< Previous10 JUNE 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYpany – it shows him how to set up the systems necessary to support a per-formance-based contracting culture. Lupo says they get a lot of help from NCI trainers to develop the necessary back office processes which makes ev-erything work.Winning the Contractor of the Year award, he says, is “the icing on the cake.”“It is a team effort. Even though it requires training, and a lot of it, we are committed to staying on the cut-ting edge. We absolutely invest heav-ily in it. “And it is the people of Control Point – the field team, the office staff, every-one, who truly make it work for us. But more importantly, they make it work for our customers,” Lupo says.So what is a Contractor of the Year? It is a Performance-Based Con-tracting™ firm dedicated to changing the world one job at a time. These three companies epitomize this by putting into practice the tenets of High-Perfor-mance HVAC Contracting. Congratula-tions to this year’s winners. ed. When I started Control Point Me-chanical, it became part of our culture. NCI helped me formalize what I was already doing and continues helping me take it to the next level.”He adds that NCI membership does another important thing for his com-LEADERSHIPPictured here is the Control Point Mechanical team. From left to right: John Fullen, Erin Morrisey, Zander Freeman, Dave Jalbert, Jake Lupo, Bob Comer, Ken Brooks, Nick Lupo, Mark Wasiuk, Chris Cote, Ben Martel, Dan Olen, Jake Woskie, Tom Provost. Not Pictured: Brett Russell.JUNE 2019 11HVACTODAY.COMnology and production, we are putting forth our utmost efforts to expand the channel partners and help them grow.“The people in the field, the technicians and in-stallers, that is where the action is. They are the ones who make things happen. The number of people doing those jobs is not keeping up with “Let’s face it,” Akama continues, “when our product leaves the fac-tory, it is just an assembly of alu-minum, steel, and copper. It doesn’t become a product until somebody in the field designs its interface with the building, installs it, maintains it, and repairs it. Then it becomes a product. “That is why we consider dealers, our HVAC contractors, as our greatest partners. We will con-tinue investing in them so we can grow together.”He adds that it is for this reason that Goodman seeks out partnerships with groups like National Comfort Institute (NCI). He believes NCI’s focus on technical training is key to contractor success in the field and wants Goodman to be tied into that.“I see this partnership as very strong,” he adds. “The curriculum and programs created by NCI seem to be eagerly wanted and needed by contractors, even those who aren’t members. And we like that.“The bottom line,” Akama concludes, “is that we have to be prepared for even more challeng-es in this industry. Not only with a product that meets demand, but also with the skills to get it in-stalled and serviced properly. “We have to provide our contractors with the skill-set and tools required. That is why we in-tend to intensify our training and we believe the partnership with NCI hereafter, will only further grow stronger to tackle the changes that are com-ing to the North American marketplace.” During April’s High-Performance HVAC Summit, I had the opportunity to sit down with Satoru Akama, pres-ident of the Goodman/Amana busi-ness unit of Daikin Industries, and talk about the industry, Goodman’s role in it, and the com-pany’s strong focus on well-trained contractors. Akama, who was born and raised in Japan, spent 31 of his 33 years in the HVAC Industry there. Much of that was with Daikin in sales and marketing. Among his most recent assign-ments – before transferring to Goodman – was being president and director of Tokyo Daikin Air Conditioning Co., one of Daikin’s largest sales companies. “In that role,” Akama says through his inter-preter, Tomoko Cable, “I was in very close con-tact with the contractors and would visit installation sites with them. So I have a fairly good idea on how installers work and what they face on the front lines.”Which is what made him the perfect choice for a new role after Daikin ac-quired Goodman in 2012.“In this role, I am focused on Good-man and Amana’s North American market,” he says. “Our priority is to bring a better value proposition to the HVAC industry and serve our custom-ers on a different level. We want them to come to know us, recognize us, and under-stand our intentions. We want to become instru-mental in the growth and success of our partners and customers.”When asked about the key challenge facing Goodman today, Akama didn’t even hesitate. “Manpower,” he exclaimed.“Even though we are investing heavily in tech-Goodman’s Satoru Akama: “Contractors Are Key to Our Success”By Mike WeilLEADERSHIP“OUR HVAC CONTRACTORS ARE OUR GREATEST PARTNERS AND THAT IS WHY WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THEM.”Satoru Akama12 JUNE 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYBe sure to read my One More Thing column in this issue to learn more about why High-Performance HVAC is a per-fect Blue Ocean Strategy. (NCIlink.com/0619OMT). If you haven’t already taken it, your next step is to invest in edu-cating yourself in this little-known area of the industry. You can begin by taking a class on Resi-dential System Performance (ncilink.com/sp) or Duct System Optimization (ncilink.com/DSO) – it will open up your mind to all the possibilities. There’s no substitute for live training where you can interact and explore ideas with an in-structor and your fellow HVAC professionals.TALK TO OTHER HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONTRACTORSSeek out High-Performance contractors in your marketplace or perhaps in neighboring towns. There are thousands of companies that are at different stages in the learning curve. Some are further down the path and some are just starting like you. There are also hundreds of NCI members who are on the path to High Performance. These members are identified in NCI’s on-line contractor lookup.To look for a company near you who have begun the process, click on the Find A Cer-tified Professional on MyHomeComfort.org and enter your zip code and the mile radi-us you want to search for peers in your area. THE ROAD TO IMPLEMENTATIONSteady progression is the key to implemen-tation. Commit to doing something every Any journey begins with the first step. By reading this series, you’ve taken your first step towards becoming a High-Performance HVAC Contractor. You may want to read through each article again as you’ll likely gain a different perspective when you see the full picture in front of you all at once.In the final installment of this 11-part series, we will focus on steps you can take to put the previ-ous 10 articles into action.High-Performance Contracting is still very much a Blue Ocean in the HVAC industry. If you haven’t read “Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Com-petition Irrelevant,” by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, you should definitely consider it. The approach fits well with High-Performance Contracting. Here’s a link to a website that fo-cuses on Blue Oceans: NCILink.com/Blue-OceanStrategy. You’ll find a number of great im-plementation tools there as well. Implementation: Bringing It All TogetherBy Dominick GuarinoSALES The ABCs of High-Performance HVAC Contracting: PART 11Catch up on all the installments of this series:Part 1: What is High-Performance HVAC and Why Do It? ncilink.com/ABCs-1Part 2: Is It the Right Fit for Your Company? ncilink.com/ABCs-2Part 3: Five Steps for Becoming A Performance-Based Contractor. ncilink.com/ABCs-3Part 4: Five More Steps to Becoming a Performance-Based Contractor. ncilink.com/ABCs-4Part 5: Your Investment in Performance. ncilink.com/ABCs-5Part 6: The Five Keys to Quality Training. ncilink.com/ABCs-6Part 7: The Right Tools for the Job. ncilink.com/ABCs-7Part 8: High-Performance Selling: Prepare for the Call. ncilink.com/ABCs-8Part 9: The ABCs of High-Performance Selling. ncilink.com/ABCs-9Part 10: How to Generate Leads with Little or No Competition. ncilink.com/ABCs-10JUNE 2019 13HVACTODAY.COMStep 5. Get your entire team on board. Explain “why” a High- Performance culture is much better than the “status quo.” Step 6. Define mandatory measurements. Clearly define which measurements are not option-al on every service call, maintenance call, sales call, and installation.Step 7. Purchase proper test instruments. Identify the best test instruments for getting the job done that fit your budget.Step 8. Select collateral materials. Review NCI’s document library and select the pieces that support your high-performance initiative.Step 9. Update your information systems. Modify existing paper-work or software to record HVAC system vital signs and High- Performance recommendations.Step 10. Develop a High-Perfor-mance skillset. Build your team’s confidence in their high-perfor-mance testing and communication skills with consistent training. Step 11. Practice, practice, practice. Practice testing and simplified communication skills in non-threatening real-life situations. Step 12. Price your products & services. Develop an upfront pricing model to support the High-Performance products and services your team will offer.Step 13. Collect performance measurements. Implement a process to measure and record HVAC system vital signs at every opportunity.Step 14. Communicate performance evaluation. Estab-lish a method to connect potential safety, health, comfort, and efficiency concerns to poor system performance measurements, and communicate the information to the customer.Step 15. Offer high-performance products and services. Provide appropriate recommendations based on performance measure-ments and customer priorities. Step 16. Create a scope of work for each project. Design solu-tions that fit the customer’s needs and priorities.Step 17. Hand-off project to installation. Communicate all aspects of the project to the installation team.Step 18. Perform high-perfor-mance services. Complete work to correct safety, health, comfort, and energy efficiency problems.Step 19. Test-out to verify results. Implement a Quality Assurance system to ensure that the promises made were delivered.Step 20. Maintain system performance. Continue collecting system performance measurements week that moves you further along the path. Baby steps are better than pro-crastination. The worst thing you can do is lie to yourself by saying when you have time you’ll get started. If you’re a typical HVAC contractor, I can almost guarantee you that you’ll never have that “spare” time. Implementation is the biggest chal-lenge to making your company per-formance-based. Over the years we’ve refined 20 key steps to implementing High-Performance. Each step will help you move along the path towards integrating measur-ing and testing into your company’s processes and culture.Here’s a brief overview of the 20-step process:Step 1. Determine your High- Performance products and services. Define the products and services you will offer to improve the safety, health, comfort, and efficiency of your customer’s HVAC systems.Step 2. Choose a champion. Determine who will lead and keep everyone focused on achieving your High-Performance HVAC goals.Step 3. Establish processes and roles. Adjust your existing processes and procedures to in-clude High-Performance principles. Step 4. Measure and reward team performance. This will help support a consistent testing culture leading to high-performance solutions. Recognize and reward your performers.14 JUNE 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYHVAC systems very differently than most companies. Part of changing the culture in a company is mixing things up a little. Try to create a sense of teamwork and friendly competition as you introduce these changes. Maybe start a “Highest Static Pres-sure” contest where the tech who tests a system with the highest Total Exter-nal Static Pressure each month wins a dinner for two, or a gift certificate.Reward the people that take the lead toward changing the way they perform installation and maintenance. Some-times trying to effect change is like pushing on a rope. Look for “champi-ons” within your organization who will help “pull” the others along with them.Get your field and office employees excited about HVAC Performance by involving them in testing and fixing the systems in their own homes. When they experience the benefits first hand, you can bet they’ll get ex-cited about what you’re doing when they interact with your customers.MAKE IT FUN! As you roll out each new phase of your culture change, be sure to create an air of excitement and fanfare.Warning: Unless you’re prepared to deal with some major resistance, do not make a big announcement about how “everything is going to change around here starting immediately.” You’re much better off introducing the High-Performance concepts one at a time. Then when everyone is on the during your maintenance agree-ment visits.These 20 steps will put you on a fast track to High-Performance Contract-ing. The steps are in the roadmap NCI uses in its Trailblazer Coaching pro-gram - which is available to both NCI members and non-members. Here’s a link to more info on that program: Ncilink.com/Trailblazer. Even though the 2019 program has already started, since the online ses-sions are recorded, you can jump in at any point in time.TURN YOUR PEOPLE INTO AIRHEADSMany Performance-Based Contrac-tors jokingly refer to themselves as airheads as they treat the air side of SALESJUNE 2019 15HVACTODAY.COMern Time. Support calls range from answering technical questions to help-ing with sales and marketing issues, to implementation.Should you decide to join the grow-ing ranks of Performance-Based Con-tractors, NCI is here to support you. Together we can build a new and bet-ter HVAC industry. We’re ready for you if you’re up to the challenge.Every day NCI works hard to im-prove and simplify the methods, forms, procedures, and training cur-riculum to help contractors become more successful, and distinguish themselves from their competition.You have my pledge as NCI chair-man and CEO that our primary focus will always be on helping contractors and improving our industry. It’s why our organization was created. We will always strive to maintain the highest standards, morals, and ethics among our employees, custom-ers, and members.I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this guide to High-Performance Contract-ing, and we look forward to work-ing with your organization should you decide to join us in Leading the Comfort Revolution. And remember, “If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing!”! same page, they will feel like they’re part of creating the “new approach,” and you’ll encounter much less resis-tance along the way. WE’RE HERE FOR YOU! NCI is committed to working with contractors willing to invest in imple-menting High-Performance in their companies. We do this through ongo-ing training with nearly 150 training events each year across North Amer-ica, and with our contractor member-ship organization.One of the most valuable benefits of NCI membership is unlimited phone support. Members can call our toll-free number and talk to our knowl-edgeable staff any time, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM East-Dominick Guarino is publisher of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine and CEO of National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at domg@ncihvac.com16 JUNE 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYpoisoning possibilities.When an HVAC technician enters a customer’s home, there is also a potential life or death situation if the building has any type of fuel burning equipment or devices. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisonings occur more often than most imagine, but they often go undiagnosed or unreported. Some insinuate it’s up to the homeowner to protect themselves. However, I’m sure the home-owner is not aware of this. Do contractors need to be trained on how to test for all the possible CO dangers? Or is it okay to just wing it? You might hear some con-tractors say, “We don’t charge enough to do all that CO testing or buy our technicians the ex-pensive test instruments and tools. We certain-ly can’t afford the training.” Fast and cheap!!! Some contractors watch a YouTube video and believe they know everything there is to know If everything your HVAC company promis-es is fast and cheap, you might be consid-ered a fast food type of HVAC contractor. I eat my share of fast food. In fact, I recent-ly picked up a fish sandwich from a fast food place. The fish was half on the bun, cheese was half on the fish, and there was more tartar sauce outside the bun than inside. But it was fast and cheap! I’m not sure how much training went into the “chef” who made that sandwich. On the oth-er hand, a gourmet restaurant requires years of training and testing before a real chef can plate a meal. Thousands of dollars are spent training new employees, plus providing continuing education for existing ones. No one seems to care that the food is expensive and takes longer to serve. Furthermore, believe it or not, this is life and death training because of food allergies and Are You A Fast Food or Gourmet HVAC Contractor?By Jim DavisMANAGEMENTIs everything about your HVAC company fast and cheap? If it is, no matter what the reason, your business could be considered a “fast-food” HVAC firm.IN A GOURMET RESTAURANT, NOBODY SEEMS TO CARE THAT THE FOOD IS MORE EXPENSIVE AND TAKES LONGER TO SERVE. SHOULDN’T THE SAME THING BE TRUE ABOUT YOUR “GOURMET” HVAC BUSINESS?JUNE 2019 17HVACTODAY.COMabout carbon monoxide. Really? May-be they went to a free CO seminar. Both are fast and cheap, and in both cases, unfortunately, were probably not worth the time. Protecting customers from carbon monoxide poisoning should not be optional. But, you also need to know that carbon monoxide safety testing is more than just walking into a building with a personal CO detector. It’s more than conducting a token CO test on a piece of equipment with an analyzer. It is more than uncovering a CO problem that is occurring immedi-ately. It is identifying conditions that may contribute to a CO poisoning in-termittently or later on. As you would expect a complete meal from a fine restaurant, your cus-tomers expect you to know your job. Do your CO diagnostic skills encom-pass the whole combustion process, verifying combustion air, and prop-er ventilation? What is a valid test for confirming venting? Do you know all the possible mechanical defects and how to detect them?Unless you know what can cause CO problems, you’ll be unable to cor-rect them. Your customers expect you to advise them, especially with regard to safety and health issues stemming from all the sources of car-bon monoxide. This goes well beyond heating equipment and water heaters. For ex-ample, what are external sources of CO that can infiltrate the building? Can CO infiltrate back into the build-ing after it has vented outside, even by sealed combustion equipment? Sometime ago, NCI Trainer Da-vid Richardson wrote a blog (ncilink.com/EGIACO3) that talked about Four Obstacles to CO testing. He says these are Unwillingness, Lack of Confidence, Fear, and Pride. I believe there is a fifth obstacle which is Com-petitiveness. “If we do CO testing, we will have to charge more money and we will be less competitive.” So having said that, ask yourself this: are you a fast food or gourmet HVAC contractor. There are times when fast and cheap have their place, but not when life and safety are at risk. They should not be the normal mode of performance. In a “gourmet” HVAC company, just like in a gourmet restaurant, years of training and re-training are required to guarantee customers get what they desire and deserve.Jim Davis, Senior Trainer, National Comfort Institute, is focused on combustion safety. He has a long and storied career in the HVAC Industry -- a career that began back in 1971. He worked for HVAC contractors and distributors, the latter of which is where he became involved with sell-ing the first digital combustion analyzers. That is where his combustion crusade really began. Today he is one of the foremost authorities on combustion and CO safety. He can be reached at jimd@ncihvac.com. PROTECTING CUSTOMERS FROM CO POISONING SHOULDN’T BE OPTIONAL. IT SHOULD BE GOURMET. IT ALSO MEANS YOU HAVE TO BE WELL TRAINED.18 JUNE 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYRegistration is Now Open for Summit 2020National Comfort Institute (NCI) is pleased to announce we have opened registration for the 2020 High-Perfor-mance Summit online. Now is your op-portunity to reserve your seat, take ad-vantage of the early bird rates, and – for a short period – receive a FREE six-month print subscription to High-Performance HVAC Today magazine!!Summit returns to the We-Ko-Pa Re-sort and Conference Center in Scotts-dale, AZ. We-Ko-Pa is a very short drive from the Phoenix airport and is nestled in the heart of the 40-square-mile Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. It is also a mere golf cart ride away from champion-ship golf, casino excitement, and great outdoor recreation, and shopping.This year’s Summit in Orlando was a re-cord breaker and already Summit 2020 is shaping up to be even better. Right off the bat, NCI is bringing back the popu-lar golf outing (more information on that will be coming soon), plus we are plan-ning additional training/education op-portunities from our partners. As is our custom, the core NCI con-ference will have two-days of break-out sessions, a trade show with part-ners, topped off with the annual NCI Awards Ceremony.And the best part – you can regis-ter right now for the conference! Sim-ply click on this link – ncilink.com/Summit2020Reg – to get your team registered and set for April 2020. Doing so will save you $100 on the regular rate which, by the way, has not increased from last year.Once pre- and post-con options are available, we will share the details. Remember: you can always visit the NCI Summit website at www.goto-summit.com for the latest informa-tion and details on the meeting, its speakers, and special events.Oh, and don’t forget: NCI Members can earn and apply NCI Bucks for all Summit Week events.So, don’t wait. You can even book your rooms NOW and take advantage of NCI’s special rates. Go to ncilink.com/Summit2020Hotel and lock in your rooms today. If you have any questions, please call our Customer Care Helpline at 800-633-7058.Save 20% With Summer Onsite Training!You can book onsite training today for any time between June 1st and July 31st and save 20% off your already discount-ed member rates.Here are just a few reasons onsite train-ing is an incredible value for your company: z The schedule and content can be cus-tomized to meet your specific train-ing needs z One affordable price to train, certify, and/or recertify your entire team z Your team gets more one-on-one time with the instructor z Bonus evening sessions with our instructors at no additional cost! z We can train all areas of your compa-ny so everyone is on the same page z You have NO TRAVEL EXPENSES because we come to you. We train in your facility. This means so much less downtime for your team z You can earn NATE, BPI, and even State CEUs (where applicable) z You can recover your investment in weeks by implementing what you learn right away.Onsite training slots fill up fast, espe-cially with this special summer offer. To bring NCI certification training to your technicians and keep your company on the cutting edge of High-Performance, contact Mike Fowle at 800-633-7058 (or email him at MikeF@ncihvac.com).NCI MEMBER UPDATEThe We-Ko-Pa Resort and Conference Center, Scottsdale, AZ will be the head-quarters for the National Comfort Institute High-Performance HVAC Summit 2020.JUNE 2019 19HVACTODAY.COMPHOTO OF THE MONTH“No Curb Necessary” — Kevin Walsh, Schaafsma Heating and Cooling Co., Grand Rapids, MI “The inspector told the building owner he needed to add economizers to his equipment. This is what we found. I like how the disconnect is wired to another disconnect on the far side of the unit. Talk about meeting code!! “Kevin Walsh from Schaafsma Heating is the June 2019 winner of our Photo-of-the-Month contest, as voted on by the subscribers to the High-Performance HVAC Today magazine and visitors to the website. His submission was under the “Bad” category. He will receive a $50 gift card.You can too – submissions are always welcome. If you’d like to submit a photo for consideration in our Photo-of-the-Month contest, click here (ncilink.com/POMSubmit) and fill out the information as requested.THE JULY CONTEST OPENS ON JUNE 10, 2019. That gives you plenty of time to submit something in any of our three categories: The Good , The Bad , WTH (What the heck).Next >