Looking for a new year’s resolution that will help to make 2009 your most productive year yet? Ed Gancarz of the SHA+RP Institute recommends a few you can try.

• Cut costs. Figure out your hourly overhead and do your best to reduce it! Has your insurance increased? What are your fuel costs? Make sure to get quotes from multiple companies so you know you’re getting the best price for services.


• Make new service agreements. Service contracts are a $10 billion industry. When your customer’s equipment breaks, you don’t want them looking in the yellow pages for someone to fix it. If you arrange a service agreement, you’ll get their repair work.


• Break into IAQ. Customers want indoor air quality products but many HVAC/R pros hesitate to offer them due to lack of experience with them. What they don’t know is how simple these products are to suggest, sell and install. Your Totaline® sales center carries a full line of easy-to-install IAQ products. Once you’ve checked them out, you can make more money by selling IAQ on every job.


• Offer financing. Let’s face it. We’re in the middle of a recession. When a surprise $6,000 to $20,000 HVAC/R bill pops up, some customers might not be able to pay. Offer financing options and you’ll have an edge over competitors that don’t. Plus, you’ll enjoy improved cash flow, higher sales and recourse in the event of non-payment.


• Manage your time better. In the HVAC/R business, time is your greatest resource. Make the most of it by eliminating time-wasters, anticipating customer needs to reduce callbacks and organizing your work space to increase productivity.


• Resolve performance issues. When HVAC/R businesses are looking harder at resources and performance, in an effort to pinpoint cost problems individual performance becomes even more important. Manifesting as callbacks, lack of productivity, and lack of selling, performance issues can affect an entire HVAC/R business.


• Take a vacation. Studies show that people who take vacations are healthier, less stressed and more productive on the job.


• Sharpen up your business skills. Many HVAC/R businesses come and go and it’s not because of their technical abilities. It’s the business side of the equation. Take some time this year to learn more efficient ways of running your business. Arrange some training with the SHA+RP Institute or read Ed Gancarz’s monthly column in Beyond Repair.

Edward Gancarz is the principal of the SHA+RP Institute. Its services include small business consulting and training, individual and group coaching, organization development, call center management and marketing and selling support. If you would like business training conducted at your Totaline sales center, contact your parts store manager or the SHA+RP Institute.



Phone: (315) 263-1234
E-mail: egancarz@twcny.rr.com

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