He adds that a consultant he worked with once told him that 10% of the people you encounter will only buy based on the lowest price. The consultant, Barry Burnett of BDR, also said that possibly 40% of the people will buy mid-level products and services, the next 40% will buy above mid-level, and they will be good customers. Burnett then said the top 10% will buy the most expensive products you offer.
“People only interested in price don’t want to pay for this. So I don’t want to work with them,” says Wallace. “We deserve to get paid for the value we provide. On new installations, we won’t take the job if the customer won’t upgrade the ductwork.
“The truth is, as we got better at high-performance testing and diagnosing, not only did we close more sales, but the quality of people looking to work here also improved!”
Attracting Quality People
Wallace claims technicians working for him today are the cream of the crop. He says that good techs are leaving other companies to work at Progressive.
“Twenty years ago, I struggled to find good people,” he explains. “It’s not like I had this epiphany of how to get good people. Word slowly made its way around town about the kind of work we do and the success we achieve.
“Our High-Performance HVAC approach of testing, measuring, and diagnosing airflow and static pressure issues helps us deliver what we promise. That is attractive to the best technicians who want to learn more about it and then do it. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that a lot of that had to do with how NCI changed how we think.
“And our success has mostly to do with the people that I hire.”
Future Outlook
Greg Wallace is at a crossroads today. The company he built from nothing is strong and growing. His son Hunter and stepson Josh are in the business as salespeople, and he promoted a longtime employee to general manager to run the daily operations. For him, the future looks bright.
Progressive’s field team is armed to deal with any customer comfort
and energy issues they encounter.
“I plan to pass the company down to the next generation,” he says. “I don’t plan to sell it. And I want to keep as many of the people here as possible. I still want my family involved.”
As Wallace prepares for his eventual retirement, he has raised long-term employees like Samantha Brazie to take over management. She is the company’s general manager today.
“Samantha’s been here 13 years. She doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon,” he says. “With her organizational skills and focus on process, she has helped Progressive operate more efficiently and freed things up so well that I don’t have to work at all.”
He explains that Brazie originally joined the company to handle Progressive’s advertising, especially the company’s website development. She accomplished that task and proved her abilities through her willingness to take on many different projects and learn everything she could about things she didn’t know.
“We’ve grown together to trust each other. The problem is that I can’t let go. I can always find things to do, and I haven’t been able to relinquish control 100% yet. Samantha has 80 to 90% of the control. But that will happen.”
He adds that none of Progressive’s successes would have happened if it hadn’t been for all the training he pursued over the years.
“But you have to be careful, Wallace warns.
The Secret Sauce
“The secret is that you don’t need to train everyone on everything — you need to pick out certain things that will make a big difference in your business. You should also look at HOW you train and WHO you train with. There are so many trainers now. It’s like going to the grocery store, where they put everything in the aisle so it catches your eye.
“Choose your trainers carefully and then go for it. Don’t be afraid to invest the money. It will all come back to you in the end.”
Progressive Heating, Air, and Plumbing’s journey from a small local business to a trusted industry leader is a testament to owner Greg Wallace’s unwavering commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction. As the company continues to innovate and serve the Newnan community, it stands poised to shape the future of comfort and convenience in homes and businesses across the region.
For these and many other reasons, High-Performance HVAC Today magazine again shines its spotlight on Progressive Heating. Congrats to Greg Wallace and his team.
Recent Comments