For some contractors, especially those in the south and southwest, May is already heating up and throwing them into “Summer Madness Mode.” For the rest of the country, madness mode is coming. And fast.

For many HVAC businesses, spring is the slowest season. They usually use this time to get caught up from the chaos of the previous winter. Furthermore, they take a moment to assess the current state of the business, re-stock inventory, and start preparing for summer.

It’s during these “shoulder months” that business owners who capitalize on this slow-down by putting together a game plan for the summer will almost always come out ahead. Below are three simple strategies HVAC companies can use for preparing for summer.

Staffing Up

In this current job market, hiring technicians (ncilink.com/hiring) is challenging to say the least. The competition for hiring quality people is at an all-time high.

Shoulder Months Like May Are ideal For You to
Put Together a Game Plan for Summer.

In preparing for summer look at your seasonal data from years past to determine how many people you’ll to need. Knowing the numbers allows you to develop a hiring plan, appropriately budget for hiring bonuses, additional benefits, or other perks.

It may also allow you to begin your hiring process earlier than your competition. This may give you a bigger talent pool from which to choose. It also has the advantage of bringing in new employees to train and learn your systems before summer ensues.

Training Up

Training should be on-going, especially in the spring before the summer madness hits. So, think about having a program to train new hires as does Tom Hearn of Hearn Plumbing and Heating (ncilink.com/ICYMI0406). And don’t forget on-going training for existing team members (ncilink.com/ICYMI1216).

Training also includes using some of those golden nuggets you pick up from attending events like the High-Performance HVAC Summit. Specifically, take advantage of the slower time to go over your notes from such events (you do take notes, right?). Maybe pick one or two things you can put into place quickly. This way it becomes routine when the busy season hits.

In this issue we have the key highlights from Summit to remind you of your time there. Plus David Richardson shares an article with you based on his Summit presentation, “Total HVAC System Rating Using ComfortMaxx Verify™.”

Marketing Up

Many marketing experts believe that direct mail postcards are effective for letting your customers know it’s time to prepare for warmer weather.

If you already use social media to let your community know about your services, think about shifting your focus to let them know it’s time to get their homes ready for summer.

Oh, by the way: those same marketing executives will tell you that promotion isn’t always about what you sell. Its also about relationship building (ncilink.com/SM-VHP).

So are you ready for Summer Madness Mode? It’s almost here for many of us and is already heating up for others.

Have a great busy season!