< PreviousMONDAY, August 30 Pre-Summit Events 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Goodman Inverter Day 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Advanced Airflow Diagnostics with Hands-on –Recertification Class 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Advanced CO & Combustion Diagnostics – Recertification Class 5:15 pm - 5:45 pm Summit Orientation Meeting - All Welcome! 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Welcome Reception Sponsored by Goodman TUESDAY, August 31 7:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast and Interactive Opening Session 9:15 am - 10:45 am Breakout Sessions 1 – Workshops 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Breakout Sessions 2 – Workshops 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Luncheon and General Session 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Breakout Sessions 3 – Workshops 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Idea Exchange Meeting – Optional 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm NCI Partner Trade Show Reception WEDNESDAY, September 1 8:00 am - 9:15 am Breakfast & State of High-Performance HVAC with NCI CEO, Dominick Guarino 9:30 am – 11:00 am Breakout Sessions 4 – Workshops 11:15 am to 1:15 pm NCI Partners Trade Show and Luncheon 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm Breakout Sessions 5 – Workshops 3:30 pm - 4:15 pm NCI Partners Educational Sessions 4:30 pm - 5:15 pm General Session: Idea Session Winners and Partner Prize Drawing 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Sponsor Appreciation Cocktail Reception 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Awards Banquet and Presentation Ceremony THURSDAY, September 2 8:00 am - 9:30 am Breakfast & General Session 9:45 am – 10:30 am NCI Partners Educational Sessions 10:45 am – 12:15 pm Breakout Sessions 6 – Workshops 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm Closing Luncheon with NCI President, Rob Falke SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Register today at GoToSummit.com or call 800.633.7058 EVENT & LODGING 415 North State Highway 265 Branson, MO 65616 (888) 333-5253 Reserve your room now to get the special NCI rate $149 00 / per night including resort fees Go to http://ncilink.com/2021hotel SUMMIT WEEK 2021HVACTODAY.COMJULY 2021 21 Where To Start with Your HVAC Digital Marketing in 2021 By Jennifer Bagley MARKETING W ith more families working from home, the quest for home service contractors to be “the option” for consumers searching for help and answers on Google has never been more criti- cal. These past few years have paved the way for an evolution of the HVAC industry as consumer expectations continue to evolve. CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS Here is a shortlist of basic consumer expecta- tions in today’s climate. These expectations are driving the decision-making at HVAC, Plumb- ing, and Electrical contractors. ● Consumers want to find the best solutions in the organic search results on Google but don’t want advertising following them ● They want to shop online for good, better, best options versus having someone presenting options at their kitchen table ● They expect to see your financing options before your presentation ● Customers want an exceptional experience after 5:00 PM and on weekends ● They want to be able to chat, text, call, sched- ule, shop, pay, and subscribe to services online ● Searchers want to see relevant promotions based on their needs ● Consumers care about your Google reviews and online reputation more than the reviews you choose to display on your website. These expectations, along with a year of lock- downs and social distancing, have led to signifi- cant changes in the marketing and sales universe. Virtual sales appointments, eCommerce solu- tions, text notifications, workflow automation, AI chat, virtual receptionist, and online subscription systems all seemed like ideas that didn’t apply to the HVAC industry until now. Additionally, consumers are numb to tradition- al advertising and embrace a more organic pro- cess to find solutions, services, and companies. This approach alters the HVAC industry’s strate- gy, with many contractors starting to move away from old-school paid advertising and embracing web, content, social, and organic marketing. Organic advertising is a cousin of word-of- mouth advertising. Companies use organic ad- vertising to take advantage of online search en- gines, video, local, and social networking sites. Organic advertising provides clients with in- formation about their products without the sole use of sales pitches — more in line with a referral or an educational process. HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY22 JULY 2021 Jennifer Bagley is the president of CI Web Group, a digital market- ing company specializing in the HVAC industry. As Jennifer says, “HVAC mar- keting is our niche. We’ll guide you through the process of growing your business online by implementing the right things, in the right order, at the right time.” For more information, go to ciwebgroup. com for a free digital evaluation or contact Jennifer at ncilink.com/ContactMe. THE BENEFITS OF CHANGE (DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION) The consumer’s expectations for technology and ease of use, combined with a no-advertising preference, have created a blessing in disguise for busi- ness owners who feared adapting these principles in the past. It has led many to invest in technol- ogies and marketing strategies that are permanent and create a compounding interest impact on the business. They can now measure results instead of fi- nancially gambling on advertisements and old-school media. In other words, the dollar they in- vest today is not merely gone when the campaign is over. It is leveraged and produces compounding results year over year. LEVERAGING A CUSTOM ORGANIC-FOCUSED MARKETING STRATEGY First, it’s important to understand that this is a process, a lifestyle, not a project. Creating a well-structured website, eCommerce system, content strategy, and organic Search Engine Optimiza- tion (SEO) plan can take you further and reach more prospective customers than traditional advertising methods. However, it requires a dedication to the technical evolution process. Let’s discuss some practical steps an HVAC company can take to ensure a success- ful HVAC marketing strategy. CREATING AN AUDIENCE- BUILDING WEBSITE What would constitute a great web- site? First, it must be user-friendly and have quick loading times. Optimi- zation for mobile devices is vital. Up to 81% of users search online using their mobile phones. The content on your HVAC web- site should be current, using call-to- actions, where appropriate, while of- fering deals and promotions to entice prospective customers. With a simple, catchy website layout and these tips, you should be good to go. An experi- enced HVAC marketing company can recreate your website and get it to op- erate with optimal performance. Optimize Your Webpage for HVAC SEO. For your webpage to align with your goals, you need to an- alyze current website data to assess the way forward with your HVAC mar- keting strategies. Ensure your website loads faster by speeding up the pages. Remember, faster loading times mean more traffic to your website and are part of the end goal: more paying customers! You should have a proper backlink strategy to drive up your website’s online reputation score. Backlinks, by the way, are links from outside your website that point to pag- es on your website. In other words, they link back to your website. For more information on this, go to ncilink.com/backlinks. Local Directory Listings. As an HVAC contractor, marketing and ad- vertising once were as simple as list- ing your business in the Yellow Pages. In today’s online environment, your website is your shop, and your cus- tomers are those who visit the website and book your services. When you listed your HVAC com- pany in local directories, customers searching for local contract services see your website, get the link to your website, or call you directly. This type of optimization will give you a tidy Re- turn on Investment (ROI) that boosts any SEO plan significantly. Pay Per Click Advertising. As part of an HVAC Digital Marketing Toolbox– Pay-Per-Click advertising is beneficial as a short-term investment. Every time a prospective customer clicks on your ad and visits your web- site, you’ll pay for that visitor. It’s a highly effective tool in propelling your HVAC company up the rankings in search results, giving a listing at the top with the label “Ad.” One note: you should always use a paid advertising campaign online, in tandem with organic marketing strat- egies (SEO). Make sure to think about the over- all strategy and budget when planning your online marketing. Plan on being able to comfortably start and stop paid ads depending on the weather. MANAGEMENTSo, You Have a Diagnostics- Generated Lead. Now What? By Rob “Doc” Falke SALES T he first critical ingredient to create a sys- tem upgrade sale is your conviction that each system needs more than equipment replacement. Your ability to successful- ly sell more than a box swap depends on being able to communicate that conviction. You’ll use it along with your skill, expertise, and creativity to deliver a custom system built on the foundation of diagnostics. Let’s take a look at the events you’ll arrange in your customer’s homes to help them under- stand their system, discover its failings, and get them to ask for help improving the perfor- mance of their system. Let’s also acknowledge upfront; this new sys- tem will usually cost more than they anticipat- ed. Your job is to help customers learn enough about it, so they’re delighted to pay the higher price. If they’re not, you have done a disservice. Sadly, some will be unable to afford more than a box, and that’s OK. Fortunately, if you have a diagnostic lead in hand, your customer has shown some level of in- terest in system upgrades and may want more. This sales approach is very different than what is practiced within the general HVAC in- dustry and taught by its best sales trainers and manufacturers. A UNIQUE SERIES OF EVENTS It’s up to you to orchestrate a unique set of events that we’ll call an in-home Learn-Omercial. Sorry for the weird word, but after nearly 40 years of per- sonally practicing this sales method and trying to teach it to others, it’s the most accurate description. If you carefully study, prac- tice, and develop your brand of in-home Learn-Omercial, following these principles, I can promise you increased JULY 2021 23HVACTODAY.COMHIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY24 JULY 2021 See Rob Falke During NCI Summit 2021 The High-Performance HVAC Summit 2021 is happening in person from August 30 to Septem- ber 2, 2021 in Branson, MO. Our theme this year is “This Time It’s Personal,” and it reflects the first live gathering of High-Performance HVAC contractors since the start of the pandemic. National Comfort Institute (NCI) President Rob Falke is one of eight speakers showcasing the pos- tive impact of highy-performance on your compa- nies. This article is based on Rob’s upcoming session. This in-person Summit will include the Tradeshow (where you can learn about the latest products and services from our industry partners), several general ses- sions , the popular Idea Meeting, and our coveted NCI contractor and individual award presentations. Summit 2021 offers you and your team the opportunity to make it personal: You can customize your program based on where each of your team members are on the Path to Performance . Each breakout has three options, totalling 18 person- alized learning opportunities. The options are for those at the Novice level, the Practitioner level, and the Mastery level. Learn more about the 2021 High-Performance HVAC Summit online at GoTo- Summit.com . SALES success and enjoyment in your sales efforts. Typically, sales closing rates nearly double, margins and profit naturally increase, and you’ll never need to exert pressure on a custom- er again. This unique series of events will result in a successful sale the mo- ment that you and your custom- er discover any issues together and agree upon their resolution. You have now made this the homeown- er’s custom project. As you develop and master your Learn-Omercial style, you will have no competition. The product you cre- ate for customers is a truly custom- ized product. Your system upgrades will give customers more than any self-proclaimed competitor can. A diagnostics-generated lead flows into a sales process unlike anything else. You’ll notice several new steps to take and old ones to eliminate as you recreate how you sell. Like any change, it can be challenging to create and capture your vision of how to tutor and coach your customers to discover what you have available for them. FIRST SALES CONTACT Whether your first sales contact is on the phone, in an email, or at the front door, having test results and an initial diagnosis in hand, you’re uniquely qualified to change the nor- mal sales conversation. Understand that the Learn-Omer- cial is already underway, and the diagnosis becomes the foundation upon which you rely throughout your visit. At this point, the spir- it of your visit is to help customers understand their system defects and discover the solutions. Don’t worry about selling until your customer completely understands what you offer and what they will get from it. This approach mirrors the el- evated sales position of a service tech. Be like the technician whose initial greeting is “Hi, I’m here to help.” AT THE KITCHEN TABLE Remember, the Learn-Omercial is rolling out. Keep your conversation focused on diagnostics, and don’t fall back into old comfortable habits. A typical industry sales call begins with a monologue about the virtues of your company and the superiority of the manufacturer you represent. Blah, blah, blah. With the diagnostics approach, speak only briefly about the values of your company and your relationship with your manufacturer. Let your pri- mary message be conveyed by what YOU do with and for your customer. People care about the value they re- ceive for their money and that they are making a smart purchase. They show interest in diagnostics when they agree to your visit, so talk about the is- sues the diagnostics revealed. Learn more detail here: ncilink.com/ Translate. Now it’s time for a discussion lead- ing to the next level. If the diagnosis is high static pressure, teach the custom- er about it and ask questions to engage them in the discussion. They want to understand this pressure thing and how it affects them. Some good questions to ask include, HVACTODAY.COMJULY 2021 25 “Have you replaced your filter with a high-efficiency one recently?” “Did you notice if any room airflows seem lower lately?” “Have you had anyone crawl through your attic in the last couple of months?” Each of these questions can lead to discussions that engage custom- ers deeper into the diagnostics and the solution. Take time to explain and discover with them. Can you see what’s happening? SIMPLE DEEPER DIAGNOSTICS Each diagnostic test has a cousin test that reveals a little more of the pic- ture. If your Learn-Omercial is work- ing, customers will eagerly engage in some very simple diagnostics with you. Invite them to join in the discov- ery process and get them up and mov- ing with you. The discovery process may be a sim- ple inspection of a suspected prob- lem you identified together, maybe checking whether that new filter is re- strictive. Or it may be taking a static pressure profile at equipment if it is accessible, or finding closed dampers. My favorite approach is taking the customer into the most uncomfort- able room, then helping them esti- mate airflow. Say you help them calculate 125 beach balls of air per minute (read ncilink.com/beachballs for a full explanation). Then invite them to measure the register airflow with a balancing hood. Be still. Say nothing when the hood measures just 38 and watch the Learn-Omercial work its magic. Measure supply and return duct static pressures and compare your re- sults to 20% of rated static pressure. Be sure you teach them what the max- imum pressure should be before mea- suring it. When it’s high, ask them EACH TIME YOU HELP CUSTOMERS DISCOVER SYSTEM DEFECTS, THEY DECIDE TO BUY INDEPENDENT OF YOU. IT’S THE EVENTS YOU COACHED THEM THROUGH THAT DID THE SELLING.HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY26 JULY 2021 SALES Rob “Doc” Falke is president of National Comfort Institute, Inc. His vision is that HVAC system performance can be effectively measured and diagnosed under live op- erating conditions in the field. NCI training enables contractors to measure, rate, diagnose and improve a system’s rating or score. You can contact him at ncilink.com/ContactMe . what might cause the high pressure. Be patient and give hints to help them find solutions when appropriate. If duct temperature loss is the ini- tial diagnosis, one quick and effec- tive diagnostic you can do together is to place a temperature probe in a return grille and supply register far- thest from the equipment. Set the system to fan only and let it run. When duct heat gain or loss is present, the home gets uncomfortable in a few minutes. Calculate the differ- ence between the supply and return air. It should be zero. Watch their fac- es as they learn and let the test data build their desire to own a solution. When you allow customers to dis- cover a system defect through diag- nostics, they become highly motivated to fix the system. They’re not buying your recommendation; they want to hire you to repair the problem they discovered themselves. BUT WHEN DO I START SELLING? Did you miss it? It already hap- pened. The customer made the sale for you as they participated in your Learn-Omercial. They learned about their system and decided they wanted the solutions only you can offer. Each time you help customers dis- cover system defects, they decide to buy independent of you. It’s the events you coached them through that did the selling. They want the sale each time they ask, “Can you fix this?” EVERYTHING ELSE IS PAPERWORK During the Learn-Omercial, it’s your job to take notes to define the work for the inventory team and installers. You form the scope of work while you un- cover each system defect to be correct- ed. NCI has reports to help you identify the scope of work. As each flaw is uncovered during di- agnostics, briefly explain to your cus- tomer how you’ll fix it. They usually don’t care; they want to hear you are fully qualified to make the repair. It’s not time to write a proposal yet. It is time to talk about the customer’s repair priorities. Price comes up at this point. So, pull out your phone and answer the six questions in your trusty NCI Air Upgrade Price Calculator or use your flat-rate pricing. Discuss and agree upon upgrade priority and price. Lock down any outstanding deci- sions such as financing, project start/ end date, construction details, and commitments for both of you. Always include verification and final testing to prove you delivered what you promised. Oh, how about equipment? At the kitchen table, you spoke about your relationship with your manufacturer. The customer trusts that relationship because they already bought you. A discussion about types of equip- ment and costs is all you need at this point. Since they are purchasing the best system, isn’t the best equipment the obvious choice? Before writing a proposal, settle any outstanding system issue details un- til you both agree. Nod in agreement, shake hands, or get a hug. Respond however your customer chooses to in- dicate total agreement. THE PROPOSAL Then create the proposal. Keep it brief when appropriate. You may in- clude the most important points to your customer and whether you in- clude equipment replacement. Keep the scope of work minimal to deflect a spouse or others shopping your price. JACK IN THE BEAN STALK The seeds of a diagnostic sale look different from the seeds planted to grow a typical equipment replace- ment sale. Jack planted magic beans to make his dream come true. The seeds you plant during the Learn-Omercial bring a sense of mag- ic to the services you offer customers. Why shouldn’t an HVAC guy bring some magic into customers’ homes? The magic is in the Learn-Omer- cial and what they discover, think, feel, and receive from you. If what you do in their home doesn’t feel like magic, you’re plant- ing the wrong seeds. One great advantage is that each month, every member has access to the PowerPack, which provides you links to articles, downloads, webinars, and more. In that light, the July 2021 PowerPack is ready. Here is what you get: ● Top 10 HVAC Performance Based Sales Obstacles ( Download ) ● An Air Side Diagnostics Lesson ( Download ) ● CO Levels and Risk Chart ( Down- load ) ● HVAC for Rookies (Online Training Modules) ● Master HVAC Pressure Diagnostics with NCI Static Pressure Budgets ( Webinar ). Be sure to share the July PowerPack with your entire team. Just go to: ncil- ink.com/PwrPak . If you have any questions, or if you are unable to access any of the tools in this program, please contact your Customer Care team at 800-633-7058. ARE YOU GETTING ALL YOUR BENEFITS? NCI Bucks is part of the NCI Member Rewards Training Incentive Partner Program or TIPP for short. As members, you can earn incentive rebate dollars from our industry partners for purchases you make. All rebates you earn are deposited into your training account in the form of what we call, “NCI Bucks.” You can use these funds to pay for any live NCI train- ing class, online training, or conference. You can also use a portion of your NCI Bucks for tool and instrument purchases on the NCI website ( nationalcomfortin- stitute.com ), In the last 12 months, NCI members have earned a total of $400,000 in NCI Training Bucks. So, are you getting your fair share? To take advantage of this program, you need to register with our partners. Click ncilink.com/Partners to see our partners and click on each one to see how you can sign up and start earning Bucks right away. By the way, NCI training bucks never expire. They carry over from year-to-year with no penalties or loss in value. As a member, NCI Bucks can reduce or even eliminate your training costs and are a key benefit of your membership. For more information on TIPP, go to ncilink.com/TIPP . For more infor- mation on how to redeem your bucks and what you can use them for, go to ncilink.com/bucks . If you have any questions or need help regarding your bucks accounts, call 800- 633-7058 and ask for a Customer Care representative. MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS BENEFITS: BIG-TIME SUMMIT 2021 SAVINGS National Comfort Institute (NCI) has many benefits that immediately and positively impact your bottom line. For example, NCI members get the best rates for attending the High-Per- formance HVAC Summit event in Bran- son, MO, from August 30 to September 2. Plus, members have the advantage of being able to use earned NCI Training Bucks to help offset the cost of attending Summit. NCI wants to make it easy for members to bring their entire team to this year’s event. In that endeavor, if you bring three or more people, you will qualify for the biggest discounts ever. Some members have already signed up their entire team for free using their Bucks. So don’t wait. Learn more about the bonus discounts and NCI Bucks you can earn here at gotosummit.com (click on the pricing options tab). Be sure to Register Today ! If you have any questions, call the NCI Customer Care line at 800-633-7058. MORE MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: THE MONTHLY POWERPACK NCI’s website is stuffed to the gills with content ready for you to log in and make use of. There is content for every member’s skill level. NCI MEMBER UPDATE MEMBER REWARDS TOTAL NCI BUCKS EARNED IN PAST 12 MONTHS JULY 2021 27HVACTODAY.COMHIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY28 JULY 2021 HVAC SMART MARTHVACTODAY.COMJULY 2021 29 Advertiser Index HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM AD INDEX To Subscribe to High-Performance HVAC Today: ONLINE: Visit HVACToday.com/subscribe for a FREE digital subscription. PRINT: 1 year/$72; single copy $7. Canada: 1 year/$92; single copy $9. Payable in advance with U.S. funds. Prepaid subscriptions may be sent to: High-Performance HVAC Today, PO Box 147, Avon Lake, OH 44012. Phone: 440-949-1850; toll free 800-633-7058; or visit HVACToday.com/subscribe to order online. Publisher Dominick Guarino Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher Mike Weil Art Director Bill Simon Online Development Director Brian Roseman Circulation Manager Andrea Begany-Garsed Go to ncilink.com/ContactMe with your comments and questions. Arzel Zoning Technology, Inc. | www.ArzelZoning.com .................................................... 28 Baker Distributing Company | www.BakerDist.com ........................................................... 28 Duct Saddles | www.DuctSaddles.com ..................................................................................... 11 Goodman Manufacturing | www.GoodmanMfg.com ...................................................... 29 Lazco Corp. | www.LazcoCorp.com .............................................................................................. 5 Pearl Certification | www.pearlcertification.com/contractors ...................................... 25 R.E. Michel Company | www.REMichel.com ............................................................................ 8 The New Flat Rate | www.TheNewFlatRate.com ................................................................ 28 To Your Success | www.ToYourSuccess.com .......................................................................... 28 United Refrigeration | www.uri.com .......................................................................................... 25Next >