Simple Steps to Sell More Indoor Air Quality Products
Are you a One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning owner looking to increase your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) sales? We've put together some helpful IAQ sales techniques that you can begin implementing with your team today to start seeing an uptick in your sales.
Increasing Technician Education Leads to Increased Sales
Indoor air quality products can be a confusing topic for customers. Most have never heard of it and often have many questions about what they need and how to use them.
The first step in helping your customers understand IAQ products is ensuring your technicians are well-informed on all product offerings. If your technicians understand the value of these products and how they can help a homeowner, they will be able to provide the best possible guidance when recommending and selling products.
John Whitfield, Vice President of Operations from One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Ft. Worth, TX, and his teams have increased their IAQ sales by 150% with the help of training. He said, “When you sit through training, if the trainers can sell the techs on what they do, they can go out and sell the products because they believe in it. The cool thing about BuyMax is I can call them repeatedly, and they will always come out for training. This has been game-changing for us.”
Next, you must educate your customers about what IAQ products do and how they function. The more information you can share with them, the better prepared they will be when deciding which products will work best in their homes or businesses.
If you're unsure of how to answer customer questions or concerns regarding IAQ products, consider using one of our free educational resources:
- The "What is IAQ?" blog includes a video that explains how indoor air quality relates to your health and provides information on what might be polluting indoor air quality in your home or business.
- Our “The Power of Indoor Air Quality Products” discusses the uncomfortable symptoms of poor indoor air quality. It introduces our MicroPower Guard® and UV Sterilization products that can help reduce the dust, mold, and allergens and disinfect contaminants in your home to fight those symptoms.
- Our Indoor Air Quality animations are great videos to share with your homeowners and explain the benefits of the products BuyMax and One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning have available.
Know Who Your Homeowners Are and Their Needs
Air quality is a serious matter. According to the EPA, indoor air pollutants are among the top five environmental health risks. A poorly ventilated home can increase your risk of getting sick, so it's essential to ensure you're doing everything possible to improve your indoor air quality.
Unfortunately, many homeowners don't know how to identify problems with their IAQ or what they can do to solve them. A properly trained technician can help educate homeowners about why they should consider investing in IAQ products. These solutions reduce airborne viruses, bacteria, mold spores, smoke, and pet dander. IAQ products can kill microbes on surfaces and eliminate odors caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
It's also important for homeowners with pets or children with asthma or allergies to have an indoor air quality solution installed in their homes. These families should have their ductwork cleaned every three years to remove dust mites from their homes and prevent them from spreading allergens throughout the house again during the next cleaning cycle.
Strategize With Your Team on How to Approach Customers
Air quality is a growing concern for homeowners and businesses. Growing awareness of the health impacts of poor indoor air quality has led to increased demand for solutions.
The key to success in this area is having a plan that is easily understood by technicians who will be explaining the solutions to customers and your customer service/sales teams. This can include developing a short elevator pitch for customers interested in the MicroPower Guard, UV Sterilization, or PCO Plus Products. The plan should also include communications with field service technicians and customer service employees so they understand their role in helping to educate and sell these products.
Kill Two Birds with One Stone, Upsell
Scott Wood, Owner of the One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Omaha, NE, increased his IAQ sales by 300% in two short years. They have done so by upselling and Scott said, “These products not only help to increase revenue but also are a value add for our customers and offer them many benefits. They have also helped us retain technicians since their average ticket size has increased and they are making more money.”
You can use upselling to your advantage by offering your customers a new product or service they have not yet heard of or considered. For example, you could mention IAQ products like an air purifier or humidifier when your technicians install a new HVAC system, conduct routine maintenance, or repair equipment at home.
Your technicians have a relationship with your customers, and the best time for them to introduce a new product is when they are face-to-face. Your technicians have an excellent opportunity to explain to homeowners why their families can benefit from having IAQ products installed in their homes, hopefully leading to an upsell on your current ticket.
The first step in this process is determining what type of IAQ product would be most beneficial for each customer. This includes discussing options such as air filters, carbon monoxide detectors, thermostats, and humidifiers/dehumidifiers. You also want to ensure you give them an option that fits their budget and lifestyle.
Once you have determined which IAQ product is best for each customer, then it is important for you to create an upsell script that will help guide your technicians through this process with ease.
Another way to upsell is by using post-installation follow-up calls to discuss IAQ products with homeowners after completing their HVAC installation. We find that this works well because homeowners are usually more receptive after their HVAC system has been installed, as opposed to during the sales process when they may be overwhelmed with information and unsure about making such an important decision.
If you are interested in learning more about our Indoor Air Quality products, reach out to support@4buymax.com.
