Leads Open the Door in an Independent Contracting Company

Sales, leads, and retention are the three important key performance indicators inside of any HVAC, plumbing, or electrical independent contracting company.  But between the heavy emphasis on closing sales and the work put into retaining a strong client basis, leads can get lost in the mix.  Leads do just as the name suggests, they “lead” open the door to more.  In today’s post, we are going to explore how efficiently setting leads as well as effectively running a lead call results in success in an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical independent contracting company:

D is for Difference

Leads provide a means to prove that your company uniquely stands out in the industry.

While it is an achievement to have the opportunity to step foot inside a potential client’s home for an initial call, it is an even greater attainment when a HVAC, plumbing, or electrical independent contracting company has the opportunity to enter a client’s home for a second time.  Because each time that your company has contact with a potential client, it is a means to prove service excellence and professionalism that goes above and beyond the industry standard and outshines your local competitors.  When a client sees that the tech that set up his lead was respectful of his home, thorough with the diagnostic, and an overall personable individual then it begins to grow company-client rapport and a strong initial relationship.  But when the second HVAC, plumbing, or electrical technician comes into the potential client’s home and also astounds the client with his service excellence and professional skills then it could add that final edge that the client needs to see before choosing to do business with your company.  Leads are about having another opportunity to ultimately close a sale but making the sale wouldn’t be possible without first proving why your company is uniquely excellent and is the best service company choice.

O is for Opportunity

Leads provide multiple opportunities for a client to say “yes.”

Just as leads provide multiple occasions to prove your HVAC, plumbing, or electrical independent contracting company’s unique excellence in the industry, leads also allow for multiple opportunities to close a sale.  When the initial technician that visits the home completes a thorough diagnostic and presents the findings to the client then that is the first opportunity to get a client to say “yes” to their need for service.  When a client agrees that he would like to set up a lead with a sales technician then that is called a “little yes” because it is a client’s verbal choice to move the call in the direction of the “big yes” (a close).  These “little yeses” are “little victories” throughout a call because each step forward in the process is a step in the direction of success in leads.

O is for One-on-one

Leads give technicians more face-to-face time with a client in order to further prove client need as well as prove company service excellence.

Just as “little yeses” move a call onto the path to a “big yes,” the more one-on-one time that a technician has to prove the client’s need and company excellence then the closer he can get to the big close.  When a service technician visually and verbally explains a client’s need for service or replacement through showing the client the malfunctioning component and composing a cost comparison analysis then the client is better informed and begins to think analytically about the options.  When multiple, highly-trained technicians have one-one-one time with a well-informed client that agrees he has a need for the company’s service then it simply comes down to closing on the best option.  When a technician sets a strong lead by taking full advantage of uninterrupted, face-to-face time with an potential client then he provides a strong lead-in for the sales technician that follows by leaving him with an highly interested and thoroughly informed client.

R is for Retention

Leads give a company team an opportunity to provide service excellence and professional skill in order to gain a thoroughly satisfied and lifelong client.

This last component of successful leads is a culmination of effectively following through with all of the important components from above.  A strong client base can be built and maintained when an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical independent contracting company proves unique excellence, professional skill, and outstanding service to a thoroughly satisfied homeowner who closes on the best option for his budget.  When clients are satisfied with all the steps throughout the lead process then it is very likely that they will see a need and have a desire to invest in a maintenance plan, which will give the service company a continually opportunity to build an ongoing relationship with the client and further prove service excellence.  These clients will also be more likely to refer their service company to friends, family, and acquaintances thus growing a stronger likelihood of building a robust and satisfied client base.

When leads are effectively set and effectively ran then it opens up the D.O.O.R. to success for an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical independent contracting company team.  When HVAC, plumbing, or electrical independent contracting company have a strong grasp on their key performance indicators (sales, leads, and retention) and they know the importance of each specific part then they can run a smoother and more efficient company.  Thank you for following our weekly post.  Here at Service Excellence Training, we turn learning into earning!

-Resource curated by Whitney Stewart of Service Excellence Training