Find and marketing to your ideal client is probably the first step towards being effective with your marketing dollars herunterladen. You can’t be everything to everybody, so know the client that will appreciate your service is a key to your success.

With that in mind, the ideal client for a high level world class service company is EXACTLY like or a combination of all of these…

• Stays loyal to the same brand for years

• Utilizes their brands loyalty programs

• Values the relationships they have with their service providers

• Appreciates getting a range of choices to do the work

• Wants a more premium solution when given that choice

• Wants to get the job done TODAY

• All stakeholders will be available to make a decision

• Always hires a professional, doesn’t like to “reinvent the wheel”

• Does NOT have or hates using a home warranty

• Has a broken system OR one that needs major improvement

• Is willing to get pre-approved for financing or has major credit cards

• Has heard really great things about us from friends

• Has “learned their lesson” about getting what you pay for gangstar vegas herunterladen für android.

• Feels more comfortable taking care of payment promptly.

• Loves to give reviews when a service providers does work for them herunterladen.

• Is a “Maven” who highly influences others in their social circles.

Are you a door that stands in the way of opportunity for your clients to have a safer, healthier, more comfortable and reliable HVAC system herunterladen? Or are you a window that shows people the possibilities to upgrade their current system.  Don’t have the imagination to think of solutions for clients rette das mädchen herunterladen? Here is my top list of HVAC upgrades to offer to clients on repair, maintenance & sales calls…

• Outdoor “Re-level For Life” – Remount the outdoor system using limestone screenings and 3/4″ rubber isolator pads kostenlose word und excel herunterladen. Lifetime warranty on re-leveling can be given if you do it right.

• Flood Prevention Emergency Protection – “EZ trap” to shut off AC so it doesn’t flood your basement or attic hype download.

• Extreme Hot Weather Kit – Upgrade to a 50 amp contactor, hard start kit, 440 vac capacitors & install a time delay relay

• Animal Guard – Pull 2 wire through 3.8″ poly vinyl jacket to protect against weed whacker’s and rodents chewing through outdoor wire

• LED Can Light Retrofit – Identify unsealed can lights in a home and replace with LED retrofit to seal energy in home gta 5 online spielelisten herunterladen. Each can lights lose up to 1/2 ton of cooling in a home and allow fiberglass to infiltrate the living space

• Attic Fire Breaks – If a chimney is not fire-breaked in the attic it allows fiberglass and contaminants to enter the home and is also a fire safety issue as well

• Attic access Sealing – Why is the entire attic insulated and sealed but the attic access hole is unsealed.  Solid foam access doors that latch air-tight and attic staircase covers are available to stop massive infiltration from these holes

• Power Surge Protection – Protect motherboards and damage to compressors by installing a surge protector

• Carbon Monoxide – Fire – Smoke Safety Protection – Install a wifi connection low level carbon monoxide alarm in all levels of the home

• Wifi Connected Temperature, System & Energy Monitoring System – A Wifi connected thermostat will not only allow you to control your temperature from a cell phone but also alerts clients to “System Needs Service” calls php datei downloaden.

• 5 Year thru 1 Year of Media Filter, Humidifier Pad &/or UV Bulb Replacements

• Media &/or Electronic Air Filter Installations

• Humidifier Installations (Steam-Power-Bypass)

• UV Air Purifier Installations

• Whole House Dehumidifiers – Super dry dehumidifiers for basements to prevent mold growth for the safety of the children

• Return Air Duct Upgrades – Upgrade return air systems to 100% capacity so that clients stop damaging systems due to restricting the airflow bildschirm aufnahme herunterladen. (This should be sold by each tech at least 3-4 times per week)

• Grill & Register Replacements – Nothing looks worse on white carpet than brown registers Download office 2013 for free. Also to upgrade return grills to aluminum from stamped metal.

• Air Duct Sealing – Air is a product after it has heated or cooled zoom.us download. What are you doing to make sure that clients can keep the conditioned air that they have invested in?

Can you think of any others Download games? Comment below and I’ll add them to the list!

Good Money After Bad

Pricing jobs by parts and hours of labor is like throwing money out the window.

The cost of most parts in the plumbing, electrical and HVAC worlds are astonishingly low compared to the reliability, safety and health you provide to your customers. Many of your field service techs often get major repairs or replacements done relatively quickly, often within a couple or few hours. Compared to the immense utility and benefit being given, your company collects very little revenue.

You cannot just make up the discrepancy by stating an incredibly high hourly rate, as customers have a ballpark idea of what people charge out there. When your plumbing business charges the same hourly rate as a corporate attorney or top tier computer systems programmer, customers are going to walk away, be resentful or write horrible reviews on Yelp hier ihr ebooken. You need to have a pricing method that makes good sense to the customer and reinforces to them (and to yourself) the considerable value proposition that you offer.

The pricing method that will bring in the revenues and profits you deserve is called flat rate pricing. However, when instituting a flat fee policy, it is easy to stumble on the various pitfalls that exist which will seriously harm your bottom line. The following guidelines are essential to maximizing your pricing policy to run a successful service business.

1. Service Is Your Main Product

Never apologize for the investment to provide great service.  If you were a warehouse outlet of parts, your business model would be based upon buying wholesale and reselling massive amounts of parts (many of them small and inexpensive) which you sell to a steady stream of customers. Your clientele includes solo home contracting providers, do-it-yourselfers, and large service companies with a team of employees. Your revenue would depend upon a tremendous consumer base for parts or every size and type adobe photoshop chip kostenlos downloaden. Your business would rely on selling so many parts that with the relatively modest markup allowable, you still earn solid profits.

But as a residential service professional, you are not in that business. The parts you provide to fix your customers’ issues are actually a very small part of the service you offer.  In fact, I like to say the parts are FREE as long as you purchase my service.

Let’s put it this way, if you showed up at the customer’s house and they handed you a box with the necessary valves, pipes, coupling, O-rings and joint washer, you would still be doing them an enormous service by assembling, installing, tightening and otherwise using those parts in the proper manner to provide safety, health, quality and reliability.  To the average homeowner, trying to do the hvac, electrical or plumbing fix themselves would be like repairing the engine on an Apollo space rocket. The interest and concern you show for their family, work and personal lives, the comprehensive thinking you show in terms of systems upgrades and household improvements, and the adaptive expertise you show in terms of solving problems (which includes talking about parts as specific solutions, not as 5-digit part numbers) windows xp professional.  You as the service person provide the highest value for the price.

All of this makes your flat fee prices worth every penny.

2. It’s A Pricing, Not Inventory System

Too many companies, when instituting a flat fee policy, set up a highly formalized structure whereby every kind of service job is micro-described (and micro-managed) in the company’s literature and computer systems, which applies even to the parts purchasing department.

Specificity and details are great, in general, when presenting solutions to the customer, but it can go too far. Especially on the back end, when your flat fee system means that new parts are automatically ordered based upon the jobs which techs are sent out on. Often the tech in the field will buy a special part himself, or have an extra on hand in his truck, or be able to use a slightly different part which works just as well in the practical, hands-on situation.

Your service techs need to be allowed for on-the-spot, flexible solutions and sometimes that means specific parts which are perfect for the job but can’t fit into a pre-set cookie cutter requisition download qgis icons. If your company automatically orders parts based solely on what suggestions are in your flat fee options, you will likely find yourself wasting a lot of money on parts that stack up in your storeroom. The ordering of parts should be a constant, closely monitored process based on what’s really being used, and not set in stone based on a job template.

3. A Confused Mind Says “NO”

When going to flat fee pricing, many service companies go “task crazy”. By that I mean they brainstorm 1,000 tasks to go in the tech’s pricing book, thinking that it’s better to over-list the priced tasks than under-list them. They’re wrong. I admire the initiative and effort, but if you fill your techs’ price books with hundreds and hundreds of tasks, they’ll get overwhelmed, intimidated and stop searching the book in earnest mario kart 8 herunterladen. They will instead head towards their go-to tasks that they already feel comfortable with. This will cause an inaccuracy between the tasks they do for the customer and what’s actually needed.

The answer is for you to have the service tasks be specific and differentiated but don’t go way overboard and have 100 different options of the same basic valve replacement, with a different task for each specific valve. Have a single flat fee task that covers all straightforward valve replacements and allow the tech to adjust the part specifics in each individual case. It’s better to have a streamlined price book than an overstuffed one that techs hate and don’t want to really use.

4. The Cost Of NOT Training Is The Highest Cost

Your new flat rate pricing book goes hand-in-hand with the pure motive service I’ve talked about in previous articles download the firefox page. This means not only offering multiple options to a customer but understanding and explaining the high-value proposition on each and every call. These aren’t just empty words, this is a mindset of superior service which translates into actual reality the customer can feel and perceive.

The aforementioned concepts do NOT just come to all techs naturally. In fact, if you don’t sufficiently train your techs in correctly explaining the tasks in the price book, in the manner that relates the value proposition being offered, you’re going to end up with a lot of customers responding with “What? How much? Sounds like a rip-off.”

Some techs will get embroiled in back-and-forth price negotiations, leading to many tense client concern calls into your company, others will just give up and accept a lower price, while other will over-promise extra work to make up for the high prices. Every dollar and every minute you put into the comprehensive, high-quality training of your staff to help them internalize and communicate your flat fee pricing, are resources incredibly well spent.  The question isn’t. “What the cost of training?” It’s, “What’s the cost of NOT training?”

5 adac app herunterladen. Put Together Relevant Solutions, Not Prices

It’s easy for your service techs out in the field to be misusing the incredible and powerful resource – the flat rate pricing book.  As an analogy, think of your flat rate book as a catalog full of interior décor items for a designer.  Or a shopping cart of groceries for a world-class chef.  A giant catalog like that would overwhelm and confuse most homeowners. What they’re really looking for in a top service professional is someone who will pick out a bunch of items that go together perfectly for their house and taste, rather than someone who will just shove the book at them and say “You pick which items you want.”

Your techs need to customize options and create complete solutions for customers. You need to offer genuinely personal, adaptive and case-by-case service for each homeowner and the particulars of their home and lifestyle. If the tech just says “These tasks all come from the most authoritative flat fee resources” the customer is going to feel that they’re being sold some kind of exploitative, high-profit bill of goods. Putting together a mixed task solution after listening and analyzing the client’s needs is excellent service. You can additionally train your techs in creating presentation sheets that illustrate the benefits to the customer’s household.  Simply let each client know WHY you chose the prices you did and how they will benefit and you will always win.

6. Options Are The American Way

With your average flat fee pricing book, your average tech will often cop out of really doing his job, and just point to a page in the book and say “Here’s the fix and the price, do you want to do it?”

What he should do instead is offer a variety of upgrades and other repairs. That way the customer is truly being informed of the state of their home systems and given options for different levels of service. When techs don’t do the latter, the company will often get phone calls complaining of other issues- renovations, repairs, replacements- that were left undone.

Your techs need to be able to come up with structured pricing options in the field, and quickly. Every customer should be given option sheets with premium, mid-range and economy choices so that they experience a bounty of possible solutions. Whether more expensive and comprehensive or less expensive and stripped down, each option should be backed by integrity and expertise. Your tech is ultimately not choosing for your client, but allowing THEM to choose which solution they will purchase.  Giving choices IS the American way!

7. Your Flat Rate Book Is a Living Document

We’ve established that your flat rate price book is a fantastic tool and an enormous asset which, when used correctly, leads to vastly increased revenues and profits. But the book can also boomerang on you and your company if not created and maintained correctly. Using the traditional publishing methods, once all of the information is gathered, organized, proofed and printed, mistakes and errors will pop up with some item details and prices being erroneous. Field service techs will see these discrepancies in the document, feel awkward and put on the spot, and quickly lose confidence in it as a resource on service calls. The flat rate book becomes worthless when your field techs don’t trust it.

You must have two-way communication with everyone in the company and especially your field techs to be constantly correcting and updating your flat rate book. In addition to simple errors which humans make, there is the issue of real world prices of parts changing anyway.

Also the invention of new home service technologies which need to be integrated into the book. There now exist electronic publishing and delivery methods that allow your flat fee book to be a living, evolving document. This will help you to avoid major pitfalls and keep your techs and customers happy and successful for many years to come.

To take advantage of the technology available for you to create a flat rate pricing book, I’d like to offer you a free personal training walk through of Jobi Field Service Software. Get started here: www.jobi.pro/trial

That Moment You Realize This Is A Tough Call

Carol looked at me and said, “Just so you know, we’re getting 3 estimates before we make a decision.” Not to be outdone by his wife, Bob yelled, “Four estimates,” as he turned and walked into the other room.  I thought to myself, I haven’t even taken off my shoes yet and this is what I get.  I hate these multiple estimate tough calls.  Just then Joe walked in the door and introduced himself Download the nutrition plan for free.  “Hi, I’m Joe Crisara, the quality control manager.  How are you today, Carol?”

Carol gave Joe that same determined look and said, “I just want you to know that we have 3 estimates lined up this week and we won’t be making any decisions until we hear them all.”

“First, let me say thanks for calling us and for the opportunity to help you and your family with this issue. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be here today and it really means a lot to us that you chose our company to assist you. Carol, can I ask you a question?” “Of course,” Carol said alle tkkg folgen kostenlos downloaden.

“Carol, I really appreciate your honesty about getting 3 prices before making a decision.  We don’t go out for dinner these days without seeing the different options available to us and the prices alongside them thanks to social media and sites like Yelp. They’ve changed the restaurant industry.”

Joe wasn’t phased a bit by Carol’s comment and immediately followed with, “We like to think that we are changing the way service contractors do business with homeowners like yourself as well entspannungsmusiken kostenlos. You said you are only going to get 3 estimates.  Our company gives 6 estimates on every call, kind of like that insurance company where you name your own price.  This way you have all the possibilities right in front of you at the same time.  So why are you limiting yourself to only 3 estimates?”

Carol was a bit stunned and didn’t know what to say but was able to stumble out the words, “We are actually getting 4 estimates.”  Joe just rolled with the punches, but I could tell he was wareing her out brennprogramm für windows vista kostenlosen. “I understand Carol.  I’m not trying to make you feel bad.  It’s just that if I were to show you my 6 estimates instead of only 4, and you liked one of those options, what would happen next?”

“Well, I already made the appointments with the other companies.  We’ve made up our minds.”

“So Carol, if you and Bob found exactly what you liked in one of our 6 estimates you wouldn’t be comfortable in calling to cancel the appointments with the other companies?” Joe replied herunterladen.

“I think if we saw exactly what we wanted we would be fine with canceling the other companies coming out but I find it difficult to believe that you are going to be able to give us exactly what we are looking for at the price we want.  That’s just not usually how things work when we hire service contractors.  That’s why we wanted to get multiple estimates,” Carol admitted diablo kostenlos downloaden vollversion deutsch.

“Carol, thanks again for sharing all that with me.  Can I share something with you again?” Carol nodded.  “Would you believe we hear those exact words… a lot.  Let’s do this.  Let’s make a promise to each other.  You promise to us that Bob and you will have an open mind and listen to all our estimates after diagnosing the system.  We will promise that if you do not find what you are looking for within our estimates that we will not only step aside for the next contractor and help you find the perfect solution that’s right for you and your family yed download.  If I said we could do all that for you, what would happen then?”

Carol said, “Let’s get this thing done.”

Turning Negative Energy Into A Positive

Customers getting multiple estimates creates a lot of negative energy.  That negative energy takes all the air out of the room and leaves technicians feeling drained and defeated, all before the call has even started.  The scenario described above is a true story that resulted in Bob and Carol moving forward with the call.  It went from what was initially viewed in the tech’s mind as a “no opportunity call” to the possibility an opportunity might exist.  The door was left open wimmelbild spiele vollversion kostenlos downloaden pc.

Working these types of calls in this manner is a unique challenge and is not easy by any means. Although the value in learning to handle these types of calls, aside from the obvious possible outcome, is that when it comes time to do an easy call with no negativity, those calls will be a breeze.

The idea of handling this type of tough call comes from two simple concepts, the first being to identify your negative assumption, and the second to confirm your negative assumption with the buyer.  If you can achieve these two tasks, you will reveal your pure motive and your passion to get the job done, allowing them to open up and reveal what’s really going on in their minds too.

Imagine Your People Spending Time With The Best People

Imagine your best sales or service people having the opportunity to spend an entire day learning strategies, mindset and techniques just like the one above, with Joe Crisara and the $7 million dollar residential HVAC-Plumbing & Electrical Replacement Service Advisor, Rick Picard.

Think about it. What would a “day in the life” of the highest performing HVAC service advisor be like?  It’d be like spending a day with Michael Jordan talking basketball, or talking about pitching with Nolan Ryan, or sitting down with Wayne Gretsky exploring hockey.  In this case you and your service or sales people could spend the entire day with Rick and Joe.

What if they (and you) had 1 day where every sales or service question is answered, every strategy is revealed and every problem your people face have a solution given to them?  More importantly, they’d be forging a one-on-one relationship with the “Babe Ruth” of service contracting sales results.  What would building a relationship with the top performer be worth to you and your team?

Well wonder no more, that day is here! Rick Picard and Joe Crisara will host our ContractorSelling.com Super Meeting at Contractor Leadership Live in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, September 12th for a day you don’t want to miss.  A day that will live in history as perhaps the greatest game changer for you and your company.

How much does all of this interactive learning with the best cost? The best part is that all of this is included with your ticket to attend the 3-day Contractor Leadership Live Event!  Our session is leading off the entire Contractor Leadership Live conference and I want YOU to join me there.

3-Day CLL Conference ContractorSelling.com Discount: $245 (reg. $495)

When you register to attend, to get the over 50% discount use the code: EGIA20

So to summarize, you get the entire day with Rick and Joe PLUS you get 3-day access to all the other learning sessions and the CLL exhibit hall all at one bonus price!  It’s like getting two world class events with one ticket! PLUS , as I mentioned you get the over 50% bonus discount off your pass to this event as well!

Again when you register to attend, to get the over 50% discount use the code: EGIA20. Early bird pricing lasts only until August 25th so sign up right now to get the best price.

Click here to attend!

Julie Crisara

​P.S. Rick and Joe can’t wait to meet, teach, mentor and learn with you that day. See you soon!

P.S.S. We have arranged for you to get all the audio and videos from this day to have AFTER the day is over so you can listen to this timeless wisdom on your phone on the way home or in your truck between calls.