This month we’re talking about Ken’s formula to a contractor’s IAQ success. It’s a formula that is based on people, products, and programs. More on this soon.

We’ve also had some questions on what can be done to reduce employee turnover rates in 2021. Turns out 2020 had quite an impact on how employees view their job, their significance, and their value. The answer lies in leaders, with an emphasis on culture and purpose. We’ll be covering this in great detail.

Elsewhere this month:

• How’s your marketing program coming along?
• In-duct central air monitors are your #1 sales tool
• And more…

–Chris
P.S. If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m Chris. Let’s connect on Linkedin!

1.) Formula for a Contractor’s IAQ Success

To be successful at selling IAQ, Ken Grubbs, KGG’s Founder and Managing Director, believes contractors need the right mix of people, products, and programs. While it sounds simple enough, this is extremely difficult to execute. Building the relationships, training, sales, and marketing programs isn’t something that happens overnight. Here are his thoughts, with a splash of context:

People — “you’re going to be surrounded by an entire team of IAQ professionals every step of the way”. — Goodman TSM’s, Goodman RPM’s, Goodman Product Engineers, Factory Engineers, Local IAQA Certified KGG Reps, KGG National Training Director, and KGG Marketing Director.

Products — “you’re going to have access to the most comprehensive line-up of IAQ products ever assembled under one roof”. Ventilation, Filtration, Purification, Humidity Control and Monitoring. Dust Free, Clean Comfort, Life Breath, Zephyr, and Haven are the IAQ manufacturers.

Programs — Incentive Programs, Discount Programs, Spiff Programs, Rebate Programs, Product Training Programs, Sales Training Programs, Web site Analysis, Lead Generation Programs, other Marketing Programs. “Every kind of support and discount program ever created for IAQ.”

2.) Speaking of People… “People leave bosses, not companies.”

You’ve heard the saying. There’s truth to it: Gallup surveyed 25 million+ employees over the past 20 years and found poor management to play a huge role in employee turnover.

And… It has everything to do with purpose.

Harvard Business Review reported that:

• 90%+ of employees would be willing to trade a percentage of their lifetime earnings for greater meaning at work
• 2,000+ respondents – workers across all ages and salary groups – said that they would forego an average of 23% of their future lifetime earnings in order to secure a meaningful job until they retire

So what’s the takeaway? Effective leadership matters. It means showing your team why their work actually matters, especially these days.

Here’s why according to Daniel Goldman from Korn Ferry:

A.) Connection in the workplace isn’t what it used to be.
Today, there’s a lack of connection amongst team members. Leaders need to take a thoughtful approach to connect the purpose of the organization with every level of their organization.

B.) Anxiety and depression are on the rise.
How are you addressing mental and emotional health with your workforce?

C.) Millions of people have hit an existential crisis.
People want to feel good about the work they do. Are you helping foster that through road mapping where their career can take them? If not, it’s time to start.

To Address This, Leaders Must Have These Two Core Roles
First and foremost, you must be culture champions. Take responsibility for role modeling the mindsets, beliefs, and desired behaviors of the workforce. Secondly, build the culture. Take responsibility for making sure the structures that support those behaviors are firmly in place.

Good leadership lives in the overlap of culture and purpose. You become one of the “good ones” when you uphold the culture of the organization and model the values through behavior. Help your employees understand why their day-to-day tasks matter and how to tap into something more fulfilling than a paycheck.

3.) Speaking of Products… Whatcha Know About the CAM?

First off, it’s a central air monitor… The cool contractors call it CAM for short.

The CAM has been designed with Pros in mind: the in-duct approach for installs requires an HVAC technician, whereas consumer-grade counter-top monitors do not. Reliable data from research-grade sensors helps build trust with the homeowner and validates equipment recommendations for solving IAQ issues (a solution to the ‘snake oil salesman’ perception that poses a challenge for many HVAC techs).

Arguably the best thing about the CAM is the portal and dashboard (more on this soon). Here’s a sneak peek at the Pro Web Portal ↓

• Remote monitoring for year-round touchpoints
• Sophisticated customer prioritization based on reliable data
• Data-driven sales opportunities through IAQ reports
• Perfect for service & maintenance contracts

Here’s what your homeowner sees on their smartphone or tablet dashboard ↓

Let’s Circle Back to the Best Thing About the CAM

When you couple your pro portal with the homeowners’ dashboard, it validates the conversation on their IAQ pain points and the solutions to improve it. It becomes your #1 IAQ sales tool. The CAM is your ultimate assist in selling whole-home ERV, HRV, humidity control, filtration, and purification solutions.

To learn more about the CAM, we recently posted an article on how contractors can benefit from the CAM and how to effectively sell it out in the field.

We also posted an article geared towards homeowners. This teaches them about the differences between CAM and room air monitors. Perhaps this inspires you to create an original article of your own to share on your own site.

Lastly, we’re big on memes right now. Memes are awesome for capturing your audience’s attention on social media. Now that you have it, teach them something new. You’re encouraged and welcome to share it on your social media channels.

3.) Speaking of Programs… How’s Your 2021 HVAC/IAQ Marketing Program Coming Along?

Wait… Do you have one?  These days, it’s what your business needs to stand out against local competitors.

We get it though: Sometimes you just don’t know how to get started. If you struggle with:

• Creating display ads
• Posting good things on social media
• Developing web content for your HVAC or IAQ business
• Finding the time to create any of it…

We can help!  
There’s fresh, free content just for you to grab images, presentations, articles, social posts, IG story ads, and infographics, it’s all there just waiting for you.  Here are a couple of examples!  

Interested in More Links to HVAC and IAQ People, Products and Programs? We Got’em Here:

• Most of your customers search for HVAC and IAQ information online first.  Meet them there with a blog post or article.  Here are some topics you can write about right now.  
• There’s a better way to diagnose IAQ problems.  Learn what they are with Jeff May.  
• Customer relationships are crucial for business. KGG’s Training Director offers insight on how to increase customer lifetime value and grow business relationships.
• Now is the perfect time to promote your HVAC business online to take advantage of high market demand. Learn the latest techniques.
• After a turbulent yet successful year for the HVAC industry, KGG’s Founder and Managing Director Ken Grubbs weighs in on HVAC and IAQ in 2021.

Thanks for reading and see you in July!