Training for the 21st Century

What’s my Salesman thinking?

It’s 8pm, your assistant is sitting on an overturned 5 gallon bucket, chin in hand, drawing imaginary circles on the floor with his 6 in 1. You are pondering the spaghetti like mess of wires staring back at you, almost tauntingly. You can’t get 2nd stage cooling to come on at the heat pump, but the blower comes on at full capacity! You’ve tried everything you can think of, including calling the on call technician, but he had no idea either. You tried calling the service manager, but he must have been too busy to answer your call…as usual, but you were desperate and thought you’d try him anyway. So now, you’ll just jumper Y1 & Y2 and see if you can at least get the full capacity heating and cooling working before you leave and call it good. It’s late, you’re tired, you’re mind is fried and your co-worker looks like a zombie, just starring at you, his eyes questioning “why are we still here?”
Why do our salesmen continue selling these crazy combinations? Variable speed furnaces, 2 stage HP’s and all with zoning!!! Oh and he just has to top it all off with a steam humidifier!
What’s wrong with this picture?
There seems to be a disconnect between field installers and sales management.
In this day and age, consumers are looking to us, the HVAC professionals, for energy saving solutions as well as a comfortable home environment. Many of our industry’s “in home” sales people have finally figured that out. If they are good, they have educated themselves and are reaping the rewards for their efforts. Higher end equipment, complicated as it is, means more money in the salesman’s pocket. But depending on how you look at it, it’s either rewarding…or disastrous. It just depends on weather you are in sales or installations/service.
Why is this?
Where is the disconnect?
Your customers expect, and deserve, the best from you. The problem lies not in your salesman selling all these “complicated” systems (I mean, come on, he is a salesman right? He is supposed to sell.) The problem is with management!
Now before you start cursing me and get all riled up (if you are a manager) you may be one of the (very) few who have figured this out, so just read on and relish in the fact that you are awesome! But, for the majority out there…read on and be honest with yourself, and be strong enough to accept the truth…then act on what you learn! You will not only reap huge successes, but your people will be happy, as well as those you answer to.
So the problem lies primarily with management. What exactly does that mean? It’s easy to just blame management and then sit back, arms folded, with a stern look of disapproval on your face…however, you are here to learn and grow!
From my own experience, I’ve seen salesmen learn about new products (often from their customers inquiries who have done their research via the Internet) and then start selling them! The sales manager will usually give them pricing, begrudgingly, and then complain that it was so much easier back in the ‘good ole days’ when they just sold simple 80% furnaces and 10 SEER A/C’s. But at least they give the OK to sell, and that’s where it all comes to a screeching halt! No product training or help. The salesman proceeds to sell, and then the installer is out at 8 pm pulling his hair out!
Is selling the newer, high efficient equipment the right thing to do? Of course it is! Training, though, has got to be an important part, if not the most important part of this scenario.
The installers in our industry typically receive little or no product/knowledge training, especially as it relates to actual install and set up. Our service techs usually have even less training, perhaps none at all, only to find themselves out at 10 pm trying to figure out what the heck the installer did at 8 pm! (This is one of the drawbacks to having service techs who have never installed).
All to often, owners and managers are afraid, or unwilling, to invest money on training. Many feel that to pull installers and techs from the field for ‘training classes’ just wastes money. They fail to see that this will actually make them more money! Besides the fact they can’t stand to see hourly workers getting paid for ‘nothing’.
It is unfortunate that in many ways HVAC companies are still in the dark ages. But fear not, there is hope!
Training is a vital key to success for installers and for HVAC contractors. Training = more money. This is seen through increased revenue, fewer callbacks, fewer hours per job and increased employee retention. People like to feel confident in their profession. Installers want to feel confident when installing high efficient products. The same goes for those who service and maintain the equipment after the install.
Why, technicians will even recommend better, energy savings products to their customers rather than complain about the complexity and higher cost of future repairs.
So- what if you install or service these types of products while receiving little or no training from your company? Take matters into your own hands…educate yourself! Don’t wait for the training that may never come. Use the Internet (your customers are!) Do research and read as much as possible about your industry and the specific products you deal with. Also ask your supervisor for copies of the install guides/manuals and technical specs for those products. Use a highlighter to help remember and find important and interesting information. These manuals are so full of useful information, that by reading them for 10 to 20 minutes a day, you will know how to install, maintain and troubleshoot with confidence in no time!
By paying special attention to the sequence of operation, you will know what to watch for when performing your start up. Also, you will be confident when explaining the equipment operation to your customers. And, instead of cringing when asked a question from the homeowner, you will be happy to answer their questions with confidence and a smile!
*Special note to Owners and Management. If you haven’t yet done so, start investing now in your companies future by providing your field personnel training on all of the products you offer…but be ready to grow! Once you unleash these highly trained (and confident) professionals on your customers, they will generate more referrals, more revenue and both installers and service techs will be knocking at your door for a chance to work at the great company that actually cares enough to invest in employee training.