MAY 2022 HVACR BUSINESS by HVACR Business

Change Equals Growth and Improvement Heather Langone 5

Top 5 Best Practices When Designing a Website Colleen Squires 8

‘This Call May Be Recorded’ Zac Garside 11

Top 7 Qualities of an Effective Leader HVACR Staff 12

Social Media Marketing: Is It Worth the Investment? Heather Langone 15

Choosing an Executor Keven Prather 20

HVACRBUSINESS.COM MAY 2022 / VOL.17 / NO.5

HOW HVACR LEADERS CAN CAPITALIZE ON WEATHER-TRIGGERED MARKETING Page 6

ALSO INSIDE » Industry News ............................................................4

Managing Company Change Ron Smith....10 Stupid Things Series Ruth King...........................18 Product Focus .............................................................21 20 Questions with Rich Benninghoff President and CEO of Malco Products, SBC.........22

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CONTENTS

MAY 2022 / VOL.17 / NO.5

F E AT U R E S

6 8 11 12 15

How HVACR Leaders Can Capitalize on Weather-Triggered Marketing Weather-triggered marketing reveals hidden patterns that can lead to profitability Keith Snow

D E PA R T M E N T S

A heartfelt letter of gratitude from the new editor mixed with highlights of what’s to come at HVACR Business. By Heather Langone

Top 5 Best Practices When Designing a Website

Best practices when designing a new site or launching a brand makeover Colleen Keyworth

This Call is Recorded: CSR Training With CSR training demos from his YouTube show, ‘This Call is Recorded’ offers great tips that you can use to train Zac Garside

Top 7 Qualities of an Effective Leader

The top 7 qualities common in all the most effective and successful leaders Written by Staff

Social Media Marketing: Is it Worth the Investment?

A comprehensive beginner’s guide on how to use social media marketing to increase visibility and profitability Heather Langone

C O LU M N

How to Manage Change in Your Company

Stupid Things HVACR Contractors Do in the Summer

Choosing an Executor for Your Estate

A thorough overview of why change is good for business as well as ways to help the team navigate growing pains Ron Smith The Stupid Things series continues with the stupid mistakes contractors make and how to avoid them Ruth King The importance of choosing an executor for your estate to assure the legacy of your business Keven Prather

Editor’s Notebook

4 21 22

Industry News Product Focus 20 Questions with Rich Benninghoff President and CEO of Malco Products, SBC

INDUSTRY NEWS » American Residential Services, LLC. Acquires ESCO Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, and Electrical

Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical - 2021’s #1 Top Ruud ProPartner

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — American Residential Services (ARS/Rescue Rooter), announced the acquisition of ESCO Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, and Electric in Salt Lake City, Utah. ESCO Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, and Electric has been serving residential customers in the greater Salt Lake City and Park City areas since 1977. "Acquiring ESCO Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Electrical are consistent with our strategic vision for continued growth in the West," said Scott Boose, CEO, ARS/Rescue Rooter. "I'm pleased to have the team join the ARS network. Their dedication to customers along with years of experience in the industry will be a successful partnership for our company."

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the region’s premier provider of residential and commercial plumbing, HVAC, and Electrical service and repair, was included among Ruud’s “Top Market Maker” winners and honored as the #1 Top Ruud ProPartner for 2021. This award follows Hiller’s six first-place recognitions among Ruud’s list of Most Reliable Contractors.

Visit www.ars.com.

Berner International Introduces the Architectural Elite Collection NEW CASTLE, Penn. — North America’s leading air curtain manufacturer and innovator, introduces the Architectural Elite, the debuting model of Berner’s new Architectural Collection, which has the most revolutionary and beautiful cabinet redesigns in air curtain history. The patented Architectural Elite air curtain combines the air curtain industry’s decades-old energy savings and thermal comfort protection performance with today’s industry-leading controls platform and efficient, quiet electronically commutated (EC) motors. The Architectural Elite’s sleek and discreet cabinet design incorporates Berner’s strong engineering foundation to deliver a quiet, technologically advanced, and beautiful air curtain that performs. The Architectural Elite 8 and 10 air curtains use 1/5-hp and 1/2-hp EC motors, respectively, for unprecedented air curtain efficiencies and better articulated fan speed control. For information on Berner International air curtain products, visit www.berner.com.

National HVACR Education Conference Returns to Live Event LAS VEGAS, Nevada — HVAC Excellence’s National HVACR Education Conference returned to a live event, March 21-23, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The question, “Would people return to live, face-to-face training when the dust settled?” and it was answered with a resounding YES, as the house was packed with nearly as many attendees as their last live conference in 2019. In speaking with conference attendees about why they attended, Bill Brown, owner of Brownson Technical School in Anaheim, CA, put it best, “While webinars are easier to attend, those in a hands-on industry such as HVACR need live, hands-on demonstrations that show us the technologies, and how to integrate them into our training programs.” As the in-person portion of 2022 National HVACR Education Conference has concluded, preparation is underway for the next event, March 20-22, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The HVAC Excellence Conference provides an opportunity to learn about new and emerging technologies, get answers from, and be inspired by industry leaders, exchange ideas with industry peers, while gaining a better understanding of the future of the HVACR industry. Together, we can reshape the future of the industry, for the next generation of HVACR service technicians.

The Ruud Market Makers award recognizes exceptional U.S. based contracting businesses for sales, customer support, and overall service excellence. Hiller was also named Ruud’s “Most Valuable Player”, recognizing their “overall stellar performance” as the #1 Top Ruud ProPartner of 2021. The company was honored live at the 2022 International ProPartner Conference at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 7 and 8, 2022. Chief Executive Officer, Jimmy Hiller and Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Hiller, Jr. accepted the award in person at the event. “We couldn’t be more grateful to receive the MVP recognition from Ruud this year”, remarked Jimmy Hiller, founder and CEO of Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. “In partnership with our wonderful distributors, we are able to provide Ruud’s exceptional equipment to so many families across the southeast. Ruud’s commitment to installation and maintenance excellence,” he continued, “parallels our own high quality and service standards, so we are exceptionally thankful for this award, that acknowledges this commitment.” To learn more, visit www.ruud.com.

Johnson Controls Annual Energy Efficiency Indicator Survey Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, today announced findings from the 15th annual Energy Efficiency Indicator Survey, which revealed that 62 percent of organizations surveyed expect to increase investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, or smart building technology in 2022, indicating a return to pre-pandemic levels. The latest report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change advised that global scale transformation is urgently needed to combat climate change, however, the Johnson Controls Energy Efficiency Indicator Survey found that organizations are still facing challenges to accelerate their sustainability efforts in key areas. Almost two-thirds of survey respondents say they struggle to scale sustainability initiatives across buildings, geographies, or business units. Global Progress has Accelerated in the Last Five Years The survey revealed that planned investment in energy generation has grown over five years, likely in response to the global focus on decarbonization, and as part of that effort, electrification. More than a third of respondents, plan to replace fossil fuel heating equipment with heat pump technology in the next year – 7 percent more than what was implemented in the year prior. Thermal energy storage jumped from 27 percent to 42 percent in the last five years. More than half of respondents implemented electric energy storage in the past year. The Johnson Controls Energy Efficiency Indicator Survey collected responses from 1,000 participants globally between November and December 2021. For more on the survey findings, visit: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/2021EEI

People serious about being part of the solution can sign up at escogroup.org.

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

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THE HVACR MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE

TERRY Tanker Publisher ttanker@hvacrbusiness.com HEATHER Langone Managing Editor hlangone@hvacrbusiness.com MEGAN LaSalla Art Director mlasalla@hvacrbusiness.com

ADVERTISING STAFF ERIC Hagerman National Sales Manager Tel 216-409-3246 ehagerman@hvacrbusiness.com TERRY Tanker Publisher Tel 440-731-8600 ttanker@hvacrbusiness.com

BRUCE Sprague Circulation Manager bs200264@sbcglobal.net BARBARA Kerr VP Operations bkerr@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©2022 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)

www.hvacrbusiness.com www.HVACRBUSINESS.com www.hvacrbusiness.com

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

BY HEATHER LANGONE

Change Equals Growth and Improvement

s the new managing editor of HVACR Business, I would like to thank all of you for your warm and welcoming messages. Let me assure you that I plan on not only preserving the legacy of this great magazine but building on its history of excellence. In the coming months, expect several extremely exciting and welcomed changes that we hope will enhance the reader experience and improve editorial content for all our subscribers.

NEWS AND UPDATES…

NEWEST MUST-READS… In April, we shared an article on regulatory changes by Jennifer Butsch, Director, Regulatory Affairs, AC at Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions. Bookmark it! Typically, we don’t report on regulatory matters, but given the pending refrigerant changes we knew the information would be exceptionally helpful to readers. And, because we know many of you derive great benefits from advice-based content, enjoy this month’s cover feature. Keith Snow, President, and CEO of B2E Data Marketing, lays out all the benefits of weather-triggered marketing. It’s a mini-master course! Also, coming in July, look for a spotlight feature on HVAC technician, Jessica Bannister. Bannister offers a new and interesting point of view. She not only wants to open doors for women in HVACR but has it as her personal goal to spread the word in schools to encourage kids who want to seek out careers in the skilled trades. I cannot wait to hear your feedback! Finally, while some of you may have found the supply chain shortages, unsettling, let me leave you with some positive predictors. The industry may be able to let out a collective exhale, at least according to a recent article titled, Contractors Expect Growth In 2022: Report. Research indicates that while the outlook is still wobbly, the forecast for recovery is good.

Our changes will not only enhance the reader experience, but also improve editorial content for all our subscribers.

First, the big news is that we will be launching our new website on or about June 1st. You can expect an updated, more intuitive design, and layout. After conducting an inventory last year, we realized we’ve published more than 2,000 business management articles and our current content management system was not equipped to manage that type of volume. The new site’s CMS is designed specifically to make searches for visitors much more logical. The design will be much different as well. One that we know will be easier to navigate. We expect the upgrade will ensure a better online experience for all HVACR Business subscribers and visitors. If you are new to HVACR Business, now is the time to subscribe – it’s about to get even better!

Additionally, we have begun expanding our social media presence. Admittedly, we had been lagging a bit on engagement. The plan now is to be omnipresent and available to hear your feedback in real time. I encourage all our subscribers and loyalists to please follow us! Feel free to comment with any suggestions or feedback. We welcome it. Your feedback and interactive engagement will only help us to grow. If you haven’t yet, check out our new Instagram page @hvacrbusiness and we are on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. We post our best management and leadership articles there and all the latest goings-on in HVACR Business. While there, check out the latest on the Tops in Trucks contest. Right now, as you read this, we’re getting down to picking our winners!

ONTO MORE SERIOUS BUSINESS… As I begin my journey with the magazine, I am keenly aware of the precarious times in which we live. Supply shortages and gas prices have plagued small business owners, especially service providers like you. Although as an industry, we’ve had a great run compared to many as the country has seen you simply can't do without heating and cooling no matter the circumstances. My goal is to provide the best business management content and advice available to help you manage your business.

Construction contractors expect increasing demand for numerous types of projects in 2022 despite ongoing supply chain and labor challenges. The findings are detailed in Expecting Growth While Coping with the Lingering Impacts of the Pandemic: The 2022 Construction Hiring & Business Outlook. ‘Contractors are, overall, very optimistic about the outlook for the construction industry in 2022,’ said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. Changes in the construction and building industry, typically signal positive changes for HVACR Business. If that rule pans out, then we are poised to have an even better year – as a whole, the industry is up 35%! So, we move forward, post-pandemic, hopeful and grateful. Thank you for your welcome. Thank you for your loyal ty while I navigate change right alongside you. But mostly, thank you to all of you for being the best part of HVACR Business!

~ Heather Langone HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

HOW HVACR LEADERS CAN CAPITALIZE ON WEATHER-TRIGGERED MARKETING BY KEITH SNOW, PRESIDENT, B2E DATA MARKETING

id you know as an HVACR leader, you can capitalize on weather-triggered marketing? It’s true. Of course, no one can control the weather, but in many ways, the weather controls us. From how we dress, what we eat, to where we go, and how we feel – the weather outside plays a role in our decisions and purchasing behavior as consumers – whether we are conscious of it or not. However, those who work in the HVACR industry, are quite conscious of the impact of weather. It has a clear and direct connection to your business. To deliver clear and measurable results, you need only dig into the data. Thus, leveraging the weather in your HVACR marketing strategy makes perfect sense.

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

Weather-triggered marketing reveals hidden patterns of customer behavior that isn’t obvious without the benefit of this more advanced analysis. UNDERSTANDING HOW WEATHER AFFECTS HVACR SALES

that consider the finer impact of different weather conditions.

It might seem obvious that HVACR customers want to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. But the weather’s influence works in much more granular ways as well. Do you understand how impactful the weather patterns are on your business?

Take, for example, a Canadian study that looked at sunlight, consumption, and spending. According to the study, when exposed to sunlight, consumers were willing to pay 37 percent more for green tea, as opposed to during cloudy conditions, when they were more likely to spend money on alcohol and coffee.

Weather-triggered marketing uses weather data to create adaptive campaigns

A more nuanced understanding of weather-triggered consumer behavior, can be of great benefit for those in the HVACR industry. By using past sales data analysis in conjunction with weather databases, contractors can get more from their traditional marketing strategies. Weather-triggered marketing reveals hidden patterns of customer behavior that isn’t obvious without the benefit of this more advanced analysis. Intuition won’t reveal the following HVACR weather-triggered consumer patterns, including: • How product sales align with specific temperatures and weather patterns. Weather-triggered marketing can be a valuable tool for planning

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and filling the job board. You can visualize your sales data in the context of weather to get a clearer read on sales cycles and then adjust your marketing to upsell equipment or maintenance sales accordingly. The temperature “sweet spot” tends to be roughly 68 degrees. The farther the temperature strays, the more discomfort there will be. At the extremes, smaller temperature changes can start having a more noticeable effect. Understanding these trends and the subsequent behaviors, will make your marketing and staffing more robust and multi-layered. • The specific temperature changes that trigger certain behaviors. Typically, a 10–15-degree weather change will prompt customer behavior trends. An in-depth analysis can help define what that looks like for your customers. Remember, people who are conditioned to different climates will perceive weather differently. Seventy degrees will feel very warm to a northerner coming out of winter, but quite cool to someone acclimated to warmer temperatures. • How to assess customers’ responses which will vary between significant and seasonal weather events. An analysis of your customer database can help with demographic segmentation to see if people with shared characteristics behave similarly. For example, people over age 60 living in older homes, tend to be more receptive to service contracts and seasonal maintenance. You’ll get a better advertising ROI if you more precisely target the right current and prospective customers with relevant services. • How to maximize peak sales cycles and minimize sales troughs. Extreme temperatures can spike service calls by more than 100%. A weather-triggered marketing campaign can automatically monitor the extended forecast, looking for conditions likely to increase sales. You can extend these windows by launching digital ads several days ahead of time with a message, for example, that asks if their A/C unit is ready for the 95-degree weather, forecasted for Wednesday. Conversely, the weeks leading up to your traditionally slowest seasonal sales, are a good time to push service contracts and often-neglected preventative services. Utilizing this weather-triggered ana-

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packages. One HVACR company analyzed its own customer data to develop a detailed profile of the ideal customer for service contracts, and when it was that they preferred to purchase. The owner then used the anticipated weather events to target prospective customers fitting this profile with tailored messaging.

Utilizing this weather-triggered analysis, allows you to better predict future sales opportunities and capitalize on them.

4. Capitalize on significant weather events. Run targeted campaigns in the days leading up to and following big weather events to drive additional revenue. 5. Run seasonal and cyclical campaigns. Plan campaigns during the time periods that customers are more likely to request services – and also during traditionally slow times. A simple service reminder with a timely weather message can help quickly and efficiently fill appointments when technicians aren’t busy enough.

lysis, allows you to better predict future sales opportunities and capitalize on them. Then, you can plan marketing efforts and infuse them with real-time data that makes the ads more relevant and attention-getting. One HVACR dealer identified which neighborhoods were prone to flooding during significant rainfalls. When major storms were forecast, the company had campaigns ready to launch with special offers for water-damaged systems. B2E Data Marketing analyzed the incoming customer calls for a national HVACR company, key patterns quickly emerged. We were able to discern, for each local dealer, the magnitude of temperature swings that caused more people to call compared to a typical day, and what to expect. Once these patterns were identified, each local HVACR dealership planned appropriate staffing for the anticipated work. Prior to this, the dealerships had to turn away business when they did not have enough service technicians.

customers when there is prime purchase intent. Your budget will vary based on factors such as audience size and creative advertising, but many HVACR companies prefer to prepay for several campaigns that will launch automatically based on their identified weather triggers. Here are six strategies to consider when launching weather-triggered marketing: 1. Drive future sales based on weather patterns. Establish a clearer understanding of exactly which products and services perform best under certain types of weather events. Combine weather data with information such as demographics and age of home, to know which products to offer, to whom, and when.

SIX SMART WAYS TO USE WEATHER-TRIGGERED MARKETING

2. Create intelligent campaign triggers. As an example, you can automatically display digital ads in your service territory for the specific products or services that sell best under specified weather conditions. These ads can be shown during Google searches, on social media networks, and within the websites being visited by your current and potential customers.

There are many ways that HVACR businesses can begin to incorporate weather data into marketing efforts. Ultimately, weather-triggered marketing is designed to connect your business with potential

3. Personalize your advertising. Incorporate data about real-time current weather conditions along with a customer’s sales history, to create customized ads, promotions, and new service

6. Manage inventory and staff. When you have a more exact understanding of weather-related demand implications, you can ensure that you have appropriate levels of supplies, inventory, and staff to optimize operations.

FICKLE WEATHER, MORE TARGETED HVACR MARKETING The weather may be fickle, but your HVACR marketing efforts shouldn’t be. Incorporating weather data analysis can help contractors make every dollar work smarter. Weather-triggered marketing will “shed sunlight” on your sales trends, increase your profitability, and create more meaningful engagement with customers. u

Keith Snow is the president of B2E Data Marketing. The data scientists at B2E built their own historical weather database that includes high and low temperatures, average wind speed, precipitation, snow fall and snow depth for every day, every U.S. zip code – going back 10 years. B2E’s WeatherFootprint tool contains 150 million records and 41,000 zip codes of data. It can match your historical sales data to the weather patterns unique to your location to determine the sales impact of different weather conditions. Learn more at b2edata.com.

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

TOP 5 BEST PRACTICES WHEN DESIGNING YOUR WEBSITE Web Design and the Playground – the Rules Aren’t That Different BY COLLEEN SQUIRES

ith all the digital business platforms out there, is it still important to have a business website?

Today, a company website may seem less important than it did only five years ago, especially with the rise of third parties like Facebook Business Pages and Google My Business listings. However, your website is still a huge part of your company's brand first impression. Take a minute to think about how you, yourself, as a consumer use the web to find a new company or service. Google My Business certainly cannibalizes a lot of website traffic, but the user still checks to see if a business has a website listed. Businesses with their own websites have a more well-rounded, professional presence. Today, websites are a huge indicator of how active and established a business is. Your business's website is your chance to tell your company’s brand story and mission. If you aren’t online, you aren’t in the game – not unlike the rules of the playground. You can’t make new friends, or win a game, or check out your competitors, unless and until you show up to play. As cliché as it sounds, your website is as

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

Your business's website is your chance to tell your company’s brand story. If you aren’t online, you aren’t in the game – not unlike the rules of the playground. important as you decide to make it. One thing every web company can agree on when it comes to your website, is that it's not a “Field of Dreams” (just because you build it, does not mean they will come). However, there are several things you can do and include when you design your site, which will not only increase Google’s interest in visiting your site, but also encourage your customers to do the same. So… you’ve decided to build your first company website, or it’s time for a website ‘make-over’…now what? Planning a new website can be a grueling task filled with a lot of options and too many opinions from other people. In this article, we tackle the Top 5 best practices to use when designing your site along with some lists of items to include in the process.

1. Finding a balance: User-friendly -vs- Searchengine-friendly. Content is King. Too often, we find that contractors sacrifice searchability and usability for design. This happens ALL the time. While design is definitely very important, none of it matters if Google can't index your site properly and your customers cannot easily navigate between pages. Content is king when it comes to web design. So, before all the pretty pictures and colorful branding, you must make sure you clearly lay out what it is your company does, where you service customers (your geolocation), and what differentiates you from competitors. Use clear paragraphs, value statements, separate sections, and bullet points to clearly organize your content, and make it easy for customers to find, follow, and read.

2. Prioritize your Who, What, When, Where, and Why “Above the Fold”! “Above the Fold” refers to that top section of your website the user sees before scrolling down the page. Not only is this the first place a customer looks, it's also the first place Google prioritizes when indexing your page. Have a clear call to action, a schedule service button, and a click to dial phone number – these are no-brainers. Clearly list the top services you offer and identify the area you service. All of this should be prioritized in the mobile view of your site as well.

3. Design is Queen. Be professional, but don't be boring. Web design today is constantly evolving. Like fashion, elements are continuously going in and out of style. An example of some dated design elements, include the use of picture sliders to display content or sidebar menus instead of top menus. Many of these changing elements are due to the mobile friendly revolution. Your design is the framework that enhances your content and directs the user's journey through your site. Primarily, your www.hvacrbusiness.com

design should reflect your brand. The colors should match what is on your trucks, logo, and sign. Customers should never be confused about the logos, colors, and fonts that represent your company. Take a moment to look around the web at other well-developed sites to get ideas of what might suit your company.

4. Pictures—Unless your last name is STOCK, lose the “Stock Family” photo! Using nothing but stock photos on your company’s website, is just like leaving the example family in the picture frames you buy for your home. They’re not real and they are not you! People buy from people they know, people they like, and people who are like them! In a day and age where most every cell phone includes a good (or even great) digital camera, there is no reason not to have actual pictures of YOUR business, trucks, signs, and—most importantly—your PEOPLE on your site. So, show the faces of your smiling employees doing their jobs throughout your site. A genuine smile on a genuine tech is more believable to your customers than a generic stock photo you buy with a GQ poster-boy pretending to be a tech. How critical is having a picture of you as the company owner on your website? Extremely critical. I can’t stress it enough, “People deal with People.” In a study on Bright Local, where consumers were shown plumber websites that had a genuine photo of a business owner, a generic product, an office photo, or no photo (just graphics and colors), 52% of the people said they would choose the company whose site pictured the owner. When asked why, they said they felt it conveyed that he had pride in the work his company does. When it comes to putting pictures of your employees on your site, avoid making them look like mugshots where they forgot to hold up a number. You can achieve this by making sure that the person is doing something in the photograph. Also, don’t forget that a smile is important. NO one wants to collaborate with unhappy people. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with staging pictures with your team, but make sure to get a release (written permission to use their photo) from any nonemployees who are pictured on your site. Here are some quick suggestions for the bring your camera to work day:

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Great Basic Company Pictures: • Techs leaning against trucks next to your branding, in a natural, confident manner (arms crossed, relaxed poses, etc.) • Techs in front of your logo outside of the office • Group picture in front of your entire fleet of vehicles (staged properly, lined up) or out in front of the nicest truck you have • Photos of owners in a group and each individually • Photos of owner (bonus points if with family) • Photos of the fleet by itself • Photos of the exterior of the building with sign, if possible

Extra Credit Pictures: • Photos of your CSR (office) staff, both individual and group • Photos of CSRs answering phones (w/staged poses) • Photos of owner at desk looking up and smiling • Photos of a tech leaning over an AC unit (staged) • Photos of a tech working on a furnace (staged) • Photos of a truck in front of a home with your tech at the door talking with a happy client (can be staged) • Photos of a tech or comfort advisor (salesperson) speaking with a customer (staged)

5. Your Must-Haves Your website should always include the following information for your customers to utilize: • About Us / Company Mission Statement - Who are you? Why do you do what you do? • Customer Testimonials - People want to know what your current customers think about you. • Financing Options (this is not optional—very few of your customers have a “Rainy Day AC Replacement Fund” jar next to their “Trip to Italy” jar.) Offer a plan. • Current Coupons or Offers - Keep up on the dates—avoid displaying expired offers. No one likes seeing “Fall Savings” in June. It gives the

impression that the lights are on and no one's home. • Community Links - Businesses, charities, or local groups your business supports

CSR, your neighbor, or even a particularly friendly office cleaner. Ask them to give you an impression of your site and to complete a few simple tasks like: • Submitting a scheduling form • Filling out a job application

• Hiring & Recruiting Page - Be sure to create a careers page with your company's values, benefits, and employee testimonials. ALWAYS be actively hiring!

• Giving your office a call • Outlining what makes your company different

• Clearly Advertised Service Area Do not make your customers guess at whether you service their area or not. Use a shaded-in map of your area with a list of the cities and counties you serve.

Additional information to consider: While your new website may be the next digital masterpiece, it won’t do you any good if it doesn’t answer your customers’ needs. Any confusion during the calling and purchasing process invites prospects to move on to one of your competitors. A lack of clear service offerings may make them assume you don’t provide the services they’re looking for or simply lead to frustration. So, before you set the new design to go live, make sure it offers: • Clear and prominent contact information • Easy to find location info and hours of operation • A clearly outlined service area • Multiple and clear calls to action • A comprehensive list of offered services • What your company is about and/or what makes you the best choice • Customer reviews and an area to display them • Links to your financing options • Trust statements and guarantees • A color and design scheme consistent with your branding • Clear hiring needs and instructions • Examples of your work • A section or page dedicated to explaining your maintenance club / levels

Fresh Eyes Make for Better Designs One of the best ways to evaluate your new site is to send it to someone removed from the design process. This can be your

• Joining your maintenance club If they struggle with any of these tasks, it may be time to tweak certain sections. Installing site activity-monitoring tools like Hot Jar can also help spot issues in usability and navigation. In addition, double check your website for basic site functionality. Does it look good on your cell phone or tablet? Does it load quickly enough? Once you have everything necessary to make your site good for PEOPLE, you can start worrying about search engines.

Remember—the Process Doesn’t End the Day Your Site Goes Live… Though it can be tempting to finish your site and set it aside, it’s important to keep an eye on it. Monitor its analytics to see what pages could be updated. Update offers to fit the season. Switch out pictures to highlight new branding and employees. Update your FAQs to answer the questions your CSRs are always getting. All this fresh content doesn’t just tell customers that you’re engaged and active, but it sends the same signal to Google. By striking an ideal balance between having a ‘customer-first’ yet ‘search-oriented’ site, you can give yourself a nice foundation for web marketing. Remember, the golden rule of marketing is that ‘People deal with people they like—and people who are like them.’ Your website is the place where you can differentiate yourself from the competition and share what it is about your company that makes it the one, consumers choose to invite into their homes. u Colleen Keyworth is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Online-Access, an HVACR web marketing company located in Michigan. Keyworth regularly trains contractors around the country and has served on the board of Women in HVACR for the last eight years – an organization that has grown from 100 to over 500 members during her tenure.

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

SALES

BY RON SMITH

How to Manage Change in Your Company

hange. We hear about it all the time. What exactly is it? We can define change as moving from a present state of affairs to a future state of affairs. Normally, when a leader in an organization decides upon a change, they have a vision; they think the change will be good, and that things will be better as a result. So they ask for — and expect — all co-workers who will be affected to cooperate and implement the changes. Oftentimes, what they fail to do is take the time to carefully and deliberately describe what the finished product will look like — or in other words, to “transfer” the vision. And that’s exactly what must be done in the first place — explain the final product so everyone will clearly understand it.

A FORMULA FOR ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE Implementing and managing change is difficult. It’s been over 20 years since I attended Harvard Business School’s Managing Organizational Effectiveness program and, frankly, I’ve forgotten much of what I learned there, which wasn’t very practical for building and managing an HVACR business. However, I did come away with a technique on how to manage change within an organization that works extremely well.

MORE INFO This article is condensed from an excerpt from Ron’s new book, How to Build and Manage a Highly Successful HVAC Residential Retail Business and Dominate the Market, was released for distribution in September 2006. You can reserve a copy by sending an email to ronlsmith2@bellsouth.net.

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

We can define change as moving from a present state of affairs to a future state of affairs. It involves the following formula:

the steps for exactly what will be done, who will do it, and when it will be done. That leaves us with the D — for Dissatisfaction.

M x P x D = COC (Model x Process x Dissatisfaction = Cost of Change)

In the formula, the first step (the M — for Model) requires the leader to explain what the change will result in, not how the change will be accomplished. The leader’s “vision” is translated to the company’s “model.”

GAINING EMPLOYEES’ TRUST Next, the leader must determine how the change will be implemented. How will the company get from the present state of affairs to a future state of affairs? It’s usually best to involve co-workers here. Whenever you encourage co-workers to think, they become involved. As a result of being involved, they will become committed. This is a good leadership principle: thinking leads to involvement, involvement leads to commitment. Once all the activities have been carefully thought out and determined, you have the formula’s P — for Process. The “process” must be documented and should have setpoints and timelines identifying

Here is why dissatisfaction is an important part of the formula: It could very well be that the only person dissatisfied with the present state of affairs is the boss or leader. Hence, you have a normal resistance to change among the co-workers. If your co-workers are wondering what’s wrong with the way things are, you must find a way to create a feeling of dissatisfaction in their minds. This is often the hardest element of the formula. If you are trying to implement a change that will make things better for both your company and your customers, I’m sure it would also make things better for your co-workers. If they are convinced that the implementation of the “model,” carefully taken care of by the “process,” will result in a better and more rewarding environment for them, they will automatically begin to develop dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs. What about the other side of the formula? The COC, or Cost of Change? The more carefully the M x P x D aspects are planned and implemented, the lower the COC. For example, say the M x P x D side of the formula is not carefully thought out. Just three of the expensive consequences of the COC could be: • A low level of co-worker morale, resulting in a loss of productivity • Co-worker turnover

• An inordinate amount of time and energy wasted in trying to get the change in place. I have coached companies on this managing change technique while they were converting from a time-and-material method of handling demand service, over to a flat rate method. In every instance, we were able to build a feeling of strong dissatisfaction in the service technicians’ minds with the current method, which led them to cooperate extremely well while we implemented the flat rate method. The technicians learned that their jobs would be easier and more rewarding with: • Less math • Customers not timing them and counting how often they went to the truck for parts and materials, practically eliminating any customer confrontations • More service agreement sales as a result of the structure of the flat rate manual. I have also successfully used this technique while converting software operating systems, which is no easy task under the best of circumstances. This change works out best when you involve the effected coworkers in the process by determining what reports could be generated by the new system to make their jobs easier. The next time you get ready to make a change within your company, try the managing change technique: M x P x D = COC. You’ll be pleased with the results. u

Ron Smith has more than 60 years of experience in the HVACR industry as a contractor, franchisor, consolidator, and consultant. Many of his operational systems and processes, and marketing and sales programs are in wide use throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, contact

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TRAINING & EDUCATION

BY ZAC GARSIDE

‘This Call May Be Recorded’: The Show for CSR Training

ach individual team member plays a key role within a home service company. The owner sits at the head of the table and steers the company in the right direction. Technicians perform various jobs including repairs and installation and provide the backbone of your expertise. The marketing team promotes the company and its team of experts. So, while all these jobs play a significant part in the overall success of a company, there is one job which is often overlooked. It is the customer service representative (CSR). The CSR provides the first impression of a business, period. He or she is the gateway to every other department and member of the team. A company’s perception can and will be determined by the CSR. If the CSR is not pleasant, knowledgeable, and providing of excellent service, you will not retain that customer. Yes, your technicians’ service is the bottom line, but remember, the CSR is the linchpin of the company. They control if a question about HVACR service at your company, converts into a sale. They also control the schedule for all your service professionals. The CSR is your front line. Treat this position with the care it deserves.

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT The CSR is the only person in the whole company with whom customers want to engage. When consumers view your marketing materials, that is passive attention. The same applies when they see your ads online or on a billboard. Customers are often reserved even with technicians who make service calls, because they just let a stranger into their home. However, when they call a CSR, they are completely involved and engaged because they need an issue addressed and want to hear what he or she has to say. So, what happens when a CSR isn’t properly trained or doesn’t present the right attitude during a customer call? The

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The CSR …is the gateway to every other department and member of the team. A company’s perception can and will be determined by the CSR. If the CSR is not pleasant, knowledgeable, and providing of excellent service, you will not retain that customer.

• Are they reassuring the customer that their company can do the job? • Do they proactively ask for the customer’s business? • Are they building value for the customer? • Do they express gratitude to the customer? Using these metrics, we help our viewers create better CSR conversations. By following the eight steps, it ensures — at least based on good customer service — that the customer will continue to do business with you. We also take questions and answers from viewers which allows us to provide valuable feedback directly.

FREE TRAINING ONLINE

answer is simple. It reflects negatively on your business. Nothing makes a customer more agitated or want to hang up faster than talking to someone who answers the phone and sounds like they would rather be anywhere else. Even with the best CSR scripting, a negative attitude can make a customer move on to the next company quickly.

the show, three to four customer phone calls are played with coaching provided throughout. We listen to a variety of phone calls, from price objection calls to calls where the customer is angry. There is no limit to what kind of calls may appear on the show. We typically pick two good calls and two not-so-good calls to display good and bad aspects of the call.

“This Call May Be Recorded” was created to highlight the importance of CSRs and change the way home-service contractors think about customer service.

EVALUATING THE CALL

THIS CALL MAY BE RECORDED Airing live on YouTube and Facebook every Friday at 11 a.m. MST, “This Call May Be Recorded” is a show that offers CSR coaching by analyzing real phone calls of home service businesses. During

When evaluating the calls, we look at eight key areas listed below: • Does the CSR have positive energy? • Are they evoking confidence? • Are they actively listening to the customer? • Are they placing emphasis on their phrasing?

As an HVACR services company, CSRs are a vital part of your business. While the jobs vary, the principles and concepts used to gain customers are the same. The CSR is one of the most vital members of your entire organization. Don’t disregard the importance of your CSR team as they are the individuals who provide the first impression of your business. “This Show May Be Recorded” presents a free and valuable opportunity for contractors to educate and train CSRs utilizing professional coaches. Join us! We welcome you to use the show as training for your team. One 30-minute episode might be the difference you need to make a winning first impression the next time a customer calls requesting your services. u Zac Garside is director of sales and marketing for Power Selling Pros. During his time with the company, he has been a coach and trainer with the company, working with hundreds of companies and vendors during his tenure. His passion for the industry illuminates through his ability to discover clients’ pain points and offer solutions for success. Visit www.powersellingpros.com

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

THE TOP 7 QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE LEADER

BY HEATHER LANGONE

e often publish articles on leadership, so I thought during this post-pandemic phase, that it might be important to bring it back to basics and remind our readers of the qualities that make a good leader. You can pass all the tests, create the most intricate strategies, and employ the best technology, but without the qualities in place to be a good leader, to lead by example, you may as well be a Lamborghini without an engine. If you hope to lead your company or companies to success, you must model the very qualities you expect in others. One of our most formidable leaders, Mike Schwartz, CEO of Daikin Applied Americas Inc., and whom we interviewed back in 2018 for 20 Questions, answered it best when he was asked, “What makes a good leader?” Schwartz answered:

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

Be the boss you wish you had. Your leadership commitment to lead by example, will take you farther than any ‘do it because I said,’ motto ever could. …it’s never a simple one-dimensional answer. Number one is having great character and a strong moral compass. People need to know who you are and what you stand for. Another part is fundamental: lead by example. One of my favorite parts of leadership is coaching.

1. LEAD BY EXAMPLE Let’s start by tailgating what Mike Schwartz said. If you wish to inspire others,

you must lead by example. If you lead with integrity, people will want to model that quality. If you are open to coaching and elevating the people you lead, they will feel empowered to be better. Many successful companies, Daikin being one of them, have this as part of their leadership model. Empower employees to be better. Empathize. Treat others with respect. If you look at Marriott, HP, JetBlue, Daikin, and other billion-dollar companies, they have built this mantra into the company creed. But it’s not merely a philosophy.

It starts at the top with the leaders who model the qualities they wish to inspire, by example. Be the leader you wish you had. Even if you are just starting out with a small brick and mortar shop, commit to being that kind of leader. Be the boss you wish you had. Your leadership commitment to lead by example, will take you farther than any “do it because I said,” motto ever could.

2. DECISIVENESS Lee Iacocca famously said, “The one word that makes a good manager – decisiveness.” Notably, he referenced decisiveness, not decision making. The trait that separates extraordinary leaders from ordinary managers, is the ability to be decisive. The willingness to make a tough decision or any decision, and stand by it, is one of the most important traits of an effective

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leader. It is also true, that the more prominent the leader, the more critics there will be. True leaders make the tough decisions and understand that hesitation leads to almost certain failure if you wish to be a true visionary. The wrong decision can be transformed into the best one. Indecision or vacillation can never lead to success. It only signals a lack of confidence. Competitors will smell the fear. Be decisive. Your next decision is the best and only decision at that moment.

3. LISTEN When you set out to create the picture of what makes good, effective leaders, you will see “the ability to listen” repeatedly – it’s on every list. Any leader can be an egomaniac and lead with tyranny. But as history has shown, that sort of leader will always fall on the sword. A true leader has a vision. He or she looks to others for feedback both to learn and improve, but also to inspire, create, and support that vision. If you aren’t a great listener but you aspire to be a great leader, start by saying less and listening more. The next time a coworker or an employee has a concern or an idea, commit to saying, “I’d like to hear it.” Then, actively listen, without judgment or the need to answer. You may find there in the feedback, that there is a need to pivot how you manage your business – not the easiest feedback – or if you are lucky, you may find inspiration to support your own long-term vision. Commit to active listening without judgment and hopefully, a sprinkle of empathy. Eventually people will begin to trust you and will want to support you as the effective leader you were always meant to be. Listening leads to active, effective communication. People who feel heard will trust you. Trust engenders fellowship and loyalty – all qualities needed to inspire a following of loyal supporters.

People who feel heard will trust you. Trust engenders fellowship and loyalty – all qualities needed to inspire a following of loyal supporters. It’s also possible though that you may get more than you ever imagined. But great leadership, one that leads to success, starts with a vision.

5. BE FLEXIBLE & PROACTIVE No leader made it to the top by simply being rigid and inflexible. The higher you climb, the more obstacles you will face. Journeys are never a straight line. If they were, then everyone would take the same road. So, this fifth quality, is a “two-parter” because it seems one trait, cannot survive without the other. Be flexible and be proactive. A commitment to proactive solution-oriented action, leads to innovation, and out of the box thinking. Of course, this is all easy when business is going well. But during times of difficulty, assuredly, it will sustain your company and may even help you to do better. A good example of this was how fast-thinking HVACR CEOs, pivoted and adapted during the recent pandemic. Supply shortages, a panicked economy, and brick and mortar shutdowns flattened many of our best small businesses. However, according to a recent article in Forbes, titled Proactive Is the New Reactive: What Today’s Labor Shortage Means For The HVAC Supply Chain, by Karl Pomeroy, HVACR owners who may have been suffering, are now leaning on forethought, planning, and the ability to be proactive. Incidentally, Karl Pomeroy is Karl Pomeroy, GM and President at Motili, with more than 30 years of experience in HVACR sales and management. In this latest interview, his leadership advice speaks to being proactive and being able to pivot. He says:

4. VISION No leader was born without vision. Does that mean that you know exactly how everything will go on your journey? No, it does not. But without vision, you have no clarity. The vision can be personal – I want to be a leader who exhibits x, y, z qualities. Or the vision can be aspirational and goal oriented – I want to create a chain of HVACR companies that serve the entire county. Then I want to consult to inspire others to do the same or I want to coach employees or talk to kids. You may not achieve the exact thing you desire.

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The best way to mitigate the pitfalls in this new way of doing business is to be prepared. It’s one of the golden rules in HVACR; evaluate systems and plan for repairs and replacement. It’s more important than ever. Make the decision now to pivot when necessary. After that, decide how you will be prepared with proactive solution-oriented action. Have a plan. As part of that plan and preparedness include the unknown factors which means a real

commitment to flexibility and proactivity.

6. INTEGRITY In my experience, leaders I’ve worked with that had integrity had several common traits. First, they insisted on timeliness this included everything from meetings, and internal follow up reports to proposals to customers. Second, they put quality over quantity. And they put the company reputation over profit. A leader with integrity also values honesty, being good for your word, and by default, being trustworthy. Additionally, integrity involves taking personal ownership. Even the most powerful leaders make mistakes. The ability to own these errors, not blame others, will engender more loyalty and trust from your support team. And finally, as a leader with integrity, you treat your team as you would expect them to treat colleagues. In that way, you model respect from the top of the hierarchal model. As an effective leader, you must understand that your behavior, as the head of an organization, is no longer only a reflection on your personal reputation. You represent an entire entity. Therefore, your personal and professional integrity affects everyone in your company. And more customers are looking to do business with companies that display a show of integrity by a company as a collective. It is the reason many heating and cooling companies, now opt to reveal their commitment to sustainable energy and caring for the environment. With the ubiquity of social causes and social media, customers now care about what matters to the leaders they support. Integrity is the new buzzword in a more and more common, democratic, empowered management style. But it’s not cliché. Take your personal and professional integrity seriously.

intelligence (EI), but there is a consensus among most of us, I think, about what makes an emotionally intelligent leader. Some observers may not be able to define it clearly, but they can pinpoint the qualities. They point to assets like “steady” or others might perceive an emotionally intelligent individual as a “strong” leader in the face of hardship. But while we assign these adjectives, ones that point to fearlessness, that generalization may be a slight misnomer. An emotionally intelligent leader, in fact, may indeed be dealing with an inordinate amount of personal fear. However, it’s the ability to assess the situation without reaction, understand the full picture, and act to solve it accordingly, while staying emotionally balanced. In short, it’s emotional regulation. John Galbraith1 once said: All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership. EI isn’t about book smarts. It is about understanding the big picture and taking the appropriate, balanced, and intelligent, next action. It’s about listening and taking in feedback without personalization. It’s about being able to be proactive in the face of hardship, without expressing tyranny or rage. If most of the previously listed qualities of an effective leader make up the body or the whole, then EI is the backbone of all of them, at least when it comes to what makes a good leader. u

Heather Langone is Managing Editor at HVACR Business Magazine.

* John Galbraith, Brainy Quotes

7. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE There is a difference between book smarts and emotional intelligence. In fact, many leaders will tell you that the trait which separates their best employees and managers from the mediocre ones, is often not the ivy league degree, but rather the presence of emotional intelligence. I could list a slew of definitions of emotional

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

Coming June 1st

BRAND NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH www.hvacrbusiness.com You can expect an updated, more intuitive design and layout. The redesign will ensure a better online experience for all HVACR Business subscribers and visitors. If you are new to HVACR Business, then now is the time to join us. Subscribe today!

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: IS IT WORTH THE INVESTMENT? Social Media: Have You Converted? BY HEATHER LANGONE

few years ago, social media marketing was considered an auxiliary expense, a luxury mostly reserved for big businesses and influencers. Direct mail, emails – it all worked fine for the smaller companies. Today, mega platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and even Snapchat (very effective for paid ads, but best saved for Part ii) are essential tools for your strategic marketing programs. These marketing platforms are used by all competitive, large, medium, and small businesses. HVACR contractors using these platforms are seeing real benefits in the form of traffic, leads, and conversions. In 2022, social media marketing has become an integral part of a marketing plan. And since the pandemic, it’s more popular than ever. With everyone working remotely, social media and online engagement are your best marketing tools. Conversely, www.hvacrbusiness.com

If you found out you were missing out on an additional 5% of new customers monthly... would you rethink your plan? those of you who are not yet using social media for marketing, are missing out on customers and conversions.

IS SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING WORTH THE HYPE? Some traditionalists still choose not to invest in social media marketing, opting instead to put the money to good use in other places. And certainly, there are proven benefits in those more traditional media investments. But before you redline the paid ads option or even the organic posting idea, read on. If you found out you were missing out on

an additional 5% of new customers monthly, by choosing to utilize only email lists, word-of-mouth referrals, or direct mail, would you rethink your plan? According to Statista, Facebook and Instagram growth has been exponential since 2017: …roughly 2.91 billion monthly active users as of the fourth quarter of 2021, Facebook is the most used online social network worldwide. The platform surpassed two billion active users in the second quarter of 2017, taking just over 13 years to reach this milestone.

Considering social media is shared with friends, and friends of friends, its power is mighty and far reaching. And considering a post or paid post can be highly targeted to your customer demographic through tailgating, hash tagging, likes, comments, surveys, polls, paid ads, sales ad shares, and more, it’s a must-have. Engaging in social media is a smart move. But is it fiscally smart? Well, since you will start small, you will be able to assess that quickly. Let’s assume a small strict budget and examine the benefits. Below is information on the best use of social media if you have only a small amount to invest but still want to keep your business more competitive. The truth is, you can measure the ROI on ads and posts, almost immediately. So, if you aren’t seeing ROI, invest less – it’s that simple. continued on page 16

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

To the anti-social media holdouts --- you are a rarified few, but this is for you --- paid advertising can be as little as your Starbucks budget each month. continued from page 15

1. ORGANIC SOCIAL MEDIA DOES NOT NEED TO COST A THING

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HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

While it’s true that paid ads are an eventual must-do upgrade in a social media plan, as a first step, simply posting consistently, with nice pictures and good info, will add traffic to your website. If you decide that all you want to do is post organic content, then here are some useful tips. You can hire an intern to work for college credit. Make the intern your social media coordinator. No person under 30 needs any social media training. Post consistently. This lets followers know you are reliable and makes them want to come back. Post great pictures. Poorly lit pictures or no pictures, tells the followers you aren’t a serious business. If you don’t have pictures, you can post articles (the picture in the articles will automatically populate) as long as you post a link to the article. But be sure to say why you are posting it, i.e., professional installation of a replacement unit, maintenance tips, customer service and more. And make sure your social media posts are sending followers back to YOUR website as well. In the beginning, post at a minimum, on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. TIP: If you are a 40+ business owner, don’t disregard Instagram. While it has a younger demographic, it has become one of the most competitive social platforms for business advertising. Remember after you post, comment with hashtags that signal who you are, so that people can find you. An example might be: #HVAC #HVACRbusiness #HVACservices #contractors #MilwaukeeHVAC. Also, make sure that when people like or comment on your posts, answer them back, “like” their comments, or invite them to follow.

2. PAID ADVERTISING FOR PENNIES To the anti-social media holdouts --- you are a rarified few, but this is for you --- paid advertising can be as little as your Starbucks budget each month. Sure, you can spend thousands or millions on Google ads and

paid social. But you can also try boosted ads or set a budget on paid ads. Boosts are a great place to begin, and they work. Our recent Tops in Trucks posts to advertise the upcoming fleet design contest – winners announced in June – increased reach and impressions from 200 viewers to 1675 viewers in two days by running a boost. And it costs less than a donut and a cup of coffee! “Boosts” are previous posts that you then decide to make “sponsored” posts. It’s very simple. Instagram and Facebook will urge you to boost posts. Often you simply just need to click to accept the boost. The only slightly complicated thing is targeting, but both platforms will walk you through buyer preferences, targeting for gender and age demographics, location, industry and more. Also, you will need to add a credit card to your account (usually found in ads manager on the left or in your personal or ads settings, depending on the platform). But don’t worry, if you click BOOST and you don’t have a card attached, the site will prompt you for one. TIP: Choose to boost posts that have already done well organically. At the bottom of each post, you will see how many people your post reached. So, if on average, your posts reach about 200 people, and you notice that one post reached 400, then it performed well, much better than other posting for whatever reason. Boost that one. The good news is that you can set a budget for a boost as low as $5 dollars. I would suggest, if you are new to social media, and you have a limited budget, try $25 to see how it performs. More good news… If it does well, you can boost it again and again for the cost of your daily coffee each month. Also, Facebook and Instagram are the best platforms to try using boosted posts. BONUS TIP: You can also run a fully paid ad. Facebook and Instagram walk you through the steps. It can be a little tricky without seeing the site prompts so if you get lost, go to Google, and type, “How do I post a paid ad on Facebook?” Again, an intern won’t need help, but Google is a great source.

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3. COMPETITIVE DISCOVERY AND TAILGATING If you still aren’t convinced, let me share this little treat. You can use “discovery” and “tailgating” (or, hash tagging a topic in the search bar and then jumping into an industry conversation), to increase business. For instance, type in #seerrating to search in Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, to find prospective customers who are talking about SEER. If someone posted, “Does anyone know what’s considered a good SEER rating?” as an example, all the relevant conversations will come up. Why are discovery and tailgating good tools? 1. The platform does all the research work for you. 2. You can answer directly and talk to that new lead. 3. You can join an ongoing conversation about a brand or HVACR issue or suggest that they call you. Or you can choose to utilize the conversation to be educational, opting not to sell to them, but act as a leader in the field. But be sure to ask them to follow you. This person is a potential customer. It’s called tailgating and it’s amazing because it allows you to track all social media conversations happening about your industry, competitors, or even your own business. Paid ads do some of this for you too. TIP: Follow competitor pages. If the pages have a significant number of followers, invite those followers to follow you. Watch what your competition does well and learn.

4. GROUPS Join groups on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I find this to be particularly lucrative on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Look for all the HVACR groups you can find. Ask to join them. Once they approve you, you can post to the group and/or join in the conversation. If you are running a sale or a contest, have the need to share any news, it’s always great to post to the group. The bonus is that some of these groups have thousands of people in them, especially on LinkedIn. It can be very good for business. Be sure to look for geo-locational groups if you are a brickand-mortar business owner. You might search for Milwaukee HVACR Groups or something similar. Some of the LinkedIn groups have hundreds of thousands of

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so head on over and subscribe to HVACR Business Magazine and to our social media channels to get all the new information and videos – coming soon! u

You are in business to do good business, create a loyal customer base, and to run a profitable organization for your employees. Social media allows you to hear the customers’ feedback in real time. members. Consider how much that would cost in direct response mailers.

5. BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE You are in business to do good business, create a loyal customer base, and to run a profitable organization for your employees. Social media allows you to hear the customers’ feedback in real time, what they like and don’t like. On these platforms, you can encourage customers to reach out to you 24/7 on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages. You may think “I have a website…and they can contact us there.” That’s true, however social media users are online daily, sometimes for hours at a time. It’s easier just to click over to your page for one of the social media pages. Also, some customers prefer to search and inquire through social platforms, to get immediate answers on hours, services performed etc. If you aren’t responsive, you could miss out on a new or very loyal customer. Then there is the immediacy of it. For instance, if you’re running a sale, or recommending a service, you can post for people to see it immediately and that’s what drives traffic to your website. Lastly, if you want to brand your company to be known as the premiere service firm in your area, posting videos and articles on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, is the best way to position your company as the leader. TIP: Make sure the videos are informative, engaging and well lit. Poor-quality videos won’t help your business. And, these days, anyone with an iPhone can make a very professional looking video.

Like, Follow, and Subscribe HVACR Business… If you like the information or want more, feel free to email me at hlangone@ hvacrbusiness.com with your comments or suggestions. Finally, as we get ready to launch our new website in June, we are also rebranding our social media efforts. And, since we are on the topic, go follow our social media posts. You can learn from watching us too!

Follow us at @hvacrbusiness on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and follow the HVACR Business page on LinkedIn. We are rebuilding our YouTube page as well,

Heather Langone is a social media marketer and Managing Editor at HVACR Business Magazine.

INTRODUCING THE CHP-5 With the Certified HVAC Professional (CHP-5) pathway, technicians can now earn their NATE Certification with five thirty-question exams designed to mirror the ways they learn and grow in the field. Online proctored exam options available.

www.NATEX.org NEW: NATE TRAINING ACADEMY NATE has teamed up with Interplay Learning to create a new online platform with on-demand interactive courses that prepares technicians for the CHP-5 exams.

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

FINANCE

BY RUTH KING

Stupid Things HVACR Contractors Do in the Summer

ver the past 35 years, I’ve seen HVACR contractors do some truly stupid things during the summer season simply because they were “too busy” to work smart. The busy season doesn’t give you the right to relinquish your business acumen. Protect your profitability and cash – don’t do stupid things. So, to ensure you think smarter, over the next few months I’ll reveal some of the stupidest things that contractors do. I am willing to bet that after reading these stories, you’ll think twice before making the same mistakes.

Following are the two stupidest things contractors do:

STUPID THING #1 – NOT HIRING A PART TIME (OR FULL TIME) PARTS RUNNER Even if you have a two-person business, you can and should hire a summer part time parts runner. A parts runner allows you to keep working and generating revenues, while s/he takes over some of the more time-consuming tasks. While you build your business, s/he picks up the materials required for jobs and drops them off in a designated place in your warehouse. S/ he can also make runs to the parts house as needed, and many times will jump in to be the second pair of hands a crew needs to load equipment in and out of homes. Retired military procurement personnel and young people wanting to learn the trade, usually make great parts runners.

How to calculate the cost of the parts runner: 1. The parts runner works 20 hours weekly at a rate of $18/hour 2. The truck cost is $10/hour 3. Social security taxes and other benefits are 30% of the hourly wage 4. The gross margin of the company is 40%

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

Protect your profitability and cash – don’t do stupid things. The weekly revenues the company has to generate to pay for the parts runner: Wages: 20*18*1.30 = $468 Truck cost: 20*10 = $200 Total cost: $668 Total Revenue needed: 668/40% = $1,670

Smart Time, Smarter Money Now, that you know how to grow your business and still get things done without being stupid, answer this question: can you generate an additional $1,670 a week to pay for the parts runner in the summer? Of course, you can. Better still, can the parts runner save you $1,670 a week or $334 a day? Indeed, he can – much better. If the parts runner gets the company field personnel an additional productive hour on a job each day, the parts runner pays for himself. You don’t have to take a crew member off a job or a technician off a call, to run to the parts house. Your crew can keep working and generating revenue for the company, while you build your business.

STUPID THING #2 – NOT CHECKING PAYMENT RECEIPTS FOR SERVICE CALLS For most service calls, the technicians collect payment while out in the field. It’s important – even when during the busy season when you can barely come for air – to review all the cash, check, and credit card payments that come in to ensure they are deposited into your company’s bank account.

A recent example where this went terribly awry serves as a warning to all HVACR entrepreneurs. A service technician applied for and got a Square credit card payment processing device. The Square was registered in the company’s name. However, it was attached to his bank account. All he needed was the company’s Federal ID number printed on the W-2 form he received at the end of the year to file his taxes, and it was easy theft. When the customers paid him for the service call via credit card, he used his Square device rather than the company’s credit card processing device. Therefore, since the company’s credit card processing device was not used, the accounting system never recorded the customer payment. Although these customers’ names were listed on the aged receivables report, the bookkeeper, “too busy” to check, did not catch the glaring missing payments. The owner had a habit of checking the aged receivable reports every Friday as part of his weekly cash flow report review (this takes less than five minutes a week). During his weekly review, he noticed service calls that had not been paid. Upon further investigation, he discovered all of the unpaid service calls were performed by the same technician. This didn’t make sense to him, so he called the customers. The owner asked the customers whether their systems were working properly and whether they were happy with the service. All replied, yes. He then asked whether they remitted payment to the technician. All said they had. Finally, he asked whether they would mind sending him a copy of the credit card receipt. He received all the receipts. When he reviewed them, he noticed the company name was correct, but there

was a different bank account. The customers had paid their bills. However, the company didn’t receive the money. Subsequently, the owner caught the technician stealing. The technician was arrested and charged with 7 federal counts of identity theft, money laundering, etc. He’s deservedly serving time for the crime. But the lesson here is more for you than for the moronic thief. If you work smarter and don’t get caught in the stupid things that contractors do trap, you will stand confidently at the helm of your profitable business and lead a loyal customer base, rather than reflect on the stupid thing you did that time when you hired a thief. NOTE: If you’d like to see a copy of the weekly cash flow report, see the sample document at the end of this feature. The weekly cash flow document is the report that the bookkeeper provides to the contractor every Friday afternoon. An aged receivables and an aged payables accounting are attached to the report. He caught the technician when the aged receivables report didn’t make sense to him. If you liked this first installment of the Stupid Things series, specifically, The Stupid Things HVACR Contractors Do in the Summer, stay tuned because next month I’ll write about two more stupid things a contractor should never do. For more articles like this, go to https://www.hvacrbusiness.com/finance. html or be sure to read more features in our finance section every month. u

Ruth King has more than 25 years of experience in the HVACR industry and has worked with contractors, distributors and manufacturers to help grow their companies and become more profitable. Contact Ruth at ruthking@hvacchannel.tv or at 770-729-0258.

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WEEKLY CASH REPORT Week of ________________________

Prepared by ___________

Cash on hand at the beginning of the week: Petty Cash ........................................ $ _____________ Checking account #1 .................... $ _____________ Checking account #2 .................... $ _____________ Payroll account ............................... $ _____________ Money Market ................................ $ _____________ Other savings .................................. $ _____________

TOTAL BEGINNING CASH $ _____________ Cash Collected ............................... $ _____________ Credit card payments Collected ... $ _____________ Accounts Receivable Collected ..... $ _____________ Other Infusions (loans etc.) ............ $ _____________

TOTAL AVAILABLE CASH FOR THE WEEK $ _____________ Disbursements: Payroll .............................................. $ _____________ Accounts Payable ........................... $ _____________ Loan payments ................................ $ _____________ Other ............................................... $ _____________ Total Disbursements ........................ $ _____________

ENDING CASH FOR WEEK $ _____________ Estimated requirements for next week: Accounts receivable to be collected $ ____________ Payroll ................................................ $ ____________ Accounts payable to be paid .......... $ ____________ Loan payments due .......................... $ ____________

TOTAL ESTIMATED CASH SURPLUS (NEEDS) NEXT WEEK $_____________

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HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

EXIT PLANNING

PROVIDED BY KEVEN PRATHER, CFBS

Choosing an Executor for Your Estate

ere’s an uncomfortable truth you need to accept: Someday – hopefully in the very distant future – you are going to die. The good news: You can make that moment easier on your heirs by taking a few simple steps. One of the best ways, financially, to prepare now for that time is to choose a person to be the executor of your estate. Unfortunately, that also can be one of the more overlooked aspects of estate planning – which can spell trouble for your family and your wealth.

EXECUTOR MISCONDUCT There are clear circumstances where executors do not fulfill their obligations. Some of the more egregious issues we have seen include: Withholding inheritance. There are times when an executor is not required to disburse assets, such as when debts have to be paid off first. However, when the executor is not disbursing assets in a timely manner, it can be a red flag that should be looked into.

executor does a good job (see the exhibit below).

GETTING WHAT YOU WANT 1. Pick someone you trust who is willing to do the job. You need to select someone—such as a family member— in whom you have a great deal of faith. That won’t guarantee things will turn out as you want them to, but it can potentially reduce the risk of negative outcomes. Your executor must also have the time required to do a good job, and be inclined to take on the role

whom the executor despises, the executor must still disburse the funds. While it is possible to replace an executor, it is often costly and problematic. The better approach is to carefully and explicitly specify your wishes and choose a person to be executor who will do a good job in the role by following your wishes and preferences. 3. Select someone who is likely to be around to do the job. When choosing, consider a candidate’s age and health status. After all, an executor who isn’t alive or healthy enough to administer your estate won’t do you

SELECTING AN EXECUTOR

Someone you trust who is willing to do the job

THE CEO OF YOUR ESTATE Your executor is essentially the CEO of your estate—the person responsible for making sure your will is executed properly. This role can mean handling everything from distributing assets to heirs to ensuring any taxes due are paid. In other words, your executor is a crucial player on your estate planning team. Not surprisingly, then, people often find it difficult to choose their executor. The good news: You can choose from virtually anyone. Although in our experience, a family member is the most common option, professionals—lawyers, bankers and others—are also commonly selected. What’s more, family member executors may engage a professional for help doing the job—a move that can potentially help avoid family conflicts over assets.

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

Someone who knows what you want and respects your wishes Breach of fiduciary obligations. All executors have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the deceased and the beneficiaries. For example, executors must keep records of all financial transactions and be able to show those records to the heirs. Sometimes, however, executors fail to fulfill their fiduciary duty. Even if the failure is not ill-intended, ignorance is not a valid excuse. Stealing from the estate. There are examples of executors who have stolen funds from the estate. Access and limited oversight (or no oversight at all) can easily result in greedy people abusing their position as executor. Based on all of this information, we think it makes good sense to select your executor carefully so that your wishes as laid out in your will are honored and followed. There are a few actions that we believe can potentially help make sure your

Someone who likely will be around

and all it involves. This is true even if he or she ultimately engages a professional for additional help. Important: If choosing a trusted family member or friend isn’t an option for you, you might consider going with a corporate executor. Professionals with experience in matters relating to wills and estates can potentially do the job of executor better than an amateur – especially when complex assets and estates are involved. Note, however, that generally there are higher expenses associated with a corporate trustee. 2. Make sure the executor knows what you want to happen and respects your wishes. The idea here is to eliminate any vagueness in the will. Communicate clearly what you want to have happen. The executor must respect your wishes even if he or she disagrees with them. For example, even if you leave money to a particular cousin

Someone who is in good financial shape

any good. Have a relatively young and healthy executor as your first choice or as a backup. 4. Consider the person’s financial health. Candidates who have financial challenges, excessive debt or liens against them may not be good, trustworthy options.

CONCLUSION If you haven’t chosen an executor, it’s a great time to take this crucial step. If you already have one but haven’t revisited the issue in years, you might consider making sure your choice is still the best for you given your situation and goals. u Keven P. Prather is a registered representative of and offers securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC. Call 216-592-7314, send an email to kprather@financialguide.com or visit transitionextadvisors.com.

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PRODUCT FOCUS »

CARRIER

EMERSON

FRESH AIRE

LENNOX

Smart Air Purifier RMAP-SST is Carrier’s latest portable air purifier for rooms up to 430 square feet. Includes a HEPA filter that captures 99.97% of airborne particles sized 0.3 microns. The most innovative air purifier yet, it offers a simple, cost-effective way to improve the quality of your indoor air at home. Its high-performance fan and HEPA filtration system extract airborne pollutants and deliver cleaner air in every direction. Easy-to-change filters make it a low-maintenance solution. The Smart Air Purifier has been tested and certified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and is Energy Star certified.

Emerson Copeland Scroll Compressors are the latest from the brand in climate focused design. Many factors influence system design from comfort to regulatory requirements to efficiency standards. With both Fixed Capacity Compressors, for proven reliability in commercial air conditioning, and the Modulating Compressors, which deliver the kind of technology that enables systems to meet cooling demand & reduce energy consumption, the compressors feature also offer Advanced Scroll Temperature Protection. ASTP guards against excessively high discharge temperatures. ASTP eliminates the need for a discharge line thermostat through our unique internal protection system and provides reliability, reduced warranty rates, and value.

Fresh Aire releases the APCO-X Mag which delivers the most advanced quality and technology in indoor air treatment systems. It combines UVC light and proprietary activated carbon technology to safely neutralize odor-causing VOCs and biological contaminants. It not only treats the air but also helps keep the HVAC system clean and efficient. FEATURES: Exclusive V-Twin EverCarbon Matrix™ with nanotech antimicrobial coating and advanced 3-year UVC 254nm quartz lamp, the APCO-X Mag offers direct coil exposure and is UL validated to produce no harmful ozone. With a mounting magnet and anti-vibration coating, this new iteration leads the way in clean air technology.

Model L Rooftop Units deliver the low-cost options through variable-speed components and intelligent operation. Model L Rooftop Units offer energy-saving efficiency ratings up to 22.5 SEER, 23.3 IEER, and 15.0 EER – the highest in the industry and optimized humidity control. The Mobile App interface provides intuitive guided setup, reports, and parameter adjustment to optimize unit operation. The open integration and control with standard BACnet IP & MS/TP, LONTalk, thermostats, and allnew wireless sensors, allow freedom of choice, custom monitoring and control. The diagnostics and sensor system, monitors component performance, tracks capacity and efficiency, and alerts enabling smart asset management.

» www.carrier.com

» www.freshaireuv.com/apco-x-mag

» www.emerson.com

» www.lennoxcommercial.com

MALCO SBC

REV HVAC

RHEEM

TRANE

Malco’s 7 mm and 8 mm C-Rhex Cleanable, Reversible Magnetic Hex Drivers, is available in 3 lengths: 51 mm / 2 in. (Model MSHCM3); 101 mm / 4in. (Model MSHMLCM3); and 152 mm / 6 in. (Model MSHXLCM3). Alternate between 7 mm and 8 mm hex sizes with Malco’s dual-sided magnetic hex drivers. The reversible hex socket fits over a 1/4-inch magnet-tipped, ball locking hex shaft, and can change sizes. Eliminate buildup of shavings in the hex tip with the “Easy Clean Magnet”. Simply wipe with a towel to clear shavings. Tested torque driver design is equal to one-piece drivers.

The REV Diffuser is specifically designed to solve thermal comfort problems in office buildings. Designed to solve thermal comfort problems in office spaces and stop the complaints and keep employees happy, the diffuser should improve employee productivity, and the employee retention rate The fully adjustable REV Diffuser tackles the most common HVAC- related comfort problem: ventilation and air conditioning drafts. Each round sector independently rotates 360-degrees to redirect airflow in any direction, letting technicians and air balancers avoid specific people and objects. This innovative design represents a breakthrough in air diffusion technology.

Save today and save tomorrow with Rheem® ProTerra™ – the most efficient Hybrid water heater available. It's up to 4x as efficient as a standard electric water heater for energy savings of up to $480 per year. The most efficient water heater available, save up to $491 per year in energy costs – that's almost $5,000 over 10 years! It pays for itself in two years or less due to an amazing 4.0 UEF and features that deliver long-term savings. Program the water heater to match your demand throughout the day – higher production during high use times, like the morning, and lower production for energy savings when no one is home.

The Trane TruComfort™ systems give you precise comfort by running at the exact desired speed for comfort and efficiency. The XV20i air conditioner is one of the industry’s most efficient systems. The 22-SEER air conditioner automatically adjusts itself while maintaining consistent speeds to avoid temperature swings. Rated up to 22 SEER with 750 stages of comfort for ultimate climate control and efficiency. The TruComfort™ technology automatically adjusts for comfort and the quiet running fan (4 dB) is ideally suited for any space. The ComfortLink™ II technology connects key components, so your system calibrates for optimal performance.

» www.malcoproducts.com

www.hvacrbusiness.com

» www.rev-hvac.com

» www.rheem.com

» www.trane.com

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

20QUESTIONS >>

with RICH BENNINGHOFF

Terry Tanker met with Rich Benninghoff, President and CEO of Malco Products, SBC, based in Annandale, Minnesota. Malco is one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of high-quality, American-made specialty hand tools for the HVACR industry. The two discussed bucket lists, sage advice, motivating employees, management style, and business philosophy. 1. YouTube or Netflix or Prime video? Netflix – recently I’ve been watching “The Last Kingdom” and “Ozark”.

2. Where is your favorite place to travel on business?

A couple of years ago I traveled to Australia for work, and it was a very cool trip – there is so much natural beauty there. I took tons of pictures and was able to get out to see a couple different landmarks in addition to business meetings.

3. What are the top three things on your bucket list?

My wife and I have a Europe trip on our list, and I’d love to do a golf trip to Ireland or Scotland someday. I’m also a bit of a car guy, so someday I’d love to own my dream car, a 1967 convertible Corvette.

4. My dad/mom always said?

“Be honest” and “trust your instincts” – my parents said these two things all the time! They’ve never steered me in the wrong direction.

9. What business principles or values guide you in managing the company?

Malco’s core values are “Together, we ARE Malco” – Achieve Results, Respect Others and Engineer Solutions. These values guide our internal culture and focuses.

10. What aspects of managing the business do you enjoy the most?

I really enjoy setting strategy, determining plans for growth, and being able to use some forward-looking vision for the future.

11. What do you least enjoy?

I always want to have someone on my team who enjoys financial planning & analysis – looking at P&L statements, cash balances, etc. – because it is not my favorite!

12. Is there an aspect of the business you enjoy managing but should delegate?

My 7-year-old Labrador Retriever, Gus!

At Malco, we follow the EOS Traction model, so by design, there are many day-to-day operational tactics that are delegated through our COO, allowing me to stay focused on the company’s growth and our vision for the future.

6. What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

13. In which areas of management do you excel and why?

5. What always puts a smile on your face?

People matter. No matter what decision I am making or what opportunities arise, I always start by checking in with the idea that “people matter” first and that we need to take care of them.

7. Are there specific areas of opportunity that you are focused on this year within HVACR? We have spent 70+ years manufacturing high-quality tools for HVACR trade pros, and because of this dedication to quality, the Malco brand has earned a great reputation in the industry. This year, we’re focusing on brand elasticity and vertical integration, leveraging feedback and ideas directly from end-users for products that can help them get the job done more safely and efficiently.

8. What's your background?

I’ve had a 25-year career with all sizes of companies in the manufacturing industry, in a wide variety of roles and ownership models. I’ve touched everything from business development to strategy and growth, product management, business unit management, executive leadership and more.

I am fairly good at managing, motivating and inspiring people, as well as thinking big and planning. I really enjoy my job as Malco’s president and CEO. I get to share a lot of exciting new strategic projects with our employee-owners and explain everyone’s role in how we accomplish our goals as a company. It’s a lot of fun!

14. What do you do to keep your business acumen sharp?

I like to participate in networking and thought leadership events and groups to stay connected with fellow business leaders. I’m in a variety of groups such as the Vistage CEO Network, the Hand Tools Institute, and the National Center for Employee Ownership.

15. What is the center of your business philosophy?

The center of my business philosophy is the fact that people are a company’s #1 asset. That’s certainly true at Malco, which is employee owned. If we put in the time and energy to ensure associates are developing and thriving, the rest of the business is (relatively) easy.

16. How do you effectively communicate with your management team?

We have a variety of meetings to touch base – we have a weekly staff meeting, monthly company “huddles” and I maintain a genuine open-door policy to make sure there are plenty of opportunities for communication.

17. How do you inspire your managers and other team members?

As I mentioned earlier, this is one of my favorite things to do. I joined Malco about a year ago and made it a point to meet with every single one of our 200+ associates soon after I came on board. I think it’s so important to sit down with employees to give them the floor to express their thoughts and ask questions. I believe that creating connections creates trust, as does appreciation for a job well done. We recently rolled out an internal employee recognition program that I think is valuable and resonates with associates.

18. What fundamental business areas are you focusing on right now?

I’m focused on several areas of our business. One of the most fundamental is our technology footprint, particularly when it comes to digital and social media activities and our marketing capabilities.

19. What do you view as your most important management responsibility?

Creating value and creating a clearly defined vision for the future (as well as how we’re going to achieve it) are two of my most important management responsibilities.

20. Looking in your crystal ball, what are you forecasting for 2022 and beyond?

We are looking at having another strong year of performance and growth for 2022, as we did in 2021. A big part of that will be our new Eagle Grip line of locking tools, which is being rolled out this spring!

HVACR BUSINESS MAY 2022

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MAY 2022 HVACR BUSINESS

Articles inside

Product Focus

Choosing an Executor for Your Estate

Stupid Things HVACR Contractors Do in the Summer

How HVACR Leaders Can Capitalize on Weather-Triggered Marketing

Editor’s Notebook

Top 5 Best Practices When Designing a Website

Top 7 Qualities of an Effective Leader

Social Media Marketing: Is it Worth the Investment?

This Call is Recorded: CSR Training

How to Manage Change in Your Company

Industry News