< Previous10 AUGUST 2020HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY SALES their attention solely on today’s nu- merical results. This is a mistake. Numbers are great indicators; they tell you where there is success or pain. As Lord Kelvin says, “When you can measure what you are speaking about and express it in numbers, you know something about it. But when you can- not measure it or when you cannot ex- press it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind.” While that is true, numbers only tell half the story. To be a truly effective sales coach, managers must learn that sales coaching is not just about num- bers — it is about effective learning and impactful behavior change. To truly build a sustained and high-performance coaching culture, one must first understand the true challenges that prevent success. COMMON COACHING CHALLENGES Let’s face it, coaching is a tough job. The fact that most HVAC companies are too small to employ a full-time sales manager/coach makes it even tougher. Great coaches recognize their deficiencies and search for ways to conquer them. Coaching can be an extremely re- warding experience. However, there are times when the coaching relation- ship can become frustrating for both participants. That frustration is most likely rooted in the answers to these seven questions: 1. Do we enjoy a trusting relationship? 2. Am I asking, listening, and guiding, or am I simply telling? 3. Do they expect me to solve their problem or guide them to their own solution? 4. Do they “know all the solutions” and s Maintain system performance. Without a doubt, this requires a con- certed team effort to win in the HVAC repair and renovation business. PLAYERS REQUIRE COACHES When you ask sales managers if sales coaching is an important aspect of their job, most are sure to agree. However, in the fast-paced HVAC world, it is easy to avoid investing the time required for team and individual skill development activities. After all, the most important thing is selling that job today, right? The main objectives of sales coach- ing are to accelerate learning, achieve behavioral change, and improve re- sults. All objectives are equally im- portant because they bring about the true benefits of sales coaching. Unfor- tunately, most managers tend to focus who perform essential tasks including: s Generate leads s Answer phones/respond to emails s Set appointments s Perform pre-call research s Build trust and rapport s Survey customer needs and wants s Survey technical factors s Review findings and recommen- dations s Present priced options s Offer consumer financing s Confirm work order approval s Create scope of work s Stage equipment & materials s Perform scope of work s Confirm system performance levels s Verify customer delight s Collect final payment s Perform accurate accounting s Request testimonials & referrals See David Holt During the All-New Virtual Summit 2020 The High-Performance HVAC Summit 2020 is happening on October 5-7. This year it will be held live, online – a virtual event. National Comfort Institute’s Coach David Holt is one of four presenters showcasing the importance of coaching your team to high performance and this article is based on his upcoming session. This online, live Summit will include many of the same events normally held during past in-person Summits. These include breakout sessions, awards presentations, and a Virtual Trade- show (where you can learn about the latest products and services from our industry partners). Virtual Summit 2020 will also feature several general session speakers, a special contractor panel discussion, and the presenting of our coveted NCI contractor and individual awards. Virtual Summit 2020 offers you and your team the opportunity to not only hear from some of the Performance-Based HVAC Industry’s finest, but also a chance to virtually network with like-minded contractors from across the nation. Learn more about the Virtual High-Performance HVAC Summit 2020 online at GoToSummit.com.AUGUST 2020 11HVACTODAY.COM “directive” to “developmental.” In “directive coaching,” the coach serves as an expert, telling the team member what the problem is and how to fix it. Conversely, in “developmen- tal coaching,” the coach serves as a re- source and asks questions to help the team member self-discover and decide on the best action. Directive coaching is less effective than its developmental counterpart because directive coaching is more about telling or evaluating rather than questioning and developing. Shifting to a more developmen- tal approach requires the manager to change the dynamic of how and when they interact with teammates. UNDERSTANDING WHEN TO COACH A formalized coaching plan is im- portant, but equally important is a manager’s ability to find coachable moments in unplanned conversa- tions. Knowing how to balance the two opportunities will ensure that sales coaching becomes a part of your company culture. Some examples of formalized coach- ing opportunities include: s Sales team meetings therefore don’t value my experience? 5. Do they have a hard time seeing the behaviors they need to change? 6. Are they not willing to commit to taking action personally? 7. Are they unable to manage their own emotions? In the end, your success as a coach is about both you and your teammates working together with you acting as a guide, and your player doing the hard work of change. The next step is to recognize the dif- ference between effective and ineffec- tive sales coaching approaches. EFFECTIVE SALES COACHING TIPS Not all approaches to sales coach- ing are created equal. Sales coaching approaches fall on a continuum from 12 AUGUST 2020HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY SALES provoking questions, then share thoughtful perspectives, feedback, and ideas. It is best to focus on a prelimi- nary assessment of positives, gaps, and desired outcomes, as well as the evi- dence that supports the assessment. 2. CONNECTING – The human connection between a manag- er and a team member gives coaching its power. Without mutual respect and trust, learning won’t take place. Posi- tion yourself for a productive, open, and collaborative interaction by first connecting with the team member on a personal and professional level. 3. ASSESSING – Improving performance begins with a clear assessment of the current situ- ation. Identifying performance gaps represents an opportunity to im- always be ready to pivot into coaching mode to encourage positive behaviors and proactively seek to improve skills. EFFECTIVE SALES COACHING ACTIVITIES AND TECHNIQUES Adopting effective sales coaching methodologies helps teams move to- wards more self-motivated behavior because it meets their psychological needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence. The following seven techniques will help managers become more effective sales coaches: 1. PREPARATION – Managers need to invest a few focused minutes prior to planned coaching sessions to engage team members, minimize defensiveness, ask thought- s One-on-one meetings s Pre-call planning for an upcoming customer meeting s Post-call customer meeting debriefs. Some examples of informal sales coaching opportunities include: s Signs that things are off track or not working s Celebrating and encouraging successful behavior changes s Your observation of a customer interaction or pattern of behavior s Feedback received from internal or external sources s Teammates asking for help or support s Follow-up necessary to ensure progress. Sales managers and leadership should AUGUST 2020 13HVACTODAY.COM ipate in brainstorming solutions. The coach can step in to guide the team member in evaluating those ideas to figure out which solution is best. Participation on the part of the teammate results in ownership of the solution. Managers in coaching con- versations must be careful to avoid falling into the role of being an expert who tells. Let teammates talk and share ideas. 6. COMMITMENT – Every coaching conversation should end in a commitment to specific be- haviors and actions that will strength- en performance. This is the time to ensure that the team member is tru- ly clear on agreed-to actions and next steps that maintain accountability. In addition, this is a good time to re- inforce the relationship on a human level. Offer encouragement and state your belief in the team member’s abil- ity to succeed. 7. ACTION – Follow-up is the coach’s job. The goal of fol- low-up is to affect change, create an atmosphere of accountability, and demonstrate commitment to coaching. Recognizing incremental improvement and providing encouragement will mo- tivate the teammate to continue down the path to behavior change. Effective sales coaching creates an environment where team members are self-motivated to grow, excel, and take greater responsibility for what they do. Your team’s long-term perfor- mance is dependent on your success. Go get ‘em, coach! prove. The manager and player must align their understanding of the be- haviors that need to change. This is achieved by asking focused, drill-down questions, then listening to the answers to gain a more complete understanding. 4. ANALYZING – Analysis helps all parties identify the root issue (typically a knowledge, skill, or will is- sue, or a combination of the three) that is preventing the desired behavior. These issues are not always related to poor attitude. Many will-based issues are emotionally rooted in fear. Identi- fying the underlying fear often reveals a lack of skill or knowledge. 5. ADDRESSING – Improving selling skills requires a clear ac- tion plan. The teammate should partic-16 AUGUST 2020HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Following are four cases I experienced over the years to demonstrate what I’m talking about. CASE 1: A MISBEHAVING WATER HEATER In the early 1980s, I entered a 48-unit apart- ment building basement with a contractor to do a combustion test and energy audit on their boil- er and propose a possible upgrade. During this time, the first digital combustion analyzers ap- peared in the market and were quite expensive. So, everyone borrowed mine, meaning they also borrowed me. I placed my combustion analyzer on the floor (they weren’t exactly handheld back then, weigh- ing in at 45 lbs.), turned it on to warm up, and then I glanced around the room. A good 50 feet from the boiler was a commercial, tank-type, wa- ter heater. It was firing. I was sure because I could see flames shooting up the outside of the water heater. I did not think this was normal. I tapped the contractor on the shoulder and told him we need- ed to check it out. His initial comment was he wasn’t there to look at the water heater, but once I ’m not sure if they still show reruns of “Lost in Space (ncilink.com/DangerWR)” – a 1960s era science fiction television series about a family who crashed their spaceship on an unknown planet. Whenever there was imminent or pending danger, this family’s robot, aptly named “Ro- bot,” would warn them by waving its silly arms while spinning around and saying ‘Danger! Danger!’ So, what does this have to do with the HVAC Industry? It reminds me of the need we have for some kind of warning in our homes and work- places when imminent danger is afoot. We might not have a robot or droid to do this, but today we do have the tools to help avoid harm or pending danger for ourselves and our customers. A personal carbon monoxide (CO) monitor and the power of observation are the tools I would like to discuss. Whenever providing service for a customer, especially on the combustion side, we must be aware of our environment and surroundings. Even then we can be caught by surprise. Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! By Jim Davis TECHNICALAUGUST 2020 17HVACTODAY.COM It was around 45°F outside. We went out for fresh air and noticed buses were idling in the parking lot, close to the building, getting ready to pick up the school kids at the end of the day. One of the buses was idling less than three feet from the combustion air grille going into the boiler room and its exhaust fumes were heading in that direction. By the way, there were also class- room windows just above that grille. We ask the driver to move and alerted the school maintenance department to add some “NO IDLING” or “NO PARKING” signs in this location. I wonder if this ever affected school kids. Would I be writing this if there hadn’t been a CO detector checking the room? CASE 3: THE ‘MIGRATION’ AFFECT Another situation occurred during a visit to an industrial plant. The team there just wanted to see a demonstra- tion of a combustion analyzer. I didn’t have a personal CO monitor to use at this location. I turned the combustion analyz- er on for its 60-second warm-up and calibration. When completed, the screen flashed ERROR-CO AMBIENT. This meant the CO in the boiler room was more than 100 ppm. The boilers were turned off and the room ven- tilated as we waited outside. The next time, before en- tering, the analyzer was warmed up outside the room, so CO could be measured im- mediately upon entry. The CO was reduced and the area was safe to enter. The first boiler was turned back on and tested. The CO in the flue jumped to over 3,000 ppm very quickly, which meant it was out of adjustment. It was a sealed flue with plenty of draft and no apparent leaks through gaskets or ac- cess panels. However, the CO in the room started to build up again. Where was it coming from? Looking at the combustion air grilles, we found they faced a field and some woods so nothing on that side of the building could be putting CO into the room. Furthermore, there was nothing in the plant making CO. For some reason I can’t explain, I placed the analyzer probe in the com- bustion air grille and measured 150 ppm of CO coming into the room. We later determined that CO was migrat- ing across a flat roof, coming down the wall of the building, and re-infiltrating the mechanical room. Through investigation, we discov- ered that CO can become heavier than air below 32°F. This later explained confusion caused in other buildings where there were poisonings, yet CO was found on the opposite side of the building rather than where the equip- ment was located. I picked up my analyzer and told him I was leaving, he changed his mind. We did a combustion test on the water heater and the CO was over 5000 ppm and spilling into the basement. When the water heater was inspected, it was found to be 90% plugged with soot. Even though the water heater was plugged, and little was going up the flue, the draft in the flue was -.05” W.C. This is a good indication that the flue was functional with plenty of combus- tion air. So why was it so full of soot? It is hard to say how many people liv- ing in this apartment were getting sick, or for how long. Of course, these are things only discussed with the owner or property management company. The contractor ended up with an $800+ unexpected repair and the wa- ter heater didn’t blow up, catch on fire, or poison us while we were there. CASE 2: BEWARE OF AIR GRILLE LOCATION In another example, I joined a dif- ferent contractor to conduct combus- tion tests on some high school boilers. They were running safely with low CO, but were not really efficient. Sudden- ly, a personal CO tester that I brought into the room started beeping with high readings. This was an analog meter with a needle, and it was pointing to Run or Die! Several of us were already feel- ing light-headed. We shut off the boil- ers and ran! Where was the CO com- ing from? The boilers weren’t making it, plus testing verified they were vent- ing just fine. The “Lost in Space” television series produced by Irwin Allen and origi- nally aired from 1965 to 1968 on the CBS television network. 18 AUGUST 2020HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TECHNICAL Today we have excellent tools at our disposal to help warn us of these dan- gers well in advance of it becoming harmful to us and others – much like the Robot in Lost in Space did for the Robinson family. Safety is always the first concern. That is why it is extremely important to be aware of the surroundings in our working environment. the class was standing back and safe. Climbing back down from the roof when finished, I found myself get- ting quite nauseated and made a small mess in their parking lot. I did get over it very quickly and fin- ished the class. Who would have thought that using a personal CO monitor on a roof would be necessary? The meter I had used previously was back at the factory getting repaired, but I was on a roof. This was a military base where five people died from CO poison- ing, but not from this building. DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!! CO poisonings, explosions, fires, elec- trical shocks, and so on, are all things that must not be ignored on the job. CASE 4: SURPRISE! YOU’RE POISONED! In the last scenario I actually got poi- soned, making me sick. I was teaching a Combustion/CO class on the roof of a maintenance building that had two packaged units on it. The first unit tested was making well over 2000 ppm of CO. Fortunately, I was able to insert and secure the ana- lyzer probe in the vent without holding it, which let me keep my distance from the flue and kept me from breathing any CO. The next packaged unit was not so easy. I had to hold the probe in the vent for five to 10 minutes. This unit was producing CO over 1500 ppm and, without realizing it, I was inhal- ing more than I thought. The rest of Jim Davis is the senior in- structor for National Comfort Institute (NCI). He has a long and storied career in the HVAC Industry that began in 1971. Today he is considered one of the HVAC Industry’s foremost experts in combustion and carbon monoxide safety. Jim is credited for developing the first combustion testing protocols and field diagnostic methodol- ogies using digital combustion analyzers.AUGUST 2020 19HVACTODAY.COM PHOTO OF THE MONTH “A Real Death Trap (no pun intended)” — Heidi Clifton, Austin Energy, Austin, TX When it comes to the “Bad” category, this is right up there among the worse. Our winner this month only had two words to describe it: “Expensive Vent.” Heidi Clifton from Austin Energy is the August 2020 winner of our Photo-of-the-Month contest, as voted on by the subscribers to High-Performance HVAC Today magazine and visitors to the website (HVACToday.com). She will receive a $25 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, go to ncilink.com/POMSubmit and fill out the information as requested. THE SEPTEMBER CONTEST OPENS ON AUGUST 10, 2020. That gives you plenty of time to submit something in any of our three categories: The Good, The Bad, and the WTH (What the heck).Next >