Rodney Koop, founder and CEO of the New Flat Rate company, revealed what he said are Amazon.com’s “secrets” of success — self-fulfillment, eliminating competition and repetition — at his AHR Expo Jan. 26 seminar to promote his flat-rate pricing and selling system.

According to Koop, these three “secrets of success” can be implemented into the selling techniques of HVAC construction contractors to create a profitable “new” flat-rate selling system.

 “Amazon changed the business model and that changed the game,” he said. “Customer experience is everything.”

Self-fulfillment, the first “secret,” involves HVAC contractors giving customers what they want and creating a “love-at-first-sight” experience for them based around what they’re offering, whether it is a service or pricing bundle. Those who visit Amazon.com do so for its convenience and easy selection process, he said. Borrowing from this model, Koop suggested that contractors should present easy-to-follow suggestions to customers and eliminate parts of pricing that appear unapproachable or overpriced.

Following self-fulfillment, eliminating the competition involves HVAC contractors performing so well that their customers will continue to come back to them for their future heating and cooling needs, essentially removing the competition.

Finally, like Amazon, Koop believes that repetition is the key to maintaining customers. Customers should know what to expect when they buy from you, and following the first two secrets will create a selling atmosphere where this is possible.

“Your price is your power,” Koop said. “It drives business decisions.”