By Josh Koplin The Anticipation Advantage We’re talking about neuroscience—yes, neuroscience. What do the inner workings of the human brain have to do with getting a great deal, whether that means getting the perfect Black Friday TV or, believe it or not, an HVAC system? Plenty, as it turns out. Picture the scene: You’re hovering Read more
Industry Blogs
By Josh Koplin
The Anticipation Advantage
We’re talking about neuroscience—yes, neuroscience.
What do the inner workings of the human brain have to do with getting a great deal, whether that means getting the perfect Black Friday TV or, believe it or not, an HVAC system? Plenty, as it turns out.
Picture the scene: You’re hovering over the “add to cart” button, waiting for that sale price to drop. Your heart isn’t racing once you’ve already snagged the big screen—it’s pounding right before, in that sweet spot of maybe. Anticipation, not fulfillment, is where the brain’s real fireworks happen.
Humans aren’t just driven by rewards; we’re propelled by their promise. It’s the inkling that we might get a killer price, might outsmart the market, might score something special that sends dopamine shooting through our neural pathways.
Consider a gambler at a craps table—dopamine doesn’t spike when they win, it elevates when the dice are suspended midair when that big win is possible. Dopamine, often described as the “pleasure” chemical, is more like the chemical of “maybe:” the neurochemical of anticipation that something great could be right around the corner.
The Neuroscience of HVAC: Turning Necessity Into Opportunity
Now, let’s apply this to a less thrilling scenario for most consumers: buying an HVAC system.
For most homeowners, replacing a furnace or adding central air is about as glamorous as scheduling a dentist appointment. But even a mundane necessity sparks more interest if it feels like a deal. Consider a high-efficiency heat pump listed at $20,000. At face value, that might send the would-be buyer running. Toss in a $2,000 tax credit, a $1,500 local utility rebate, and a $1,000 seasonal manufacturer promotion, and suddenly that total drops by $4,500.
With each discount line item, the buyer’s brain perks up, anticipating that sweet sense of winning the pricing game.
Neuroscientists have shown that bigger potential rewards translate into stronger activation in the brain’s reward pathways. A modest discount is nice, but shaving thousands off the bill? That’s the kind of number that lights up the mental scoreboard. On the flip side, if someone encounters a price they deem “unfair,” the insula region of their brain—a center associated with pain and disgust—flares into action, pushing them away from the purchase.
This is where strategy comes in: By pairing substantial incentives with financing options that display monthly costs, you can dampen that insula response. Instead of seeing one large upfront sum, the homeowner sees a more approachable monthly figure, say $140 per month. This shift reframes the deal as manageable and less painful, keeping dopamine flowing rather than triggering the insula’s alarm bells.
Make Savings Obvious and Immediate
So how do you put all this brain science into play? Start at your homepage. Forget paragraphs of backstory—your visitor wants an instant reason to hang around. Parade those incentives right out front:
- Federal tax credit: up to $2,000
- Local utility rebate: up to $1,500
- Seasonal promotion: $1,000 off
These aren’t just figures; they’re brain candy. Even if the homeowner isn’t ready to buy on the spot, their brain is already logging these potential savings. They’re thinking, “Hey, I might get a really good deal here,” and that anticipation breeds motivation.
Speed Is Key: The Power of Online Quotes
Once you’ve laid out the incentives, don’t let the momentum slip away.
As consumers, we’re overwhelmed by stimuli vying for our attention and more easily distracted than ever. The longer it takes to get a clear price, the more likely it is that the customer will lose interest and the initial dopamine surge will drain. Online quoting tools are a powerful solution: A homeowner punches in a few details—location, home size, desired system—and gets an estimate in seconds.
Show the final figure and the incentives, then break it down into a monthly payment. What’s more, online transparency cultivates trust and makes customers more likely to reach out. Watch their interest climb.
From Online Curiosity to Kitchen Table Commitment
Now, all of this might seem like just putting science to what good salespeople and marketers already know. And that’s exactly the point. The difference now is the battlefield.
Homeowners increasingly start their search online, poking around in off-hours, maybe with the TV on mute and a phone in hand. Before they ever sit down at the kitchen table to hear your pitch, they’re testing the waters online. In a competitive market humming with options, it’s more important than ever to hit those reward circuits when consumers browse, in order to make sure that you earn a seat at the kitchen table.
So yes, HVAC sales and neuroscience make an odd couple at first glance. But a bit of neuroscientific insight and online strategy just might just be the difference between a lead bouncing away versus and getting to that kitchen table with a “yes, let’s do this.”
Josh Koplin is a co-founder of EDEN, a Seattle-based startup with a mission to empower contractors with innovative technology, helping them to grow their businesses and provide exceptional customer experiences. Founded in 2021, EDEN provides a digital sales enablement tool to help HVAC contractors provide quick and accurate instant quotes for HVAC systems. By leveraging technology to provide prices and detailed breakdowns of eligible incentives and expected utility savings online, EDEN helps promote high-efficiency systems that contribute to sustainability and benefits both homeowners and contractors. For more information, visit https://www.e-denhomes.com/.
By Lynn Wise Anyone who has ever had a furnace break down because of a complex issue knows that there comes a time when you must hire an expert. While most of us know how to change the filter on the HVAC system, we don’t really know that much about what makes a furnace tick Read more
By Lynn Wise
Anyone who has ever had a furnace break down because of a complex issue knows that there comes a time when you must hire an expert. While most of us know how to change the filter on the HVAC system, we don’t really know that much about what makes a furnace tick.
And, while you may be that HVAC expert or own a company that employs these HVAC experts, you may not be the authority in accounting or on call center management.
One way that you can boost your business is to hire the experts you need to handle your accounting or call center by outsourcing these roles to the experts. Instead of spinning your wheels trying to hire and train the right people to do these jobs, you can employ a skilled and trained team to manage these roles for you so you can focus on retaining your plumbers, electricians or HVAC techs and growing your business.
Outsourcing by the Numbers
As a home service company owner, you know how difficult it is to hire qualified technicians. The cost to recruit, train and retain your staff is probably one of your biggest expenses next to payroll and insurance.
But it is also becoming increasingly difficult to hire degreed and qualified accounting specialists, too. According to The CPA Journal, the accounting profession is facing a shortage of accountants, making it just as difficult to find the right team to manage your books.
By outsourcing your accounting team, you no longer have to take the time to recruit and hire someone with a skill that typically you do not know how to train. Bookkeeping and/or accounting skills are skillsets that require specific training to be competent. Your business will save itself the cost of paying for a full-time accounting team, and you don’t have to provide benefits.
If you hire a skilled and trained accounting service provider, you will also get access to experts who know how to manage your books. These providers do all of the recruiting and training and are also experts in finding the best accounting professionals.
In addition, outsourcing your accounting team allows you to scale your business based on your current and future requirements. The right professional knows your operations and therefore understands your workflows to enable correct recording of transactions in your financial files. For example, you won’t need to over hire full-time accountants so that you’ll have a big enough team to handle duties during your busier seasons. In the past, you’d need to take the time to hire temporary workers or you’d have to pay your team overtime during the busy season, which can cause burnout and turnover.
This makes outsourcing your accounting functions more cost-effective. It also allows you more time to spend on recruiting the skilled tradesmen you need to grow your business and take on more customers or provide more services.
Calling on the Professionals
But accounting isn’t the only way you can save money while scaling your business.
Outsourcing your call center is another way to get the professional help you need while saving you time since you will no longer need to consistently hire and train a fully-functioning call management team.
Like outsourcing your accounting department, contracting with a professional call center team can help you save money on salaries, benefits and infrastructure. But it can do so much more. This includes:
- Providing you with an expert team. Third-party call center management companies not only hire experts in customer service, they also provide all the training so that your call center team understands how to improve the customer experience.
- Giving you access to the latest technology. The best call center management companies provide their teams with the latest tools to access the data they need to answer calls professionally. These companies also invest in the latest call center technology, including telephony and artificial intelligence-powered chatbots.
- Allowing you to scale your business. Many call center management companies offer 24-hour, 7-day-a-week services so that you can extend your hours or provide better service during peak periods.
- Providing you with quality control. These companies also provide better monitoring so they can see where their teams need additional training. This not only improves customer service interactions but provides you with the analytics you need to determine where to improve your company’s customer experience.
Outsourcing your back office and call center teams provides you with instant access to skillsets you would never be able to afford individually, and gives you back the time you need to focus on your primary business operations.
Dreaming to Scale
Imagine being able to have the time to train more plumbers, electricians or HVAC technicians while having the accounting and call center support you need to quickly grow your business.
Contracting out these services can be a boon for the smaller home service business owner. As you work to grow your business, it is imperative that you have enough work for your current number of technicians, as well as a plan to hire more as you gather more clients. This can be tricky, especially during the shoulder months when repair and installation work slows down.
Outsourcing these employees also allows you to provide more complex solutions for your existing customer base and the scalability to grow on an as-needed basis. In other words, you’ll no longer be paying salaries for people who don’t have enough work during the slower times or burning out your employees when there is too much work during the busier seasons.
Choosing the right accounting or call center management partner can help you streamline your business. It can free up your cashflow to pay your critical managers and top talent more so you can retain the best employees, while also freeing up your time to recruit, hire and train new talent so you can grow your business to the level you’ve always dreamed about.
Lynn Wise is the founder of Contractor in Charge, a company offering organizations services such as accounting, dispatch and customer service representatives for the home service industry. She is also the author of “Build It, Grow It, Sell It! Nine Steps to a Thriving Contracting Business.” Wise has spent the last 35 years as the successful owner of multiple small businesses, including a plumbing and heating repair company and a remodeling company.
By Ronda Chaney Imagine you’re about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Your destination is crystal clear — you can practically feel the sun on your face as you picture yourself relaxing at the end of the journey. But there’s a catch: You’ve got no map. No directions, no guide, just a vague Read more
By Ronda Chaney
Imagine you’re about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Your destination is crystal clear — you can practically feel the sun on your face as you picture yourself relaxing at the end of the journey. But there’s a catch: You’ve got no map. No directions, no guide, just a vague idea of where you want to end up. Without a plan, you’re left guessing at every turn, risking delays, frustration, and failure.
Now, think about your business. Are you approaching it the same way? You might have a vivid vision of success — like the view from that dream vacation home — but how will you actually get there without a concrete business plan?
Developing a Plan
A business plan isn’t just a checkbox or a formality — it’s the backbone of long-term success and stability. As the saying goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” So, how do you craft a plan that drives your business forward? And how can you do it quickly and efficiently?
At its core, a business plan is about setting clear goals and identifying the strategies and actions needed to achieve them. But it’s more than just a to-do list. It requires owners and operators to take a hard look at their business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This honest evaluation comes from digging into past data across key areas like operations (staffing, equipment, inventory, workflows, technology), training (installation, service, sales), finances (startup costs, revenue projections, cash flow), and marketing (industry trends, target audience, competitors).
Once you’ve established benchmarks in these areas, the real work begins. Use this data to set ambitious goals and create a roadmap for success — a detailed, step-by-step guide for how to reach your destination. Though the process may seem overwhelming, breaking it down into small, manageable actions makes it more achievable. And don’t forget to celebrate each win, no matter how small — it’s all progress.
Strategic Financial Plan
While your business plan steers every decision, your financials serve as the high-octane fuel propelling your progress. Therefore, effective money management is essential for ensuring smooth sailing.
Consider the lessons of the past. Business owners must take a reflective journey before forging ahead. Analyzing financial performance — revenue, operating costs, or cash flow — provides crucial insights that inform future planning and decision-making.
When crafting your financial plan, begin with the end in mind. Visualize where you want your business to be in one year, two years, or even a decade. Establish financial milestones along this journey; these long-term goals will act as your guiding stars, illuminating the path ahead.
Next, develop an action plan that paves the path to achievement. What specific steps does your team need to implement weekly, monthly, or quarterly to reach these objectives? Emphasize that everyone plays a vital role in the process and establish personalized goals for each team member, as one missed individual goal can significantly impact the team’s overall success.
Establish deadlines and communicate your commitment to meeting these targets. Without timelines, even the best strategies can lose momentum.
Once your plan is underway, set key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor progress regarding profit margins, cash flow, customer retention rates, etc. Regularly reviewing such KPIs ensures your decisions are informed by data, keeping you agile and reactive.
As you reach each milestone, take time to assess your progress. If you find yourself veering off course, don’t hesitate to pivot; adaptability is just as vital as foresight — it’s easier to redirect your progress after one wrong turn rather than several.
Finally, embrace the journey with a willingness to learn and adjust. Getting there is half the fun!
Your journey to success comes from taking a series of small steps. At each milestone, you’ll gain valuable insights that will guide you forward. So, buckle up, strategize your route, and steer your business accordingly. With a solid plan and unwavering commitment, your destination is within reach.
Ronda Chaney is a head coach and trainer for Business Development Resources (BDR), the premier business training and coaching provider to HVAC contractors and distributors. She started her business management career in 2000 and entered the HVAC industry in 2009. Chaney’s career has included several tactical and strategic positions spanning administrative, sales, customer service, and departmental and division-level management roles.
By Heather Ripley Most contractors never think about how important having a trained media team is until they are faced with a business or image crisis. The thought of dealing with the press when you are going through one of your company’s worst times can be harrowing for even the most outgoing people. While it Read more
By Heather Ripley
Most contractors never think about how important having a trained media team is until they are faced with a business or image crisis.
The thought of dealing with the press when you are going through one of your company’s worst times can be harrowing for even the most outgoing people.
While it is important to have a solid crisis public relations strategy during a disaster, the fact is that it’s important that your company have people trained to talk with the media, even when times are good.
A good PR partner will be able to train your staff on how to talk with the media comfortably during uncomfortable times.
Building Credibility
For most home service contractors, your reputation is one of the most important selling points you can have. If you’re known in the community as an honest service company that readily provides tips to homeowners, you will be seen in a positive light.
Just like a squeaky wheel gets the oil, a home service company that regularly provides timely and informative press releases on how to make your heating system more efficient or provides tips to keep a home safe from carbon monoxide leaks will get noticed by your local media. Keeping your name top-of-mind means that the media knows who to call when they need a quote from a home service professional ahead of bad weather or after a crisis.
While a PR team can help you craft the releases that get you noticed, you will want trained spokespeople from your company when it comes time to appear on camera.
Controlling the Narrative
If you’ve ever been interviewed by a reporter, you know that sometimes the questions may seem challenging or off topic.
We’ve all seen interviews that go “off the rails,” and the interviewee says something that can be misconstrued or taken out of context.
Your public relations partners should be able to help you prepare to answer questions in a way that informs but also keeps you on message. You don’t want to write out a script—that can make you sound boring and non-responsive. But you do want to steer conversations so that you’re able to speak confidently about what you know.
Once you have learned some tips, you need to practice them so you are able to stay on message.
Have a trusted coworker or friend ask you questions on camera and then review your interview. If you wander off topic, talk too much, fidget or say, “um,” too often, keep practicing until your interview style is tight.
Making Every Opportunity Count
The most important thing to remember about media opportunities is that they are always a chance to talk about your business to new audiences and potential clients.
With this in mind, here are a few quick tips to make your interview more compelling:
- Answer in full sentences. Nothing is duller than to watch an interview where their only response is “yes” or “no.”
- Talk in sound bites. The media always likes to use a full quote. In order for your comments to always be taken in context, speak as though your words will be a sound bite.
- Say your company name. You don’t want to be too obvious, but if you say sentences like, “At XYZ Plumbing, we…” then complete your thought, you will be able to keep your name top-of-mind.
- Remember that you’re the expert. The media came to you because you know your stuff. Practice, prepare and be confident.
Heather Ripley is founder and CEO of Ripley PR, an elite, global public relations agency specializing in the franchising, skilled trades and B2B tech industries. Ripley PR has been listed by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Franchise PR Agency for seven consecutive years and was recently named as one of Newsweek’s America’s Best Public Relations Agencies for 2024. Heather Ripley was recently named as a 2024 PRNews Top Women honoree in the business entrepreneur category. She is also the author of “NEXT LEVEL NOW: PR Secrets to Drive Explosive Growth for your Home Service Business,” which is now available on all audiobook platforms. For additional information, visit www.ripleypr.com.
By Heather Ripley What do Croc-Tarts, the presence of lithium at more than 1,400 feet at the Tonopah Flats Lithium Project in Tonopah, Nevada, and Henry Kissinger’s death at the age of 100 have in common? They were all press releases that informed, educated or delighted readers in 2023. And they not only announced real Read more
By Heather Ripley
What do Croc-Tarts, the presence of lithium at more than 1,400 feet at the Tonopah Flats Lithium Project in Tonopah, Nevada, and Henry Kissinger’s death at the age of 100 have in common?
They were all press releases that informed, educated or delighted readers in 2023. And they not only announced real news, they also hooked readers by sparking a conversation about what each of these events meant to the reader right up front.
While your home service company may not have news that will go viral on social media, what you do have to announce is important, nonetheless. That’s why you need to ensure that your press releases are relevant, concise and engaging.
A well-written press release can give your home service business that extra something that sets you apart from your competition in several ways.
Consistently providing informative press releases introduces your company and expertise to local media outlets. Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric Vice President Cassie Pound is regularly called upon by the media in her Tulsa, Oklahoma, service area to provide homeowner tips and to give her opinion on issues related to the skilled trades industry.
Boosting Your Thought Leadership
Is a cold snap on your area’s horizon? Or, is bad air plaguing your city? These may seem like standard events, but as an expert plumber, you can advise homeowners how to save their pipes from the cold, or, as a professional HVAC owner, you can provide tips on improving indoor air quality (IAQ).
Local news outlets probably will be doing stories on these events, so, by getting your name out to them through a series of ongoing press releases, you can let them know you have advice to provide. Be the thought leader in your area that the media turns to when they need a quote about home safety and protection.
Building Your Reputation
By providing thought leadership to homeowners in your area, you can also build your reputation as a helpful service provider.
If your team is raising money or charitable donations for your favorite local charity, letting the public know of your efforts can also help your reputation. Being seen as someone who cares for the community is something more and more people consider when hiring a new service provider.
Expanding Your Audience
Your marketing team has worked hard to build your target audience and knows who your ideal customer is. However, there’s something to be said about refreshing your audience every so often, too.
When you issue a press release, you never know who is going to see that release, remember your name, and call upon you when they need service.
Improving Your SEO
And speaking of your marketing team, they will love one of the other side effects of issuing press releases on a consistent basis: it improves your search engine results.
When Google sorts its searches, it gives a higher ranking to those sites that are mentioned in other places. If your name shows up on your local news’ site or in a trade publication, Google will view it more favorably.
An effective press release strategy helps you establish relationships with the media and your local community. But, in order for it to be effective, you need releases that are consistent, tell a story and engage the public.
But if you’re better at writing business plans than at telling a story, you might need a public relations team to help you better tell your story. A PR partner that understands your business can help you write engaging and topical press releases while simultaneously using its contacts in the media to get your name out.
So, step away from your competition by considering a PR partner that can help you spark conversations.
Heather Ripley is founder and CEO of Ripley PR, an elite, global public relations agency specializing in the franchising, skilled trades and B2B tech industries. Ripley PR has been listed by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Franchise PR Agency for seven consecutive years and was recently named as one of Newsweek’s America’s Best Public Relations Agencies for 2024. Heather Ripley was recently named as a 2024 PRNews Top Women honoree in the business entrepreneur category. She is also the author of “NEXT LEVEL NOW: PR Secrets to Drive Explosive Growth for your Home Service Business,” which is now available on all audiobook platforms. For additional information, visit www.ripleypr.com.