: 12/10/2018

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