May I share one simple sales concept that has sometimes served me well? Only sometimes, because sometimes I forget to abide by the concept - we have two ears and one mouth, listen and talk in a two-to-one ratio. Yes, very simple. Listen twice as much as we talk.

Upon arriving at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, expecting partly cloudy skies and 74°F weather, contractors attending the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) 41st Annual Convention and Indoor Air Expo were not too disappointed.

Where does The NEWS go in the wintertime? Someplace warm, and as often as possible. I love the four seasons of the great white North, but there comes a time when a little warmth and sunshine does a body good.

Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) is a group of over 4,000 air conditioning contractors who work together to improve the industry and promote good practices. The association shares one common goal: to make the HVACR industry, and every professional contracting business, more successful.

The 2009 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) attracted more than 54,000 people from all facets of the industry. According to Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Co., which produces and manages the show, “approximately 35,000 visitors attended the event, not including the 19,000 people who staffed 1,911 exhibits.”

Yes, we all have heard that times are tough. For anyone who has lost a job, or who has had to lay people off, I know how you feel. Been there, done both.

There is a lot of misinformation floating around about the R-22 transition. Go to www.achrnews.com/countdownto2010 to watch a funny video. It may not be ready for prime time TV on “The World’s Funniest Videos” but what you hear might shock you.

Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) is aligning its organization to focus on offering the full range of building efficiency capabilities to its customers. With that, Allen Martin, Tom Huntington, and Rod Rushing are assuming new roles within Johnson Controls. In interviews with The NEWS, each talked about changes in the marketplace and goals for the future of the company.

A proposal is drifting through Washington, D.C., that would increase the amount of tax credits for high-efficiency appliances, i.e., air conditioners and furnaces, from $500 to $1,500.

Up until recently, everyone thought the R-22 to R-410A transition generally meant that newly manufactured units would cease using HCFCs at the end of this year and that a gradual phaseout would continue through the year 2030. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may have other ideas.