Throughout Aprilaire’s long history in the HVAC industry, much time has been spent with their contractor partners to understand what drives their Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) business and how those drivers have changed.

Talking points have shifted, as health-conscious homeowners understand the need for healthier air and look to contractors to deliver it. Contractors who understands this shift are differentiating their service and winning IAQ sales.

Josh Bigelow, owner of Great Dane Heating and Cooling in greater Detroit is having more conversations about health today than about comfort, energy savings or equipment protection. Why? As he puts it, “Isn’t health more important than comfort? I don’t know about you, but when I’m unhealthy I’m very uncomfortable.” It’s hard to argue with that logic.

Josh continued, “I’m a father. There’s nothing I wouldn’t spend for my daughter to stay healthy. So when I go into a home and I see a small room air cleaner or dehumidifier I’ll ask what it’s for and if their kids have allergies I’ll say, don’t they deserve protection in every room? It’s an easy conversation when you talk about health.”
Frank Kotz, owner of Kotz Heating, Cooling and Plumbing in Michigan has been selling IAQ successfully since 1929. “Our conversations are mostly about health. We talk about what’s going to be good for the health of the family. We’ll ask, ‘Do your kids have allergies? Do you have pets?’ Equipment protection is a bonus. We call it the cake and icing. The cake is healthier air by controlling humidity levels and air quality, and the icing is that IAQ products will protect and extend the life of the equipment you’re purchasing.”

Kotz explains the importance of including IAQ to differentiate their business, “Homeowners will say, ‘No one offered me a humidifier or an air cleaner.’ And we’ll explain, that’s because they’re selling a box. We’re not trying to sell a box, we’re trying to sell a system that you’re going to live with and be comfortable with.”

Contractors are also incorporating consumer benefit language on proposals because they stay with the customer and remind them to consider IAQ products. Health benefits also speak to their emotions much more than equipment protection or energy savings.

Luedke Heating and Cooling in Detroit call their packages ‘Health and Equipment Protection’ packages. There are health benefits and solutions offered at every level.

All About Healthy Air

Bigelow continued, “If you have respiratory issues, too much humidity or lack of humidity, as well as all that airborne dust just aggravates your sinuses. I never realized how important it is to your health to control humidity and particulate. Now that we know this, you can’t un-ring a bell. We have to tell people. It’s our responsibility.”

Danny Erb from Good’s Electric in Ohio sums up the importance, and the opportunity. “It’s great to be in the HVAC trade because we get to serve people by offering IAQ products like Aprilaire humidifiers, dehumidifiers and air cleaners. We get to show them how it makes their life better and they love it! It fuels my day when I hear people talk about the differences these things make. If we take them for granted and we don’t show IAQ to our customers, we’re doing them a dis-service.”

Hear more from the Pros on the ProTalk Blog at AprilairePartners.com.