Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service

Latest Episodes:

Chris Forth - What is DOE2023 & How Does It Affect The Home Service Industry? Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

DOE's new efficiency requirements go into effect in 2023 and they'll have a big impact on both new equipment sales and replacement or upgrade projects for existing equipment.

The good news? There are new technologies available that can help you meet these requirements while also providing other benefits like improved comfort, indoor air quality, and lower energy costs.

HVAC business owners, including you, will need to be aware of these changes in order to stay compliant. Lucky for you, Chris Forth is here to help us understand what these changes mean.

Chris Forth is the Vice President of Regulatory, Codes & Environmental Affairs for the Ducted Systems division of Johnson Controls. As an HVAC industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, Chris is the perfect person to break down these new DOE regulations and their implications on HVAC and non-HVAC businesses.

Join us as we talk with Chris about the newly updated 2023 Department of Energy Regulatory Requirements and how these updated regulations are going to impact your business.

In this episode, we discuss:

How the Inflation Reduction Act and 2023 DOE Regulations are impacting suppliers, manufacturers, and contractors.
Everything you need to know about The 25C Tax Credit and Home Rebates.
How the 2023 DOE Requirements are going to be regulated.
Opportunities you have to make your HVAC business more efficient.

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

This episode is kindly sponsored by Sera (visit their website) and CompanyCam (visit www.companycam.com/SBM for 14 day trial and 50% off your first two months), and UpFrog (visit their website).
Download the 2023 DOE Guidebook from Johnson Controls
Join the Service Business Mastery Facebook group

Meet the Hosts:

Tersh Blissett is a serial entrepreneur who has created and scaled multiple profitable home service businesses in his small town market. He's dedicated to giving back to the industry that has provided so much for him and his family. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Joshua Crouch has been in the home services industry, specifically HVAC, for 8+ years as an Operations Manager, Branch Manager, Territory Sales Manager and Director of Marketing. He's also the Founder of Relentless Digital, where their focus is dominating your local market online. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Meet the Guest:

Chris Forth is an HVAC industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, who has worked in engineering, product management and most recently the regulatory and codes space as the Vice President of Regulatory, Codes & Environmental Affairs for the Ducted Systems division of Johnson Controls. Forth is heavily involved in industry codes and standards development, as well as industry advocacy efforts to facilitate the safe transition to low-GWP refrigerants at the state, federal and international levels. Forth currently serves on multiple committees and boards, including the Air-conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy and the State Chamber of Oklahoma, where he is based. Forth graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering and engineering management.

Check out Johnson Controls: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-forth-9067bb62

Tune in to hear the latest and greatest in business services trends on Service Business Mastery on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and our website.

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692. Building the Successful Business you've Always Wanted with Aaron Walker Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

In today's economy, it's important to surround yourself with people who can help you navigate through any business challenge. Aaron Walker is a successful business owner and life coach who will share invaluable insights on managing marketing, pricing, human resources, and more.

Aaron Walker is an author, speaker, mastermind facilitator, president, and Founder of View from the Top and Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind Group. Aaron also is the creator of The Mastermind Playbook, an incredible resource that allows you to start, grow, and scale masterminds.

Tune in to learn how to reach your seven-figure revenue mark and maintain a successful career!

[00:01 - 05:13] Opening Segment

Introducing Aaron to the show
Brief career and background

[05:14 - 15:35] Iron Sharpens Iron

Aaron shares his experience with a successful life coach, and how it has helped him grow as a business owner
The benefits of diversity and how it can be beneficial to both the individual and society as a whole
Aaron discusses how virtual meetings allow for greater communication and connection between people, which is beneficial for business growth
Remote work allows for greater collaboration and connection between employees

[15:36 - 24:27] Apply to Join Iron Sharpens Iron

Aaron discusses the benefits of joining a mastermind group, which include personal and professional growth
Aaron stresses the importance of having a balanced life, including having a good relationship with one's spouse

If someone is not able to have a balanced life, they are not likely to be successful in business

[24:28 - 29:17] Closing Segment

The key to success is having a positive mindset and being able to push through challenges
Fear is one of the most common challenges people face and one that can be eliminated with a positive mindset

Quotes:

"When we're left to our own thoughts, we've only got one filter, one mindset, one life experience, and we don't know what we don't know." - Aaron Walker

"It's not just about finances. It's about being a great woman or a great man." - Aaron Walker

"If you don't have your personal life straightened out, then what does it matter that you do a lot of business?" - Aaron Walker

Connect with Aaron Walker by visiting www.ViewFromTheTop.com. Check out Aaron's digital program at www.TheMastermindPlaybook.com.

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690. Talking with Clients Across Multiple Mediums in One Place with Matt Boyce Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Matt Boyce from the Podium joins Tersh to discuss the various benefits that they offer their customers by providing a bird's eye view of their businesses. Their services allow customers to easily collect and organize messages from various social media. They also offer payment services without ever having to contact the technician in person through text messaging. Matt provides some great advice about becoming a business owner and shares some helpful resources for those looking to start their own business. Jump in and learn how to drive consistent reviews in your business!

[00:01 - 06:16] Opening Segment

Introducing Matthew to the show
Brief background and career
What is Podium?

Interaction management platform
Allows top-down visibility on conversations
Communicating with customers on the same thread

[6:17 - 32:19] Boosting Reviews through Podium

Pioneering the review economy and driving consistent reviews for businesses
Google knows consumer behavior around reviews and can devalue a business's relevancy if they're not driving consistency
Podium is a consolidated messaging tool that pulls in messages from various social media
Allows for better communication between different parts of a business
Web chats are a great way to connect with customers, but they need to be marketed well to be successful
Benefits of the text chat option

Offers a convenient way for customers to communicate with businesses, without the fear of being disconnected or waiting on a live chat response
Has a high response rate
A natural progression from web chats

[32:20 - 39:01] Service Maintenance Program

How lack of getting schedules lead to attrition
Not spamming customers with marketing content

Schedule text messages to remind customers about service appointments

The rates for this service are very competitive, and there is no card present fee
You can also use this service to collect payments from customers who do not have a card on site

Service Titan offers bulk texting so that customers can be scheduled for service without having to wait on phone calls.

[39:02 - 40:42] Closing Segment

See the links below to connect with Matt
Final words

Quotes:

"Reviews are great to get. But if you're not driving consistency, you're really not as relevant in those local searches." - Matt Boyce

"If you're looking at being a message-able or text-able business, you gotta have the flexibility to facilitate that." - Matt Boyce

Connect with Matt by visiting www.Podium.com.

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689. How to Book More Jobs through Cold Calling with Dave Tester Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

Do you feel anxious whenever you try to make a call? In this episode, Dave and Tersh talk about how CSRs can improve their phone calls by starting the phone conversation off with a positive attitude, no matter what the caller says. As the author of the book, "Fearless Communication'', Dave stresses the importance of bonding and forming a rapport with the caller in order to help educate them and get them closer to resolving the issue. Dave gives real tangible examples of these calls so make sure to tune in!

[00:01 - 06:51] Opening Segment

Introducing Dave to the show
Brief background and career
Teaching live phone calls to CSRs

Emphasizing the importance of bonding and rapport in order to educate and help resolve issues

[05:52 - 15:03] How to Answer the Phone Like a Pro

Dave shares a sample call made with a customer

Getting their first name, last name, phone number, and area of coverage

It's more important to capture the prospect and turn them into a customer
At what point do we ask for the email address?

[15:04 - 20:21] Asking the Right Questions

Calls are either 5-star or neutral
"Sorry" is code for not having the ability to do anything about it
The 2 biggest fears of CSRs

What if somebody's mad on the phone?
What if you get asked a question you don't know the answer to?

Continually Negative News

[20:22 - 32:51] Responding to Your CSR

Focusing on age and listening for what's not being said
Determining the next steps
Focusing on booking the appointment
How long does it take for a person to be confident in closing the majority of their calls?

Having a good tone and tempo
Dave's program, The Jumpstart
Microfeedback

Implications of having a script
Try to avoid jargon
Answering calls

[32:52 - 33:27] Closing Segment

See the links below to connect with Dave
Final words

Quotes:

"It's more important to capture that prospect and turn them into a customer." - Dave Tester

"Your number 1 job when that phone rings is to book the appointment." - Dave Tester

Connect with Dave by visiting www.GoDaveTester.com. Check out Dave's book, "Fearless Communication".

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691. 8 Ways to Create a "WOW" Customer Service Experience with Zac Garside Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

By providing excellent customer service, you're not only creating loyal customers, but you're increasing your chances of making sales and generating high-value referrals.

When everyone on your team is equipped with strong customer service skills, they can provide an exceptional experience that builds customer loyalty and fuels business growth. While this is true, it all starts with YOU. If you communicate well and model excellent customer-centric service, your team will too!

Meet Zac Garside, Head of Marketing at Power Selling Pros, a company offering personalized Customer Service Representative and Dispatch training. Zac is also the host of This Call May Be Recorded, a weekly show where Zac and his team listen to recorded customer service calls and coach them live.

Join us as we learn from Zac the best-kept secrets to developing excellent customer service experiences and building customer-centric value in your business!

tldr; In this episode, we discuss the following:

How contractors and service businesses benefit from customer service coaching and tracking call center KPIs.
8 ways to create a "wow" customer service experience.
Building tangible value in your service business so you can increase sales.
Get FREE training samples from Power Selling Pros

"We help companies realize that your success, your value, is determined by how much more you give in value, how well you serve your customers, compared to how much they pay you."

— Zac Garside

Want to increase your sales and generate high-value referrals?

In this episode, we share tips for generating high-value referrals and increasing sales.

By providing excellent customer service, you're not only creating loyal customers, but you're increasing your chances of making sales and generating high-value referrals.

Zac Garside, Head of Marketing at Power Selling Pros, a company offering personalized Customer Service Representative and Dispatch training. Zac is also the host of This Call May Be Recorded, a weekly show where Zac and his team listen to recorded customer service calls and coach them live.

Intrigued to listening to his ways to create a "wow" customer service experience?

Join Tersh Blissett and his co-host Josh Crouch and learn from Zac the best-kept secrets to developing excellent customer service experiences and building customer-centric value in your business! Become a successful entrepreneur by taking advantage of the wisdom he shares.

(Zac Garside runs Marketing at Power Selling Pros, the company that gives you personalized CSR & Dispatch training, and hosts This Call May Be Recorded, the weekly show where you get to see Zac and his team listen to recorded customer service calls and coach them up live! During the last 7 years, Zac has coached more CSRs & Dispatchers than Power Selling Pros can even keep track of. He also writes some of the most loved and read emails in the Home Services Industry about Customer Service, Sales & Leadership. Over 5,000 people get his free emails 3 times a week.)

If you are a tradesperson struggling to overcome challenges, you don't want to miss this episode.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

How contractors and service businesses benefit from customer service coaching and tracking call center KPIs.
8 ways to create a "wow" customer service experience.
Building tangible value in your service business so you can increase sales.

Zac shares- Reasons Why Contractors Should Hire a Customer Service Coach

"Usually, when contractors come and work with us it's because of some pain… This is about a lot more than just booking more calls and getting the team aligned around a script. This is about customer service being a central guiding philosophy of the business. We WOW the customer. Period," says Zac Garside [05:51-05:48]

Garside shares six KPIs to start tracking if you have no call center metrics

"I'm in favor of simplicity. If you aren't tracking anything, you only need to track six things for your call center… the number of calls taken and made, the number of appointments booked, the booking percentage, the number of maintenance plans sold on the phone, average talk time, and average time before answer," says Zac Garside [16:11-16:40]

How to Accommodate Your Customers and Keep Them Happy When Demand is High

"This is about a lot more than just booking more calls and getting the team aligned around a script. This is about customer service being a central guiding philosophy of the business."

— Zac Garside

"What are the odds that, if you let that customer hang up because you couldn't get there soon enough or you're booked out solid, what are the odds that they're going to call the next person in line and magically get exactly what they're looking for? Very slim," advises Zac. [29:05-35:06]

Zac Garside recently joined Service Business Mastery Podcast, and here are some highlights of the podcast:

Zac discusses how contractors and service businesses benefit from customer service coaching.
- Common CSR pain points for contractors
- The 6 most important KPIs for customer service teams to know and track
He shares 8 ways to create a "wow experience" with customer service communication skills
- How to develop your customer service communication skills
- The most effective ways to communicate with customers
The show talks about how to build value in your service business so you can close more deals

Shout out to those who have partnered with us to make this information possible to share!

- Sera https://sera.tech/go/service-business-mastery/
  - - Request a demo through Service Business Mastery for a discounted Onboarding and Per Tech Fee.
- Upfrog https://www.upfrog.io/
- CompanyCam https://www.companycam.com/SBM/
  - - Visit www.companycam.com/SBM for a 14-day trial and 50% off your first two months

Tune In To Hear The Latest & Greatest In Business Service Trends

Join the Service Business Mastery Facebook group.
Email us at Podcasts@ServiceBusinessMastery.com
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Email us at Podcasts@ServiceBusinessMastery.com
Learn all about the Hosts of Service Business Mastery!

Listen to this podcast and get equipped with essential business advice from this impactful conversation. So, what're you waiting for? Tune into this episode immediately and get one step closer to becoming the successful owner of your dreams.

Subscribe to Service Business Mastery on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you get podcasts to hear more such fascinating and insightful stories.

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688. Turn Your Marketing Data into Cash WITHOUT Lots of Manual Entries. Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

In his three years of flipping houses, Jonathan has made some incredible profit margins. But his latest flip is by far the best one he's ever done.

By utilizing creative marketing techniques, Jonathan turned a $20,000 investment into a $50,000 return IN JUST SIX MONTHS!The best part is- it wasn't just a one-time fluke.

The secret is in the data. Capturing the right information for marketing and finding better ways to process and understand that data to create scalable and insane ROI for your business.

One of the biggest problems for business owners is getting better data to help us make proper business decisions.

The secret is in your CRM system. CRMs can significantly misattribute revenue from channels and conversion tools. That's exactly why we brought Jonathan Torrey, Director of Marketing at Searchlight, to bring these secret errors "to light."

Jonathan and his team conducted a 9-month case study to find examples of how and why CRM systems fail to track leads and revenue properly. Through their manual search, the team successfully mapped out a solution and brought in a top-tier engineer to build an automated version of the tracking system they had developed.After this episode, you will be able to learn the nitty gritty marketing data insights that your competitors WISH they understood. This show is called Service Business MASTERY after, all right? :)

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

This episode is kindly sponsored by UpFrog www.upfrog.io, Sera https://sera.tech/go/service-business-mastery/, and CompanyCam (visit www.companycam.com/SBM for 14 day trial and 50% off your first two months).

Listen to Ep 640: HVAC eCommerce Business For Beginners With Justin Riley & Noah Carter
Join the Service Business Mastery Facebook group

Meet the Hosts:

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tershblissett/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tershblissett/support

687. How Artificial Intelligence Creates Business Opportunities with Neil Sahota Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

Today's guest is Neil Sahota, an IBM Master Inventor, United Nations A.I. Advisor, professor at UC Irvine, and globally-recognized speaker and author. Neil is a founding member of the UN's Artificial Intelligence for Social Good Committee, and he's here to talk about the ways we can harness the power of AI and use it for social good. Neil is also the author of Own the A.I. Revolution, providing a future-forward look at A.I., focusing on how businesses can use it to commercialize while doing good in the world. We'll discuss things like the challenges posed by A.I. and how we can overcome them, as well as which skill sets are going to be most important in the near future.

[00:01 - 03:03] Opening Segment

Introducing Neil to the show
Brief background and career
Neil's book, "Own the A.I. Revolution"

[03:03 - 12:04] Utilizing Artificial Intelligence

How can we use A.I. in business?

Automating tasks

Using A.I. in an office setting
The jobs that A.I. has created especially in the field of arts

Focusing on jobs that are more in line with people's emotional intelligence and human nature

[12:05 - 12:49] Closing Segment

See the links below to connect with Neil
Final words

Quotes:

"You need fewer people working in manufacturing supplies." - Neil Sahota

"The ability to create experiences just became a huge differentiator now, especially for companies." - Neil Sahota

Connect with Neil through LinkedIn, Twitter, or visit www.NeilSahota.com.

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686. Be Everything That Your Organization Needs with Tom Connally Sep 30, 2022

Show notes

Today's guest, Tom Connally, is an experienced leader, strategist, and change agent with proven performance leading, building, and fixing organizations by creating a culture of performance. In over 30 years of Marine leadership, he led organizations from 50-3500 personnel, with budgets up to $2.8B. Tom served as a Director for two defense companies, before founding Connally Consulting where he helps leaders improve their performance and success professionally, personally, spiritually, and physically.

[00:01 - 09:00] Opening Segment

Introducing Tom to the show
A retired Marine Colonel and leadership expert
How top-down leadership is the most effective and beneficial type of leadership
Communication is key to being a successful leader, and learning yourself is essential for becoming a better leader

[09:01 - 26:36] From Being A Boss to Being A Leader

The leader has to be what the organization needs
The leader should always be bringing people along
What to do in situations where you don't feel like doing something
Using your limited amount of willpower wisely
Leadership consists of both big job and small job people
You have a limited amount of willpower, so it's important to use it wisely.

[26:37 - 40:28] Leading People in Different Ways

The importance of authenticity in leadership

Leaders should show their people what they're doing and why it's important

Leaders need to maintain a cool, calm, and collected demeanor to lead effectively in stressful or combat environment
To lead effectively in a peaceful environment, leaders must be familiar with their employees and understand their strengths and weaknesses
Leaders should also be constantly thinking to anticipate potential problems and make informed decisions
Tom's definition of integrity is living one's highest values
How becoming a business owner is an ongoing journey that requires continual interaction and learning
Tom encourages business owners to talk to others about their business and to be open to feedback

[40:29 - 41:18] Closing Segment

See the links below to connect with Tom
Final words

Quotes:

"Leadership is something that you develop. It's something that you grow. People are born with talents, but they're not necessarily born leaders." - Tom Connally

"The leader has to be who everybody in that organization needs." - Tom Connally

"If you have the time to put it off until the next morning, you'll have much better and clearer decisions." - Tom Connally

Connect with Tom through LinkedIn and YouTube, or visit www.ConnallyConsulting.com. Check out his book, "Becoming a Leader".

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685. Simplifying and Organizing Your Finances for a Small Business w Garrett Baird Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

As a service business owner, you must understand your numbers, like being able to read and interpret financial statements, knowing your breakeven point, and having a good handle on cash flow.

When you know your numbers, you can make informed, strategic decisions about where to allocate resources and which products or services are most profitable. Good number-crunching skills will help you run your business more efficiently and effectively. Though, it's too stressful to keep all those numbers organized in your head, so you need tools and software to manage that for you.

Meet Garrett Baird, CEO of The Neat Company, a software company that provides financial management tools to small businesses. He started the company in order to help entrepreneurs who are struggling with organization and management. The goal was always to make life easier for business owners so they could focus on what they're passionate about. Now, businesses worldwide rely on Neat's software to keep things organized - it's no wonder Garrett is seen as a visionary in this space!

Join us as we talk with Garrett about simplifying the organization and management of your financial documents.

In this episode, we discuss:

Problems small businesses face with financial management
How Neat's software benefits small business owners
Neat's pricing, customer service, integration capabilities, and more!

Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:

This episode is kindly sponsored by Sera (https://sera.tech/go/service-business-mastery/), Podium (visit their website), CompanyCam (visit www.companycam.com/SBM for 14 day trial and 50% off your first two months).

Learn more about Neat
Join the Service Business Mastery Facebook group

Meet the Hosts:

Tersh Blissett is a serial entrepreneur who has created and scaled multiple profitable home service businesses in his small-town market. He's dedicated to giving back to the industry that has provided so much for him and his family. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Joshua Crouch has been in the home services industry, specifically HVAC, for 8+ years as an Operations Manager, Branch Manager, Territory Sales Manager, and Director of Marketing. He's also the Founder of Relentless Digital, where his focus is on dominating your local market online. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Meet the Guest:

Garrett Baird is President and CEO of The Neat Company (Neat). He joined the company in 2020 to lead its entrance into the digital accounting space, helping small business owners spend more time growing their businesses while transforming mundane bookkeeping into actionable insights.

Prior to Neat, Garrett was the Founder & CEO of Walletron, the mobile wallet platform company managing enterprise clients' presence in mobile wallets like Apple Wallet and Google Pay. Walletron was the first platform of its kind to deliver bills via the mobile wallet, and Garrett was granted two US patents for mobile wallet bill presentments in 2017 and 2019. The business was acquired by Western Union and subsequently by ACI Worldwide in 2019.

Before joining Walletron, Garrett led channel sales and product management for Collections Marketing Center (CMC) and held roles in sales, product management, and web development for venture-backed startup firms, including Lumeta (spun off from Bell Labs), Incurrent Solutions (now part of ACI Worldwide) and IPO.com.

Links to content here:

Follow Neat on Twitter

Connect with Neat on Facebook

Connect with Neat on LinkedIn

Tune in to hear the latest and greatest in business services trends on Service Business Mastery on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and our website.

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684. Living Out Your Best Life through Forgiveness with Derek Stone Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

After working to support his family as a struggling artist, Derek Stone chose to reevaluate his life and his way of thinking, and in three short years grew a small one-man show into a million-dollar company. This amazing transformation came about through a decision to forgive his father. Derek left the path of blame and began traveling down a path of forgiveness which led him to start living his best life. He is now on a mission to help empower others to make the same transformation by helping them take charge of their own lives.

[00:01 - 08:30] Opening Segment