Management Resource Shelf

The Art of the Sale

Practice is just as valuable as a sale. The sale will make you a living; the skill will make you a fortune. - Jim Rohn, an American entrepreneur

How do you master any art form? Practice. Sales in a business sense, its own art form. Some people can sell, and others become masters. As with any art, there is an entire spectrum of subjectivity on what’s good. Still, mastering the skill is essential if you want to grow your HVACR business. Or as one of our featured authors says bluntly, “If you can’t sell, you can’t make money.” The art of the sale in some ways can be more important than the product. Think about it – if you have a good product, but you can’t sell it, it’s worthless. This month we focus on books that will help you get there – whether that means reading up on what you don’t know about sales and growing your company or practicing becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Selling the Dream

Guy Kawasaki https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Dream-Guy-Kawasaki/ dp/0887306004

This is a blue-chip choice that has retained its value over time. Guy Kawasaki's phenomenal success at Apple Computer and as a start-up entrepreneur was the result of an innovative approach to sales, marketing, and management called evangelism. Evangelism means convincing people to believe in your product or ideas as much as you do, by using fervor, zeal, guts, and cunning to mobilize your customers and staff into becoming as passionate about a cause as you are. Selling the Dream is a handbook and workbook for putting evangelism into action. Kawasaki charts a complete blueprint for the beginning evangelist that covers such topics as how to define a cause (whether it is a business, like Windham Hill Records or the Body Shop, or a public interest concern, like the National Audubon Society or Mothers Against Drunk Driving), how to identify good and bad enemies, how to deliver an effective presentation, and how to find, train, and recruit new evangelists. One of the highlights of the book is a short course in developing an evangelistic business plan, illustrated by the complete, original Macintosh Product Introduction Plan. Selling the Dream will teach you how to become a raging, inexorable thunder lizard of an evangelist – a leader whose words will never fall on deaf ears again.

Home Service Millionaire: How I Went from $50,000 in Debt to a $30 Million+ Business in Seven Years

Tommy Mello https://www.amazon.com/Home-ServiceMillionaire-Million-Business/dp/1732452105/

Already have a home service business but just scraping by? Don’t know how to grow because you can’t possibly work any more hours than you already are? This book may help you change that.

Author Tommy Mello, in his own words, says, “Every home at some point requires maintenance. Roofs need repairing, walls need painting and drains need clearing. Your goal is to become the go-to company in your area for whatever home service it is you provide.” And adds Mello, “If I can turn my local garage door service business around from being over 50 thousand dollars in debt and grow it into the millions, so can you – if you are willing to change how you think about achieving this goal.” Mello offers his advice from his own experience of running one of the top home service businesses in the country.

The 7 Secrets to Becoming a Wealthy Contractor: How To Make More Money, Take More Time Off and Live Your Best Life

Brian Kaskavalciyan https://www.amazon.com/

Celebrated author, Kaskavalciyan asks in this boldly titled tome, “Are You Ready to Become a Wealthy (or Wealthier) Contractor?” It’s a good option to have on your bookshelf if you are the owner of a home improvement company of any kind and you want to make quantum leaps in the sales of your company. Inside this book, entrepreneur, marketing strategist, and host of The Wealthy Contractor podcast, Kaskavalciyan will share with you the 7 “secrets” that drive the results of every Wealthy Contractor. In a simple, straightforward style, Brian outlines each of the secrets (or principles) and delivers practical advice on how to not only create a more successful and profitable home improvement business using the secrets but how it can make your life richer as well. The “secrets” in this book will help take you to new levels of success.

Secrets-Becoming-Wealthy-Contractor-Money/dp/1089380542/

Whatever It Takes: Master the Habits to Transform Your Business, Relationships, and Life

Brandon Bornancin

According to Bornancin, no matter who you are or where you come from, your education, or your network, you can defy the odds to create the life you want and build the business you’ve only dreamed about. In this choice, a book about transforming your business, Bornancin tells of his struggles – he graduated college flat-broke. He started a business that was an epic failure. Then he turned it all around – before he was 30 – closing over $100 million in sales for Google and IBM and founding two multimillion-dollar companies, the second named “LinkedIn’s Top 50 Startups.” How did he do it? The book is the answer to the question: By doing Whatever It Takes. In this no-nonsense guide to success, you’ll learn the empowering beliefs and transformative habits needed to achieve all that you want in business and life. But adds Bornancin, it’s not an easy fix. It requires that you, “…wake up and do the work.” And, he says if you do that, you too can defy the odds to get everything that you want in business and life if you are willing to do Whatever It Takes https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-TakesTransform-Business-Relationships/dp/1952569362/

THE HVACR MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE

TERRY Tanker Publisher ttanker@hvacrbusiness.com

HEATHER Langone Managing Editor hlangone@hvacrbusiness.com

MEGAN LaSalla Creative Director mlasalla@hvacrbusiness.com

BRUCE Sprague Circulation Manager bs200264@sbcglobal.net

BARBARA Kerr VP Operations bkerr@hvacrbusiness.com

ADVERTISING STAFF ERIC Hagerman VP Sales Tel 216-409-3246 ehagerman@hvacrbusiness.com

TERRY Tanker Publisher Tel 440-731-8600 ttanker@hvacrbusiness.com

HVACR Business, founded January 1981, is a monthly national trade magazine serving contractors, mechanical engineers, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, wholesalers, distributors, trade associations, and others in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry primarily in the U.S.

The editorial focus and mission of HVACR Business is to provide business owners and managers with the very best business management concepts available. Critical topics covered include leadership, management, strategy, finance, sales, marketing, training, education, staffing, operations, human resources, legal issues, customer service and more. We are dedicated to helping contractors master these key management skills and provide them with the resources necessary to build strong, profitable companies. Every effort is made to provide accurate information, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information.

Copyright©2023 by JFT Properties LLC.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or retransmitted in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any information storage retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Unauthorized copying may subject violators to criminal penalties as well as liabilities for substantial monetary damages up to $100,000 per infringement, costs and attorneys’ fees.

This publication should not be utilized as a substitute for professional advice in specific situations. If legal, medical, accounting, financial, consulting, coaching or other professional advice is required, the services of the appropriate professional should be sought. Neither the authors nor the publisher may be held liable in any way for any interpretation or use of the information in this publication.

The authors will make recommendations for solutions for you to explore. Any recommendation is always based on the authors’ research and experience. The information contained herein is accurate to the best of the publisher’s and authors’ knowledge; however, the publisher and authors can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information or for loss or damage caused by any use thereof.

Subscription Rates: Free and controlled circulation to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified persons may subscribe at the following rates: U.S. and possessions: 1 year $48; 2 years $75; 3 years $96; Canadian and foreign, 1-year $108 U.S. funds only. Single copies $8. Subscriptions are prepaid, and check or money orders only. Subscriber Services: To order a subscription or change your address, write to HVACR Business, 31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039 or call (440) 731-8600; or visit our Web site at www.hvacrbusiness.com. For questions regarding your subscription, please contact bkerr@ hvacrbusiness.com.

HVACR Business (ISSN 2153-2877) Copyright ©2022 is published monthly by JFT Properties LLC,31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039, Phone: 440731-8600. Periodicals postage is paid at North Ridgeville, OH and additional mailing offices. (USPS 025-431)

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to HVACR Business, 31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039.

31674 Center Ridge Road, Suite 104 North Ridgeville, OH 44039 Tel: (440) 731-8600

Web site: www.hvacrbusiness.com

(ISSN: 2153-2877)

BY TERRY TANKER

Winners & Losers

The difference between winners and losers is how they handle losing. Let’s face it: you’re not going to win every time. An effective leader must be resilient because no one can win all the time. The pitfalls and troubles that come with owning and operating a business are immense. As the old saying goes, “if it were easy anyone could do it.” The fact of the matter is that it is not easy. It’s far from it.

Resilience

Entrepreneurs must be willing to fail and try again — to learn how to come back after setbacks and, most importantly, to avoid making those same mistakes time after time. The last several years have tested our management skills, as disruptions and setbacks seem almost common — even among the most successful companies. Resilience, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is defined as “the ability to recover from change or misfortune and become successful again.” The ability to adapt builds confidence in those leaders who are willing to get back up and try again after a defeat. Successful people will tell you they’ve learned more from their failures than their successes. To quote Dale Carnegie, “The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”

For those of us who watched the college football season and subsequent playoffs, there were dozens of inspirational examples and stories of athletes whose resilience and ability to overcome adversity, ultimately made them winners. Business owners rarely receive publicity or acknowledgment for the obstacles they have overcome. However, the most important people in your life (i.e., your family, friends, and co-workers) are always watching. Ultimately, this continuous willingness to get back up and learn from mistakes, builds a stronger network and team moving forward.

Adversity

The adversity we deal with generally falls into two categories: circumstances outside our control; and selfcreated roadblocks we put in our path. Covid presented significant opportunities for HVACR contractors, as is well documented. Our industry prospered after millions were forced to work from home, and wanted increased comfort. To be sure there have been challenges. I’ve spoken with dozens of you who have had supply chain issues, more work than your teams can handle, and dealing with the subsequent employee burnout. Especially the service techs on the front line who were working more to manage the sudden influx of home service requests.

Many of you have been down this path before, the question is: What do you do now? What did you learn in previous years when we faced what seemed like a

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never-ending winter? Did you turn down work? Were you honest with customers about long lead times? Did you hire additional staff? Assuming of course you could find qualified personnel. How did these decisions play out for you in the past?

As business owners, it can be disappointing to turn down profitable jobs, especially for after-hours emergency repairs or high-profit installs. Sometimes new hires can help lighten the load; but be careful, don’t rush through your hiring process, making hasty decisions on the wrong employees can end up tarnishing our brands. It helps to take a step back — if only for a moment — to consider past decisions so we don’t repeat past mistakes.

Of course, Covid, supply chain issues, and weather are just a few unpredictable circumstances that have impacted our businesses. What aspects of those outside circumstances were in your control? What were the self-inflicted wounds?

Invest in Success

One common regret I’ve seen over the years is owners failing to view a specific line item as an investment rather than an expense. Investments involve a temporary outlay of cash or time. Good investments generate returns over and above the initial cost.

Training. For example, training and education for all team members is a good investment. Reasons often cited for not committing to this, are cost, or concerns that once properly trained, the employee may leave for a different, higher-paying job. The irony here is that if you don’t invest in your employee’s training, they are likely to pursue opportunities in companies that do offer educational programs.

Marketing. Marketing is another line item that is an investment, not an expense. Marketing and advertising generate sales and sales leads, and you would have significantly less business without them. Sometimes, trends like social media stop us in our tracks. You might wonder if it’s just a fad or a lasting change worth the investment of time and money. Let your past experiences guide your decisions. They will help you make better choices.

Entrepreneurs take calculated risks. Where there are risks, there will be some losses and some wins. After a fall, it’s normal to feel down. The key is to get back up and begin again with a new perspective. This is the subtle difference of what separates winners from losers.

Winners are not only defined by success but more often by the way they handled failure.