What about HVAC distributors? LeBaron and Adams say they too have a role to play, though that is down the road.

Adams says, “Initially, we felt like it might be more compelling in engaging distributors if we had some recognizable names within the portfolio. I’m talking about contractors who work directly with us and some recognizable manufacturers.

“We are finding that manufacturers are making the introductions to their distributors, which is a much stronger approach.
“From a marketing and brand loyalty perspective, there is a benefit that we can bring to distributors through our program.
“It’s possible that by the end of the year, Pearl will announce our first distribution partner. We are in conversations with a distributor now.”

The NCI Connection

LeBaron says that one of the most exciting partnerships to date is with National Comfort Institute. “We feel, without exaggeration, that NCI has some of the best contractors in the U.S.”

“Pearl Certification can provide two things that could be very valuable to an NCI contractor,” continues Adams. “One is the power of increasing closing rates. Contractors in our network see a five to 10% increase when leveraging Pearl in their sales conversation.”

She adds that they have appraisal studies — including a new one to be published in the future — that show a Pearl whole home certification can increase home value on average by 5%.

“So, we’re not relying only on one-off testimonials when we say that Pearl certification helps contractors’ customers see an ROI on their installations. We have appraisal studies that back that up,” she says.

Both executives say that contractors who already hold NCI certifications have a leg up and can truly benefit from working with Pearl.

Between high-performance testing reports to Pearl certification, contractors can finally prove a return on investment to homeowners. And if that doesn’t close sales, what will?

For these and many other reasons, the editors of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine are pleased to shine the September Spotlight on Pearl Certification.