SALES RESIDENTIAL

[Sheila Blair]

Hi guys; I was wondering if you guys could comment about residential HVAC sales. I got out of HVAC School recently and have been getting some experience in residential installation and repair. The owner of another company likes me a lot and offered me position selling. He said there’s a lot of money in it, once I get the hang of it and I won’t have to buy a lot of tools, lift heavy stuff, etc. What do you think?

[I_bend_metal]

Hi guys; I was wondering if you guys could comment about residential HVAC sales. I got out of HVAC School recently and have been getting some experience in residential installation and repair. The owner of another company likes me a lot and offered me position selling. He said there’s a lot of money in it, once I get the hang of it and I won’t have to buy a lot of tools, lift heavy stuff, etc. What do you think?

My opinion might not be the most popular on this subject, but if you are gaining experience as an installer and service technician, keep doing it....it's only going to make you better in sales down the road. I have been in the trade for almost 13 years now and just started selling 2 years ago. I am a selling tech which means that I don't turn my leads to another person, I run them myself. I prefer this over anything else, because I always have work....whether its just doing tune ups as a tech or selling and installing my own sales....Selling techs have gotten a bad name because most people seem to think that's all they care about is the sales....but done correctly and with honesty, its the only way to go.....

[energy_rater_La]

I'd work the field for a while first.
If you have not had the experience of doing the actual
work and seeing how things lay out itrw, it will make
problems when you sell things that the techs can't
resonably install.
it will make for a better sales person to actually
know the difference that an attic install and ductwork
in an attic with a 6on12 roof pitch as opposed to
the same install in a 4on12 roof pitch.

congrats on completing your hvac school.
investing in tools is investing in yourself.

hopefully your boss isn't trying to minimize
your investment by steering you to sales.
(guess you can tell I'm a bit jaded! LOL)

I know several hvac installers that are women
not big women either. Most worked for others
for a while and then started their own companies.
I find the attention to detail of the installs are much
better overall. I can tell they did the job when I step
into the attic and see the ductwork install. nice work.

best of luck

[energy star]

Ask him if he needs two sales people.....I want a sales job.

[artisancorp]

I would stay with the tech side for awhile cause if the selling doesn't work out you would go right to the bottom do to experiance and knowledge

[skippedover]

Selling can be rewarding but tough. You've got to be able to take it on the chin and keep smiling for the next one.

In our area more than 50% of the time the sales involve lots more than just selling a piece of equipment. The hacks are always out in full force and there's always more issues than just replacment. If you don't know how to determine where duct issues and like may hide, then you're not going to develope a reputation as a problem solver. A good salesman can come from any industry and excel in the new environment in most industries. But in this one it's a little more complex. For totally new installs, it's cut and dried. For replacements, it's really a challenge, IMO. So I'd say keep working and watch out for that 'he really likes me' issue.

[energy_rater_La]

oh, and apply for pro status here..

[garyed]

If you like working with your hands, getting dirty & money is not as much of a concern then stay with service & installations.
If you want to make money then sales is the way to go.
You also won't have to worry every time the phone rings when you're at home that its a job you've got to go out to.
I've made a decent living in this trade, put 3 kids through college & have a small nest egg but I wouldn't recommend it to the average young person.
Sales has much more potential in my book.
A good salesman will make it in any economy whether they're selling AC units or selling toothbrushes.
A bad tech that is a salesman will bring in a lot more money than a good tech that is not a salesman.

[Kevin O'Neill]

Be an installer first, then a tech, then get into sales.

Without field experience, it is unlikely you will price jobs properly. Also you may bid jobs that can't be done properly, like bidding a unit that won't fit in the available space.

[heatpumpguru]

I HAD 2 female sales people,tops in their sales field and the economy downsized them from their jobs. One was a paint sales person with a BIG company in home and the other was a GC for kitchen remodeling company she owned.They had the sales part down STONE COLD! But they could not walk the HVAC walk and gotten eaten alive and I had to let both of them go.Do it and then sell it and I KNOW you will be taking men's lunch money.

[dash]

My opinion might not be the most popular on this subject, but if you are gaining experience as an installer and service technician, keep doing it....it's only going to make you better in sales down the road. I have been in the trade for almost 13 years now and just started selling 2 years ago. I am a selling tech which means that I don't turn my leads to another person, I run them myself. I prefer this over anything else, because I always have work....whether its just doing tune ups as a tech or selling and installing my own sales....Selling techs have gotten a bad name because most people seem to think that's all they care about is the sales....but done correctly and with honesty, its the only way to go.....

Amen, on the good selling tech!!


Also, we have two salesmen, no field experience, excellent at sales.

[I_bend_metal]

Amen, on the good selling tech!!


Also, we have two salesmen, no field experience, excellent at sales.

At my last company we had a great salesman who had no field experience....

At that time I was a lead installer and all I ever asked of him was to snap a
few pictures of the old furnace and AC for me....after being in the field as long
as I have, that's all I needed to know if I was going to need to grab anything
from the shop that I didn't normally carry on my truck....it worked very well!

[genduct]

You just going to depend on your pretty face to get work OR are you going to pay your dues, learn how things are done so you can be an effective sales person?
You'll need to do more and find out how things SHOULD be done and continue your education with design stuff like Load Calcs and duct sizing.
Go to ACCA's web site and take the training for MAN J, D, S, ......
If you don't have good blueprint reading skills go to your local Community College first to get a better idea of construction in general.
Nice thing is you can do this as you continue to learn the trade and when you do transition to sales, you're not just a pretty face with an airhead, you're ready to do a proper job. Good Luck