With many HVAC customers becoming more tech and sales-savvy, today’s industry sales professionals really have to stand out with their pitches to seal the deal. To help member companies and their salespeople reach their goals in 2020, The Unified Group — an association of leading independent HVAC commercial contractors — hosted its annual Sales Forum in Nashville, Tennessee, in early March. More than 30 attendees from 20 member companies met to share best practices on all things sales-related — from making the first impression, to marketing strategies designed to bring in new maintenance contracts.

On the first day, Paul Thurston of Cox-Powell, Inc. demonstrated the way his company handles business development and lead generation. Chris Reiter of A&G Services discussed the different approaches that work when selling to different generations. Mike Devito of Air Comfort Corporation facilitated discussion on the challenges of being a salesperson and how to turn rejection and the occasional unhappy customer into a positive thing. Small breakout groups then talked about the biggest challenges they currently face and received feedback from other members.

“To see that everyone seems to be struggling with the same things was comforting,” said Tim Brown Jr. of Johnson & Jordan, Inc. “I got to see different points of view through the eyes of all experience levels.”

On the second day, members shared the technology they use for CRM (Client Relationship Management), like HubSpot and Salesforce. Managing preventative maintenance agreements from start to finish was another hot topic. The group discussed the process for expanding their existing maintenance base and shared their various sales processes on the construction side, from the initial survey to job completion and who is responsible for each phase. The day concluded with John Duggan of VHV Company helping the group understand how to properly kick off a maintenance agreement and make sure techs are engaged.

Participants left the session with a wealth of information to implement within their own sales process.
“Listening and trying to find out a solution to a problem in a group really opens up your mind and makes you think how you can better yourself and your company,” said Chris Reiter of A&G Services.

On the final day, Air Comfort Corporation’s Mike Devito presented on the logistics and realities of full labor and full-service preventative maintenance agreements, followed by a discussion on opportunities available within The Unified Group to utilize the organization to the fullest and help it grow. Throughout the session, members shared the processes and technology they have put in place within the last year that have made a positive impact on their business.

“This forum was very well put together and managed, said Curtis Dodson of B&I Contractors. “The value of investing both time and money into this group cannot be overstated.”

The Unified Group is comprised of innovative, forward-thinking business leaders who are focused on continuous improvement. Visit www.theunifiedgroup.com for more information or to join.

About The Unified Group

Formed in 1998, The Unified Group is an organization of the leading independent HVAC commercial contractors in the industry. The association helps strengthen its member businesses through a variety of training and resources, and is dedicated to raising the standards of excellence in the HVACR industry. For more information, visit www.theunifiedgroup.com.