< Previous20 OCTOBER 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY usually easier, quicker, and cost less than they think. You do this by pointing out that you are the ONLY contractor in your area qualified and certified with the proper tools, training, and technology to di- agnose and correct these annoying is- sues that plague customers’ lives. Taking the “House Doctor” approach allows your company to be a premi- um service provider for the discerning homeowner with distinctive tastes who desires better quality, peace of mind, and a higher standard of living. PAMPER YOUR CUSTOMERS In this economy, with prices soaring and inflation causing mortgage rates to rise, people stay in their homes and invest in making them the way they want. Many such homeowners wish to be catered to with unique, innova- tive, problem-solving remedies. Many want pampering with extraordinary service and a caring attitude. In other words, provide an impactful life expe- rience that shatters the expectations. Most homeowners want value, af- fordability, and less risk. They want contractors to do what they say they are going to do. It’s in your best inter- est to be the professional the customer needs you to be and do the right things the right way the first time. Then guar- antee your work and customer happi- ness 100% in writing or provide a full refund if you fall short. Be the company that says: “Let us help make your home feel as good as you and your family deserve for your largest investment.” HIGH-VALUE COMFORT SPECIALISTS Position your company as the high-performance, high-value solu- tion specialist, and the local expert at fixing unsafe, unhealthy, uncom- fortable, energy-wasting homes. Talk about the common problems most homeowners experience that other contractors neglect in favor of chas- ing equipment sales. Address pre-ex- isting conditions that led or will lead to equipment failure. Some problems you should speak to include: ;Rooms that get too hot or too cold ; Can’t maintain consistent comfort ;Uneven temps between areas ; Equipment cycles frequently or runs all the time, and the house is still not comfortable ; Poor temperature control ;Occupant thermostat wars ; Drafts or stuffiness ;Not enough airflow ;Noisy equipment or airflow ; High utility bills ;Clammy, muggy, musty, etc. ; Too humid in summer ;Too dry in winter ;Odors in the house when the sys- tem runs ;Poor air quality ; Dusty ;People suffering from allergy, asth- ma, respiratory conditions ; Equipment problems since the equipment was installed or since you moved in ;Frequent equipment breakdowns ;Other contractors say problems cannot be fixed. As a high-value, high-performance comfort specialist, you can help homeowners understand why new equipment won’t solve their problems and may make matters worse. Quick fixes can damage their investment. Temporary fixes usually address a to convert the prospect to a buying customer. These costs stem from expensive marketing strategies that include di- rect letters, radius mailers, billboards, radio, television, over-the-top stream- ing, digital marketing, newspaper and magazine branding, direct response ads, and more. Existing customers, on the other hand, cost very little to resell. Most companies can flip an opportunity to sell high-performance services from an email, text, phone call, postcard, letter, tech handout, newsletter, ser- vice visit, etc., each of which costs only pennies to a few dollars. Existing customers also offer low- cost opportunities to create new pros- pects and customers through yard signs, branded homes (decals, gro- cery bags, and other in-home branded materials), referral rewards, mailbox/ door hangers, as well as trucks (rolling billboards) in neighborhoods. APPEALING TO BOTH CUSTOMER TYPES How can you appeal to both pros- pects and customers to drive high-per- formance work? Most HVAC contractors offer spe- cials to drive business if weather con- ditions are not doing so. High-perfor- mance contractors realize that while special promotions can work, it is far better to be special and stand out rather than fit in. These contractors promote their unique people, protocols, products, and processes to pinpoint and cor- rect comfort problems, highlighting that homeowners do not even have to replace their equipment in many cases! Their custom solutions are SALESOCTOBER 2022 21HVACTODAY.COM building envelope allow. They know that installing high-ef- ficiency advanced-technology equip- ment on a poor duct system and in an archaic building envelope is a rec- ipe for wasting energy more efficiently (the equipment is more efficient, but the energy bills will not benefit from its full potential) and shortening the life of that equipment. Their creed of doing no harm, mak- ing things better, leave people happy would never allow them to do so. The above reasons are why high-per- formance contractors relentlessly pur- sue existing customers over new pros- pects. When these contractors find problems that an antiquated industry has long neglected, they cannot turn their backs on the suffering people. Instead, they apologize on behalf of the industry and commit to being better by genuinely serving the people. to keep their entire team working, which allows for a shared workload, so no one is overwhelmed. This means co-workers can still live a quality life with full-time employment. Following below is a list of ser- vices that can help convert an HVAC contractor into a High-Performance Contractor. These services help cus- tomers create their perfect home en- vironment by combining HVAC, IAQ (Indoor Air Quality), and both home/ system performance. This creates several new revenue streams to fill in seasonal gaps and ex- pand scopes of work to more signifi- cant income. These longer-term jobs typically have no competition and are highly profitable: z Insulation (all types & areas of the home) zEnvelope air sealing z Windows zAttic/crawlspace encapsulation z Attic hatch insulator zDuct repairs zDuct renovation z Duct replacement zDuct sealing z Duct insulation zDuct cleaning zFiltration z Humidification zDehumidification z Air purification zHome performance testing zSystem performance testing z System performance monitoring zAir quality testing z Air quality monitoring. High-performance HVAC contrac- tors know that HVAC and IAQ equip- ment will only work as effectively and efficiently as the design, installation, duct system, equipment-tuning, and symptom rather than providing a per- manent solution to a root cause. The High-Performance approach of test- ing and measuring can transport occu- pants from purgatory to paradise when it comes to living a good life in a safe, healthy, comfortable, energy-smart, re- sponsible, and sustainable home. MORE THAN CUSTOMER BENEFITS As you can see, the benefits to the cus- tomer are many, but being a high-per- formance HVAC company also benefits the contractors and their co-workers. Most typical HVAC contractors wait for the weather to generate service calls to create equipment leads and sales. Then they sell standard entry-lev- el products or promote high efficiency and advanced technology equipment as a panacea for comfort and efficiency problems without addressing the duct system or building envelope. Such a limited business strategy pro- vides for erratic workflow, revenue, and profitability, which creates work overload and shortages. Neither of these circumstances are conducive to maintaining steady work for co-workers and may even result in layoffs in slow times or people quitting when they are expected to put in over- time to cover for staff shortages. THE SERVICE DIFFERENTIAL High-performance contractors have a better way to leverage weather to drive business year-round. They know it’s not that customers stop spending money during the shoulder seasons. It’s that other contractors have noth- ing to offer. High-performance contractors have an arsenal of products and services Drew Cameron is the founder and CEO of Flow Odyssey (formerly HVAC Sellutions) and president/co-owner of Energy Design Systems, LLC. The combination of his two companies cre- ates an industry alliance providing leading-edge technology with complementary marketing and sales consultative support, recruiting, training, and more. Drew is an HVAC Indus- try-recognized author, speaker, educator, coach, consultant, software developer, philan- thropist, and an International Consultant Award Winner. Contact Drew at 610-745-7020 or drew@flowodyssey.us.partners, and so much more! Registration and hotel reservations will be open soon, so mark your calendar for Summit Week 2023 - April 17-20. We can’t wait to see you there! New Static Pressure Testing Package National Comfort Institute (NCI) is pleased to announce a new member Tech Tip download called, “Start Here on Your Path to High Performance.” This six-page package will help demonstrate how to perform total external static pres- sure testing as well as how to select the right equipment. The PDF includes links to articles to help you implement testing into your business. Links will point you to a video, “Total Static Pressure: A Step-by-Step Guide,” presented by NCI’s David Richardson. In this video, David explains total external static pressure, where to take measure- ments, and what instruments to use. Another link will take you to the NCI Store, where you’ll find static pressure test port installation kits necessary to take correct tests and recommended manometers (digital and analog). Other links will take you to articles that provide more detailed information on static pressure measurements, diag- nostics, and how to avoid four basic stat- ic pressure mistakes. And last, but not least, the PDF con- tains detailed illustrations showing where to install test ports on several different gas-fired furnace equipment types and configurations. For a limited time, register at ncilink. com/SPTest to download this PDF. New High-Performance Talk Forum Great News! NCI recently launched its new High-Performance Talk Forum . It is the only forum dedicated specifical- ly to the High-Performance HVAC con- tracting method. Here contractors can talk to their peers about everything from specific testing issues to tips on how to implement some aspects of the perfor- mance approach into their businesses. Right now, High-Performance Talk is divided into four key areas: Welcome Airhead Avenue CO and Combustion Court NCI Member-Only Forum. Each area can contain an unlimited number of pertinent topics and discus- sions started by you, and you can follow (or subscribe) to any topics you want. Though this forum is moderated and there are a few rules – it is a user-driven platform and will be as useful and “hap- pening” as you make it. So why not give it a try? You can visit highperformancetalk.com and check it out. If you’d like to post on the site, you will have to register. That is easy enough to do. Just click here and fill out this basic form. Registration is free, so it should be sim- ple to sign up today. We look forward to seeing you online at HighPerforman- ceTalk.com today. NCI Preparing for Summit 2023 NCI’s High-Performance HVAC Sum- mit Week is slated for April 16-20, 2023, in Branson, MO. The event will take place at the Cha- teau on the Lake Resort and Spa , just minutes from downtown Bran- son on the shores of beautiful Table Rock Lake. The 2023 theme, “Service: High-Perfor- mance Starts Here,” focuses on building the foundation of a High-Performance HVAC business through your service de- partment. The general conference and breakout sessions will drill down into the exact steps for building a solid mainte- nance agreement program. In addition, sessions address gener- ating profitable leads from your service and maintenance visits through testing and diagnostics, then handing them off to ensure high closing rates and happy customers. Session titles include: Testing and Diagnostics to Generate Leads for Replacements and Upgrades Keep Customers Safe and Generate Leads with CO Safety and Combustion Testing Service Lead Hand-off to Sales and Follow-through Setting Up A High-Performance Main- tenance Agreement Program High-Performance Hands-on Diagnos- tics in Performance Town 2023. In addition, NCI will feature special General Sessions on this topic, as well as partner breakouts, our first-ever Mea- surement Technology Pavilion featur- ing our test instrument and software NCI UPDATE OCTOBER 2022 23HVACTODAY.COMHVAC SMART MART 24 OCTOBER 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYOCTOBER 2022 25HVACTODAY.COM Arzel Zoning Technology, Inc. | www.ArzelZoning.com ...................................................... 5 Baker Distributing Company | www.BakerDist.com ........................................................... 24 Duct Saddles | www.DuctSaddles.com ....................................................................................... 9 Dwyer Instruments, Inc. | www.Dwyer-inst.com ................................................................... 10 Evergreen Telemetry | www.EvergreenTelemetry.com ...................................................... 14 Goodman Manufacturing | www.GoodmanMfg.com ....................................................... 27 Lazco Corp. | www.LazcoCorp.com ............................................................................................ 25 R.E. Michel Company | www.REMichel.com .......................................................................... 13 Southern California Edison | www.on.sce.com/hvac.com ................................................. 2 The New Flat Rate | www.TheNewFlatRate.com ................................................................ 24 To Your Success | www.ToYourSuccess.com .......................................................................... 24 Advertiser Index AD INDEX HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM Publisher Dominick Guarino Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher Mike Weil Art Director Judy Marquardt Online Development Director Brian Roseman Circulation Manager Andrea Begany-Garsed Advertiser 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. Go to ncilink.com/ContactMe with your comments and questions.PROFESSIONALS DO IT RIGHT! The NSI 6000 begins reading 5 ppm after 30 seconds. The first audible alert is at 15 ppm after five minutes of exposure to CO. While it may not be cause to evacuate, the home or building should be tested by an NCI-certified technician. These techs are trained with the correct equip- ment to safely diagnose and pinpoint the source of CO. They then work to correct the issue so the combustion appliance(s) can run safely. Customer education is the key to being that first line of defense against CO poisoning and the first phone call the homeowner makes. When a certified technician first installs an NSI 6000, he or she explains the difference between the monitor and a store-bought alarm, and how the customer should respond at each level of CO in the home, if the situation does arise. MOST FIRST RESPONDERS AREN’T TRAINED IN LOW-LEVEL CO If NCI were to sell direct to consumers, it would be difficult to teach them the difference between low-level monitors and standard alarms. If they didn’t have a local professional to call, they would likely contact emergency services. Most first re- sponders would have no idea what to do, and chalk it up to a false alarm. In addition, certified professionals know where to place the low-level monitor, in which room -- and in the correct location. They also spend the time to educate their cus- tomer on how it works and what to do at the dif- ferent alert levels. For these reasons, NCI will continue to only sell through trained professionals. More information on the NSI 6000 is available at nationalsafety- instruments.com. If you’d like to learn more aboutNCI’s reseller program, click here. C onsumers often try to buy NSI 6000 low-level CO (Carbon Monoxide) moni- tors directly from National Comfort Insti- tute (NCI), but we have a steadfast rule that these monitors are only available through professional resellers. There’s no doubt we could sell more product if we marketed and sold directly to consumers. But there are some very important reasons why, for more than 20 years, we only sold CO monitors through trained professionals. MONITOR VERSUS ALARM First, it’s important to understand the differ- ence between a low-level CO monitor and a CO alarm that you can purchase at any retail outlet. A UL-Listed CO alarm does not sound until unsafe levels of 70+ ppm (parts per million) are present for up to 3 ½ hours. By then most people already have been exposed enough to feel the ef- fects of CO poisoning. What’s even worse is if the level drops below 70 ppm the alarm will reset for up to another 3 ½ hours! That means your customers could be liv- ing in 69-70 ppm without ever getting an alarm. At 70 ppm they may start to feel lightheaded, nausea, or even have convulsions. The symptoms are worse in young children and the elderly. Any space should be evacuated at ambient CO levels of 70 ppm or higher. 26 OCTOBER 2022HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY ONE MORE THING... By Dom Guarino Why NCI Only Sells CO Monitors to Professionals Dominick Guarino is publisher of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine and CEO of National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at ncilink.com/ ContactMe If consumers didn’t have a local HVAC professional to call, they would likely contact emergency services. Most first responders would have no idea what to do, and chalk it up to a false alarm.OCTOBER 2022 27HVACTODAY.COMNext >