Sterling adds that the homeowner needs to sign off on the referral program to get discounts, and you need to obtain permission to use the photo on your website for other marketing and promotions.

National Comfort Institute (NCI) also discusses involving customers on service, installation, or sales calls, especially when performing performance testing.

NCI’s David Richardson wrote the following in the article, Balancing Hoods: The Go-To Instrument for Air Upgrades: “Once you have confidence in your ability to use an air balancing hood, it’s time to use it to create a customer experience like no other. As you use the hood to teach your customers about their HVAC system, it becomes a differentiator. It helps you stand out.

“Let customers use airflow hoods. This activity puts them in control. It changes the conversation and allows them to make smart decisions,” he writes.

Shameless Promotion

Of course, other ways exist to grab attention and build brand awareness. For example, Dawn Mroczek of GV’s Heating in Glenview, IL, has QR codes on their installation truck.

“We started using QR codes on this truck in March or April this year. We use an online outfit called QRCodeChimp.com, where we design the codes. When people see the truck in traffic or someone’s driveway, they can scan it with their mobile devices, and it takes them to our “About” page on our website,” Mroczek says.

She adds that the code is part of their truck wraps, and they can change where the code takes a customer without changing the code itself.

“So, we can change it during fall to point customers to any Fall Maintenance specials we have or just to our service agreement page.”

The other great thing about using QR codes is that they can also help in other marketing. Mroczek says they also use different QR codes for Google Reviews, Q&A, Referrals, and more. The codes go on handouts that their techs give to customers and email blasts that go out after the tech’s visit. Plus, Mroczek says everything is highly track-able using Google Analytics, and the cost is very reasonable.

Get Creative and Get Started

These are just a few unique ideas that some High-Performance HVAC contractors use to fire up their Fall promotions and generate more leads and sales. That’s not to say you should ignore the traditional marketing strategies mentioned earlier. This article is a reminder that you can be creative, have some fun, and build brand recognition, reputation, and leads during those shoulder seasons when business slows down.

The thing is, though, that you need to get started now. Brainstorm some ideas, put a plan together, and then execute them. You will be glad you did.

If you have some exciting marketing ideas that work for you, drop me a line at ncilink.com/ContactMe.