Dental cleanings and time changes are examples of things that happen twice a year.
But, if you operate an HVAC company, you can guarantee that your “shoulder seasons” will happen twice a year, as well: every spring and every fall.
Shoulder season can be a headache for many HVAC owners and managers because the calls slow down. When the weather outside is delightful, homeowners aren’t using their furnaces or air conditioners and don’t notice that they may need to be repaired.
These slowdowns not only cause a loss in revenue, they can also lead to boredom for your technicians. With the labor market as tight as it is, you don’t want to lose technicians to other companies because you don’t have enough work for them to do during these off-peak dates.
But, with some proper promotion, you can keep your technicians busy and even generate some revenue during these slower months.
Planning Ahead
If you’ve been in the HVAC business for any length of time, you are aware that your business slows down when temperatures are mild, so you’ve probably already made some budget adjustments for those times.
But even the most creative budget cut won’t keep your team busy or your head above water. There are plenty of services your team can offer homeowners during the shoulder months, but you need to make sure they know about them.
A PR agency that specializes in the home service industry can help. With a calculated and effective PR campaign, you can make sure you book service and installation appointments by standing out from your competition.
Keeping You Top of Mind
Your marketing or customer service teams are probably already calling on both customers and potential clients to book maintenance or installation appointments. However, since most HVAC companies make plans for shoulder season, your competitors’ marketing and customer service departments are also trying to drive new business installations, too.
One way to keep your company top-of-mind to new customers is by offering a constant stream of useful content.
You should keep your blog posts current and offer homeowners tips on how to fix some minor heating and cooling issues. But you should also make yourself known to your local news media as a source for upcoming stories.
If it’s allergy season, offer your opinion on how cleaning your HVAC system and ductwork can help homeowners breathe cleaner air. If your local utility company is planning a rate hike, make yourself available to the local news media to discuss how smart thermostats can help homeowners save money.
A PR partner can not only help you write blogs and press releases, they can also advocate your expertise to local and trade media. This keeps your name in the news and makes your company more familiar to potential customers.
Building Your Brand
The off-season is also a great time to concentrate on building your brand.
Most HVAC companies have stylish truck wraps, print thousands of door hangers, and formulate eblasts, but to truly stand out, your company’s name and brand identity need to be visible throughout your service area.
While a catchy slogan and an eye-grabbing logo are important, your brand needs to be more than just visual language.
Is your company the product of several generations of heating and air conditioning service? Do you offer the most competitive prices? Is your team the most knowledgeable about a niche service within the HVAC industry?
Public relations, simply put, is the art of telling your story to the right people at the right time. But, in order to write compelling stories, you need to develop your brand messaging so that your message is consistent.
The shoulder months are a great time for you to take a deep dive into your brand identity. If you haven’t developed one, or if you’ve evolved and need an updated brand message, a PR partner can help you identify your core message and apply it consistently.
Educating Your Customers
Most home service owners realize that their techs and estimators spend a great deal of their time explaining services to their customers.
A recent study shows that companies that take the time to educate their customers improve their top-line revenue by an average of 7.6%. So it stands to reason that providing your customers with materials that help educate them on your services, your products and the reasons why maintenance is important is a good long-term plan.
But if you don’t write well or don’t have the time to write monthly blogs, issue press releases, or work to identify reputable industry podcasts, a PR partner can help. Use the shoulder months to extend your expertise to wider audiences by appearing on podcasts or positioning yourself as the expert in-home services in your area.
Volunteering For Local Charities
If your team already volunteers at a local shelter or you donate a new furnace to an individual in need every Christmas, you should be applauded for your efforts. If not, it might be time to consider getting involved in your community.
When work slows down, you could set up a donation drive or volunteer to serve meals to the needy or build a house with Habitat for Humanity. Your PR team can help you identify good local charities and can get the word out about your efforts. This builds your reputation as a positive influence in the community and helps keep your name top-of-mind to potential customers.
An effective PR strategy keeps your company name in the public eye even when demand is low. This allows you to continue building a sales funnel that will help you shoulder through the shoulder season.
