HVAC Business Consulting: What You Need to Know

What is HVAC Business Consulting?

HVAC business consulting is a service where an expert—an HVAC business consultant—offers guidance to an HVAC business owner.

The HVAC consultant tries their best to ensure the company is far more profitable and efficient than it was.

HVAC companies contract consultants to assist with things like:

• Developing effective marketing strategies 

• Improving sales

• Increasing the efficiency of business operations

• Identifying and stopping revenue losses

What Are The Benefits of HVAC Business Consulting?

Why should you pay for consulting services? 

Isn't it better to invest the money in other areas of your business?

Well, not really. HVAC business consulting can benefit your business immensely.

Case in point.

Gee! Heating and Air hit their first $1 million month in March 2022. 

What's worth noting is that it took more than 30 years for them to hit the milestone!

How did they do it?

They sought the help of HVAC consultant Ismael Valdez, who heads NexGen.

Chief Financial Officer Jacob Gee said, “NexGen just kind of lit that spark and pushed us to the next level.”

Ismael unlocked their potential and broadened their minds to aim higher.

“Our next big, actual real goal is that we want to hit $5 million EBITDA. We want to hit a million-dollar week. We did a million-dollar month, and now we're trying to hit a million-dollar week”, says Jacob.

Here are the key benefits of HVAC business consulting:

• Improved efficiency: consultants can objectively pinpoint inefficiencies in your business. 

For example, they may optimize your inventory after discovering it costs you money. Or they streamline your operations so workers are more productive.

This can bring in more revenue.

• Increased profitability: Like the case of Gee! Heating and Air, consultants can develop strategies for increasing profitability.

This can include:

• Boosting customer retention and acquisition rates

• Improving your marketing process

• Training HVAC techs to sell better

• Optimizing your invoicing process

• Coaching customer service representatives (CSRs) to relate better with clients

Later on, we'll show you how they do this.

• Better compliance: As you well know, the HVAC industry has many regulations related to safety, licensing, and permits.

An HVAC consultant knows much about these regulations. They can help ensure you comply with them and avoid fines or lawsuits. 

• Reduced risk: many HVAC consultants have previously worked with large-sized HVAC companies. 

So, instead of using trial and error, they can help you implement strategies likely to succeed.

What Does an HVAC Consultant Do?

Before we answer this question, you should know there are two types of business consultants or consulting companies.

Some consultants or consulting companies specialize in just one area, like brand and marketing. 

Others are generalists, able to offer assistance with any aspect of running an HVAC business.

Take the case study of Gee! Heating and Air, for example.

They worked with both types of consultants: Dan Antonelli, a specialist in branding, and Ismael Valdez, a generalist.

Now that's out of the way, here are some general responsibilities of consultants:

Let's take a deeper look at each one.

Strategy

Growing your home service business into a large-scale enterprise requires planning and strategy. Luckily, business consultants are proficient in business strategy.

They first take stock of where you are now and discover where you want to be.

Then, they use the information they get to design a clear and precise business plan that charts the course for reaching the heights you’ve dreamed of.

They also show you the metrics you can use to gauge your progress.

Sometimes, they connect you with successful HVAC companies so you can learn from their success and scale up faster.

Pro tip:

Pick only business consultants who have worked with home service businesses or companies in the trades.

Because the HVAC industry is unique, what worked for a beauty company may not work for an HVAC service company.

Plus, you’ll need a consultant who knows the rules and regulations of the HVAC industry.

Marketing

Marketing is how you stand out from other HVAC companies in your local service area.

However, there are many marketing strategies and channels available.

You have social media ads, paid search, Google Local services, flyers, etc. But not every strategy can work for your business.

Crystal Williams, head of Lemon Seed Marketing, says, “There are a lot of great ideas out there, but not all of them are designed for your company. Some tactics are specific to certain markets, to the size of your company, or even what part of the United States you’re in.”

HVAC business consultants can help pick the marketing strategy your business needs.

Those who are marketing specialists can help you implement these strategies or direct you to someone they can vouch for.

Important note to remember…

A marketing consultant needs the right tools to produce results. They need tools for implementing each strategy and gauging their progress.

Luckily, there's ServiceTitan Marketing software.

The software helps you run marketing campaigns and monitor their performance.

Instead of showing just the number of calls generated, this tool outshines other marketing tools by revealing the percentage of those calls that turned into jobs.

It doesn't stop there…

ServiceTitan's Marketing feature displays your ad's performance in different locations, using color codes—the larger the blue circle, the greater the revenue you're generating in that area.

This ensures you target your marketing campaigns to locations where you can realize profit.

Problem identification

You may have difficulty seeing things objectively since you have a vested interest in the business and a relationship with employees.

In contrast, a consultant has no connection to your business or employees.

They can easily identify obstacles stopping you from reaching your goals by:

• Interviewing team members, managers, and business partners

• Observing the inner workings of your business

• Conducting surveys and interviews with customers

That way, they arrive at the right strategy your business needs.

Now, you must know this: a consultant's strategy for growing your business may not be enough. 

After the contract with the consultant has expired, you still need to keep a handle on your business operations and spot problems early before they become worse.

That’s what ServiceTitan's Field Reporting platform does.

With it, you can get accurate data on the performance of every aspect of your business.

The platform has a dynamic dashboard that displays metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) like weekly revenue and conversion rate.

Since it’s a cloud-based platform, you can access the dashboard from anywhere in the world.

Additionally, using the technician scorecard, you can track the exact revenue an HVAC technician has brought in.

The scorecard shows the number of memberships they've sold, the type of reviews they've received from customers, and the jobs they’ve done within a period.

A CSR scorecard also displays the number of calls CSR has handled and the percentage they convinced to book an appointment.

This helps you keep employees productive and assist those struggling in one way or another.

Find out more about how ServiceTitan can help you keep track of the performance of your HVAC business.

Budgeting and planning

Successful companies aren't built in a day.

They're the product of careful planning and budgeting that ensures a portion of all revenues is used to fund growth initiatives.

Consultants know this.

So, they help HVAC businesses allocate resources to cover running expenses and invest in growth without taking on unnecessary debt. 

They can also review your spending to identify areas where you can save money.

If there are already large amounts of debts on your balance sheet, a consultant can help to renegotiate contracts with creditors and suppliers.

Regulations and compliance

A series of regulations and laws guide the HVAC industry.

They're designed to protect the health and safety of employees, the environment, and the customers.

Who better to know these laws and regulations than consultants? Besides, they already have a wealth of experience working with other HVAC businesses and service companies.

After analyzing your business, a consultant will identify the rules that apply to you and show you how to comply.

This saves you from lawsuits and paying hefty fines.

Training

Well-trained employees are a key asset of every successful HVAC company. 

Their response determines whether the customer books a service, especially since 54% of customers say they are likely to leave after one bad experience.

An HVAC consultant can help train your employees. 

They'll hold in-person training to teach employees industry best practices and how to respond to an angry customer.

But they don’t train only your employees. 

A consultant also teaches you strategies to manage your business and employees better.

But there's one thing a consultant may not solve that's a major bugbear for customers — long waiting times and inefficient processes.

Customers find it annoying when they wait hours while the CSR rummages through a stack of paper documents to find their information.

Fortunately, HVAC companies using field service software like our platform, ServiceTitan, can avoid such irritations.

For example, with ServiceTitan's Call Booking software, CSRs see the name of the customer calling before picking up the line.

This way, the CSR can greet customers by name, showing them they're valued.

In addition, the software helps CSRs collect all the information they need without being distracted by the keyboard, with the help of drop-down menus.

So, the CSR gives their undivided attention to the customer instead of switching between the screen and their keyboards.

CSRs can also record every incoming call in case there's a need to review what the customer says.

This helps prevent mistakes. 

Even better, on-field techs can also access data the CSR collects during the intake process using ServiceTitan's Field Service App. 

This includes the customer's name, location, and the call recording.

On-site techs can also see the previous job history of the customer and the property details they submitted during the intake call.

This helps techs to deliver better service and spot upsell opportunities.

Additionally, with the software, techs in the field can focus squarely on their jobs instead of spending several minutes making back-and-forth calls to the office to confirm key customer information. All customer data they need is literally in their hands.

Do You Need HVAC Business Coaching?

When it's time to seek the help of a business consultant to rescue your business or scale it up, there are signs:

• Your employee turnover rate is high, and service quality is low: High employee turnover and low service quality are serious issues for any business.

You have to spend more to hire and train new employees. While this is happening, customers keep leaving.

A consultant can help diagnose the problem and offer a solution. They will either train your employees or optimize your hiring process.

• You lack time to grow the business: If you're still too busy in the field with no time to work on managing your business, your company will suffer. And it’s a sure sign that you need a business consultant.

A consultant can help you transition smoothly from fieldwork to focusing more on growing your business.

• You’re struggling to turn in profit: As your business grows, what used to be a simple $300 job will cost you a lot more. Because you have to include labor costs, rent, marketing, and several other expenses.

A business consultant will help you cut costs, increase sales, and develop a pricing strategy that maximizes profit.

How to Choose an HVAC Business Consultant

Hiring an HVAC business consultant to improve your business is vital. Otherwise, you’ll spend huge amounts of money with nothing to show for it.

Here's what you can do to ensure you pick the right business consultant:

Let's explain each one.

1. Define what you need

The first step is to identify what your current needs are.

Do you need help to bring in customers? Are your conversion rates low? Is there a high employee and customer turnover rate?

Choosing a consultant with the correct expertise for your particular problems ensures you get the best possible advice and support. 

It also narrows your choices and gives the consultant you hire a clear understanding of your goals.

2. Conduct research

The next step is to find a consultant who fits the needs you discovered in step one.

You can read online reviews and go through the website or social media accounts of consultants or consulting companies.

It’s advisable to look at the complaints and the praise they receive from past clients.

Pro Tip!

Instead of spending hours researching and going through many online reviews, you can pick a consultant from our Certified Provider Program.

We created the program for businesses like yours, that have specific needs and require a consultant with a deep understanding of the trades and the ServiceTitan software.

Danielle Combs, ServiceTitan’s Program Manager for Customer and Partner Relations, says: “…we set up this program because customers find it hard to vet consultants.”

The program involves consultants in business coaching, marketing, and accounting. 

Once a request comes in, ServiceTitan pairs a Certified Provider with a consultant who is best qualified to resolve the customer’s needs.

Before any consultant agrees to take part in the program, they must agree to focus on solving the customer’s needs and adhere to ServiceTitan’s code of conduct. This makes them prioritize your needs above everything else.

To show just how necessary this program is, consider that Service Titan received 320 requests in the first year.

Patrick MacIsaac of the Roby Family of Companies has benefitted from the program.

“In my opinion, it has been a need for a while,” MacIsaac said. 

“It just instills confidence. For companies our size that can’t afford a full-time software implementer, it bridges a gap and helps us go where we need to go without investing in that full-time person,” he adds.

Some examples of consultants in the program include:

• Dawn Wasicek of Powerhouse Consulting Group

• Jeremy Wickenhauser of Go Time Success Group

• Brandi Biswell of CVC Success Group

3. Look for case studies and track records

Any consultant who has achieved success for other trade companies is more likely to achieve success with yours.

So, look at the previous businesses they’ve worked with. Ensure they’re similar to your company in size, prior challenges, and industry.

Then, probe the results the consultant helped them achieve. What approach did they use? Is it applicable to your company?

Lastly, take a look at consultants’ certifications. You can start with the Institute for Management Consultants and ServiceTitan’s Certified Provider Program certifications.

4. Ask other HVAC contractors for recommendations

It's advisable to ask other business owners and industry experts for recommendations.

You can talk to HVAC contractors in your network to recommend consultants they've worked with in the past.

Industry experts and associations are another great place to get referrals for certified and proven consultants.

5. Talk with multiple consultants

Once you have a list of consultants, the next thing is to schedule interviews with them.

This is a great opportunity to know them better and decide if they align with your brand and company culture.

Ask questions about their:

• Previous experiences

• Rates and methods for billing clients

• Preferred approach to solving problems in businesses

• Areas of expertise

• Method for measuring success

Now Over to You

While every business owner prefers to nurture and grow their businesses themselves, no one knows it all.

When you run into issues or feel your business’s potential is plateauing, it might be time to bring in a consultant.

Remember: you can always pick consultants from our Certified Provider Program.

For better results, pair the consultant's expertise with an HVAC service software like ServiceTitan that streamlines and automates your business operations.

ServiceTitan is an all-in-one platform HVAC businesses use to streamline and automate all operations and increase efficiency and productivity. Book a free personalized demo today to join over 20,000 other service companies already using the platform.