Course Overview

This course prepares participants to lead and execute marketing strategies for a commercial HVAC service business by aligning lead generation, sales support, and customer retention initiatives with company growth objectives. The program focuses on building structured, repeatable marketing systems that generate qualified opportunities, strengthen customer relationships, and support profitable service, maintenance, and project work.

Module 0: Service Pro Online Classes Overview

• Build a strategic business action plan you can implement immediately
• Understand how work gets processed through roles, not the owner
• Apply step-by-step operating and work delivery processes
• Clarify employee vs. manager responsibilities for consistent execution
• Use labor utilization planning to prevent margin erosion

Module 1: Pricing & Estimating Systems

1.1 Light Commercial Pricing Methods

• Set up light-commercial flat-rate repair pricing
• Price portal-to-portal time-and-material repairs consistently
• Included Resources: Flat-rate repair price guide; hourly cost and truck/travel pricing calculator (Excel)

1.2 Commercial Service Agreement Surveying, Estimating & Proposal Writing

• Standardize service agreement surveying and estimating to reduce errors and risk
• Use customer and equipment survey forms to define the scope accurately
• Build service agreement estimates and pricing using a structured Excel workflow
• Write proposals that improve close rates and protect profitability
• Apply strategies for handling older, higher-risk contracts (planned repairs and risk reserves)
• Included Resources: Service agreement sales opportunity assessment form; estimating and pricing calculator (Excel)

1.3 Project Pricing Methods

• Choose the right pricing method based on project risk and cost mix
• Apply the single divisor method and understand where it can misprice jobs
• Apply a dual-rate overhead method for more accurate overhead recovery
• Compare methods using real replacement and retrofit examples
• Included Resources: Project opportunity assessment form; project pricing calculators (single divisor and dual-rate overhead) (Excel)

Module 2: Commercial Lead Generation & Sales Execution

2.1 Target Market Segmentation

• Segment commercial markets to improve sales efficiency
• Understand buyer profiles across key market types (government, commercial, industrial, education, healthcare)
• Identify owner/operator roles and decision-maker priorities
• Included Resources: Industry and buyer profile templates (Word)

2.2 Lead Generation Strategy & Sales Organization

• Build a repeatable lead-generation plan with weekly activity targets
• Use objection-handling frameworks to move prospects forward
• Apply sales time management rules to protect selling time
• Understand staffing vs. outsourcing options for business development
• Included Resources: Introduction letter and line card templates; outbound sales call script; quota tracking and reporting workbook (Excel)

2.3 Repair Call Opportunity Assessment (Check-In / Check-Out)

• Use standardized check-in and check-out assessment forms
• Improve customer interviews and documentation quality
• Capture follow-up opportunities and create a clean next-step pipeline
• Included Resources: Technician check-in assessment form; technician check-out/system condition report form

2.4 Service Agreement & Project Sales Opportunity Assessments

• Use standardized forms to define scope, risk, and expectations
• Apply “first call” presentations to reduce common objections
• Use proposal templates to improve consistency and reduce legal/financial exposure
• Included Resources: Service agreement first-call presentation; service agreement proposal templates (short/long); project first-call presentation; project proposal template; cover letter & statement of qualifications package

2.5 Qualifying Close Probability

• Qualify opportunities based on fit, value, urgency, and decision authority
• Estimate probability-to-close to improve forecasting
• Build a customer business case that supports premium pricing

2.6 Equipment Maintenance Requirements & Opportunity Assessment

• Understand why maintenance requirements drive contract success
• Customize maintenance solutions to customer needs
• Use survey tools to identify workload and risk correctly
• Apply periodic maintenance requirements to shape scope and pricing

Module 3: Differentiation & Branding

• Create service brand names that strengthen market position
• Build value positioning statements that support higher close rates
• Apply differentiation consistently across outreach and proposals
• Included Resources: Course templates and examples (Word)

Module 4: Proactive Selling Systems (Commercial)

4.1 Service Agreement Selling Strategies

• Recognize objection types and apply structured responses
• Use a 4-step consultative selling process
• Apply proactive repair and service agreement selling standards
• Present coverage options and help customers choose based on pros/cons
• Included Resources: Repair call handling procedures; service agreement selling procedures; service agreement first-call presentation

4.2 Proposal Formats (Short & Long Form)

• Use standardized agreement templates to reduce variation and risk
• Improve clarity of scope, exclusions, and responsibilities
• Included Resources: Service agreement proposal templates (short/long)

4.3 Project / Design-Build Selling Essentials

• Use professional cover letters and proposal structures
• Present qualifications in a way that increases trust and win rate
• Included Resources: Project first-call presentation; project proposal template; cover letter & statement of qualifications package

Module 5: Work Delivery Standards & Operational Controls

5.1 Service Repair Work Delivery Standards

• Understand why written standards reduce chaos, callbacks, and inconsistency
• Apply step-by-step repair workflow from lead to close-out
• Included Resources: Service repair work delivery standard procedures (Word)

5.2 Service Agreement Work Delivery Standards

• Apply a consistent agreement workflow from lead to completion
• Improve inspection consistency and customer experience
• Included Resources: Service agreement work delivery standard procedures (Word)

5.3 Project Work Delivery Standards

• Execute project workflow from lead to completion with consistent controls
• Reduce risk through standardized close-out and documentation
• Included Resources: Project/design-build work delivery standard procedures (Word)

5.4 Start-Up, Maintenance & Finance Procedures

• Apply equipment start-up and maintenance task standards
• Implement quality assurance checks
• Use receivables/payables procedures to protect cash flow
• Included Resources: Equipment start-up and maintenance tasking procedures; accounts receivable/payable procedures

Module 6: Terms, Conditions & Risk Protection

• Understand invoices and proposals as binding business contracts
• Apply payment and liability protections for demand service, agreements, and projects
• Reduce disputes by clarifying scope, exclusions, and responsibilities
• Included Resources: Terms and conditions template set

Module 7: People Systems & Performance

7.2 Performance-Based Roles & Incentives

• Implement performance-based job descriptions and monitoring
• Apply incentive plans that support productivity and profitability
• Reinforce culture expectations and accountability
• Included Resources: Performance incentive plan templates; performance-based job description library

Module 8: KPI Management for Profitability

• Use financial and labor KPIs to manage performance
• Apply rules-based management to improve consistency
• Use break-even planning to prevent cash shortages

Module 9: Organizational Structure for Growth

• Organize operations into logical departments for scale
• Define responsibilities, handoffs, and accountability
• Align structure with your service mix and labor needs
• Included Resources: Commercial service contractor org chart templates

Module 10: Customer Care & Dispatch Excellence

• Apply inbound/outbound call handling standards
• Hire and train customer care/dispatch roles effectively
• Use professional phone etiquette and follow-up procedures
• Maintain organized office systems for reliability
• Included Resources: Customer care call scripts; “price is too high” response templates

Module 11: Monthly Spend Planning & Budgeting

• Build monthly income and spending plans
• Forecast labor needs by work category
• Model scenarios and adjust plans proactively
• Included Resources: Annual and monthly budgeting calculator (Excel)

Module 13: Field Management Software Selection

• Understand the benefits of field service management software
• Use a checklist to select the right system and implement it effectively

Module 14: Leadership & Professional Development

• Understand leadership styles and when to use them
• Improve core leadership skills that drive team performance
• Build a personal leadership development plan

Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this class, participants will gain the ability to:

• Participants learn how to position commercial HVAC services effectively, target the right markets, support sales teams with consistent messaging and tools, and use performance data to guide marketing decisions.
• By the end of the course, marketing managers are equipped to operate as strategic business partners who drive demand, improve conversion, and contribute directly to sustained commercial growth.