HVACexpert

sales engineer

Valued Contributor

AMA with HVACExpert: A Peak into HVAC and Construction

A little about myself

I have been in sales for going on 13 years now, all in the HVAC space. I wanted to use my technical undergraduate degree, and I had internships in this field. However, I also wanted a career that allowed me to engage with people. I am not the type of person to be stuck in an office all day doing design work or something.

HVAC/Construction

This field is fun (for me at least)! There is always new trends, technologies, and building designs being implemented. There are dozens of different products and solutions to sell, and many products that cover niche parts of the business.

Selling is a major challenge. 98% of the time, you are NEVER the only product in the space. Many competitors call on the same territory and customers for decades. Relationships truly matter here, as well as reputation. Also, the customers are all very technically proficient and If you do not know the basics or cannot have an intelligent discussion at the very least, they will all see through the bull.

Some trends

Decarbonization

Net Zero Buildings

Low ‘global warming potential’ refrigerants

High demand for labor and an increase in minority /women participation

New building and energy codes

....

Looking forward to your questions, ask away!

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57 comments

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Gasty

Notable Contributor

10

War Room Community Manager

Let's Go !!!

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

6

Bravado's Resident Asshole

SO.. As I have a bit of a construction background and understand the ways of blue-collar intelligence hahaha. I wanted to ask you this a while back.

How do you maintain a professional presence in a blue-collar industry? The language would be the hardest to shy away from for me.

HVACexpert

Politicker

5

sales engineer

Yeah I try not to swear a lot in front of customers, obviously as you cay it can be hard to shy away from. I have tried to remain professional by remaining calm in certain situations, and creating boundaries for customers. I had one customer who started calling me on Saturday mornings lol. I also deal with both people in the field, such as technicians, but also deal with people in the office. Estimators, project managers, VPs, etc. I think you can change the way you interact, based on the individual you interact with. If I take technicians to a training and out for beers afterwards, that interaction is much different than dinner with an owner of contractor.

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

4

Bravado's Resident Asshole

Without a doubt. The conversation definitely is different going from "this one motherfucker..." to "This one client" hahahah

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

exactly, just have to read the room and react appropriately.

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

5

Sales Rep

What is a common misconception on HVAC sales?

HVACexpert

Politicker

5

sales engineer

that I sell door-to-door haha! I don't work in residential so I find this one funny.
Another thing that I find annoying is that it is treated as this thing people deal with only when it doesn't work. If designed and implemented correctly it can be a great investment into your building.

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

1

Sales Rep

How do you typically find companies to target? Is it construction companies about to build a large building? How do you identify one that might need an upgrade

HVACexpert

Politicker

0

sales engineer

We will get inbound on certain products , or if we see a contractor is starting to show up on a lot of bid lists.

For engineers they will stamp their drawing with their information so if we start seeing a lot of designs come up with them on it we can pursue them that way as well.

Construction companies who are doing large work are already on our list. Those are typically large projects and large complex projects can only be targeted by the same contractors usually.

We don’t call on many owners so we don’t identify those upgrades typically ourselves, but our contractors and engineers will, and we can see market trends and work come up due to requests by them.

BTQ

Politicker

5

Account Manager

Do you need a technical/mechanical background to get in this type of field?

HVACexpert

Politicker

4

sales engineer

is it absolutely required? No. But many companies look for a technical background or degree in making hires. The technical side can be taught, but it is obviously much different than made a more "standard" sales role in its requirements. Depending on the person it can be a steep learning curve, since there is so much product and subject matters to try and grasp.

jefe

Arsonist

5

🍁

Thanks for being open to our questions, HVAC!
You mentioned that relationships are key in your business - can you elaborate a bit more on that? I'm curious as to how you find new clients/deals - is there a ton of repeat business from large companies? Referrals? Partner networks? Door-to-door? (just kidding on the last one)

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

So new clients are found sometimes on either inbound, which does happen. Or a lot of times a person I have a relationship moves companies, so I follow the person and get access to the new company.

There is a lot of repeat business! An increase in deals can happen via an increase in product portfolio, an increase in share of wallet for the product, or perhaps finding a new customer.

The market is typically driven by the larger clients, but every once and awhile you might find a small contractor eh psi doing the work you can help with.

jefe

Arsonist

4

🍁

Makes sense, thanks!
And sorry I'm late to the party, but it's great that you're sharing some non-SaaS experience here in the WR.

SoccerandSales

Big Shot

4

Account Executive

How do you differentiate from competitors? Are they not doing as good of a job with relationship building or is there something else altogether?

HVACexpert

Politicker

4

sales engineer

there are certainly some ways to differentiate with your products based on certain features, options, perhaps lead time. But in the end, if I have a product, four competitors have something similar.
The best way is create trust with your customer. You do that not only by taking care of the issues and being responsive, but also by showing your knowledge and capabilities as a company and an individual.
Service is a big deal too. Customers want to know that if there is a problem, that someone LOCAL will be there quickly to help.

4

Retired Sales Professional

Hvac who was the worst manager you ever work for and what manager did you learn the most from? If any.

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

oh boy. The first manager I had actually was really good, he was a mentor to me even after he changed jobs in the company. I didn't like the way he reacted to me leaving the company though, I had invited him to my wedding, and he basically never responded, which was tough for me to swallow because I had so much respect for him at the time.
My last job in particular I did not get along with a certain manager. I went through something personally and had a hard time with work and the way he reacted really turned me off, and I just never felt he was on my side after that and had no trust or respect for him.

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

3

Bravado's Resident Asshole

I remember you telling us the story about this situation. That was such an odd turn of events from mentor/friend to nothing.

HVACexpert

Politicker

2

sales engineer

it actually hurt my feelings, it was someone I depended on regarding my career and to just be dumped basically was really shitty. I still haven't talked to that guy since.

antiASKHOLE

Tycoon

3

Bravado's Resident Asshole

I honestly would be pretty crushed by it too. I don't wish that on my enemies.

1

Retired Sales Professional

Thanks for the insight.

1

Retired Sales Professional

👍👍

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

4

🐺

What markets do you work in? Like territory? And are you basically an account executive your title says sales engineer?

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

So I’m not sure if our titles transfer over exactly. Account executive/sales engineer/territory manager are all pretty interchangeable. I work for a Manufacturer’s Representative (what you might call a channel partner). We call on a specific region and territory. We do both commercial and some industry work. We have products in multi family, K-12 and higher education, critical environment/hospitals, hotels, office spaces, laboratory, government, you name it. HVAC is pretty much everywhere!

wolfofmiami

Opinionated

1

🐺

I was more saying like geographical territory lol

HVACexpert

Politicker

2

sales engineer

oh ha! yeah, we deal with a specific territory and region in our state. But that can differ slightly depending on job, company, etc.

J.J.McLure

Politicker

4

Owner at *redacted*

What do you wear when you show up on site?
Do you have more success dressing nicer? or more credibility if you look like you could be there to work too? Not ripped and stained clothes but steel toes that are not brand new, hard hat with stickers and scratches ect.

HVACexpert

Politicker

5

sales engineer

If I go to a job site, I am usually in jeans, Polo, boots, and have a hard hat, maybe a tape measure if a need it. If someone shows up in dress shoes and slacks to an active construction site major red flag lol.

Revenue_Rambo

Politicker

2

Director, Revenue Enablement

I picture the mafia rolling in when I think of slacks and dress shoes on a construction site. Definitely a flag, and more than likely not good.

Diablo

Politicker

4

Sr. AE

Who are end users of your products and how does the sales cycle work such as the number of conversations, stakeholders involved, layers of decision makers and economic buyers etc.

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

Sorry for the delay @Diablo this is a long answer and I couldn't do it from my phone lol......................................................first, the owner/building operator is the end user of the product. They will operate and use the equipment and hold the warranty of it. However, they most likely are NOT the buyer (directly).
stakeholders...
owner - can influence a mechanical design and provide recommendations on certain manufacturers. Product can be sold directly, but that is the exception to the rule.engineer - mechanical design is done through engineering firms, who will do a full mechanical design with a Professional engineer who stamps and approves the design, basically saying this meets current codes/standards and safety requirements. We work with these engineers as the design they create influences what products we can sell. They also make recommendations to the owner and bidding contractors which manufacturers can be used. So they hold a LOT of influence and we have to provide service for them, but they do NOT buy.contractor - the mechanical contractor is who typically buys and carries in their bid the mechanical HVAC equipment/products/solutions. They can also influence mechanical design and recommendations on equipment purchased. They basically purchase the equipment for the owner (or general contractor whoever their contract is under) and carry additional warranty and service for the equipment within their scope and pricing.
So, HVAC and mechanical has a lot of stakeholders that will provide influence of a design and product depending on the needs of the project. Even architects, since they are the building and structural designers, can force a certain design simply due to the architectural requirements they and/or the owner desire.
hope this answers your question.

Diablo

Politicker

1

Sr. AE

This was very insightful thanks

Sunbunny31

Politicker

4

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

How did you find your first sales position, and what was it like for you just starting out?

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

Was right out of college in 2011, so industry was still reeling a bit. Just hustled and applied to a bunch of positions. I went to s large prestigious college who was known for technical degrees so leaned on that . Got deep into interviews and ended up getting multiple offers, and chose an inside sales position.

Was a fun first job and entrance into the industry

HVACexpert

Politicker

2

sales engineer

There was also so much to learn! Was a little overwhelming at first for sure, but I was a fast learning and got promoted 1.5 years in

Sunbunny31

Politicker

1

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

That's a great story. Thanks!

HappyGilmore

Politicker

4

Account Executive

How has say the trend of new building and energy codes affected what/how you sell, if at all?

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

It absolutely affects our products. So we have to learn and be aware of the changes.

Example: new code required a higher efficiency motor in a certain HP range. To meet this requirement though this means an entire different motor type. This affected a multitude of products and solutions.

HappyGilmore

Politicker

2

Account Executive

I can imagine too that requires an innovation of some of the products and solutions? thanks for sharing this

HVACexpert

Politicker

2

sales engineer

It absolutely does, manufacturers may have to make changes to their products and could require news certifications, testing, etc. which have to know about so we can communicate and train our customers

oldcloser

Arsonist

4

💀

@HVACexpert Full respect for stepping up! Long time listener. First time caller.
You strike me as an accomplished room reader, a talent I don't believe can be taught. My question is this: How do you gage or evaluate when to turn on the technical knowledge. And how do you throttle it when you think that's necessary?

HVACexpert

Politicker

4

sales engineer

Oh man, I honestly don’t know if it gets throttled. It’s such a huge part of the negotiating. The ability to see a problem and apply your solution properly in a way that meets the clients needs is probably the trick

So I guess it’s not so much throttling the knowledge, it’s knowing what and how to apply it to the problem at hand, with a solution you can provide.

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

And much love to you sir. Always enjoy your feedback on here.

Revenue_Rambo

Politicker

3

Director, Revenue Enablement

So many sales people think tech (specifically SaaS) is where you get the big money. Interested in your opinion on that, and why you choose to say in your specific industry.

HVACexpert

Politicker

3

sales engineer

You have to be aware of the industry as a whole to sort of want to jump into it. Also it is not as sexy as SAAS or tech, as that stuff is on the fore front.
People think of HVAC, as the guy who shows up and fixes your furnace.
But you can make major dollars. I make six figures, and I know individuals who have made 3, 4, and 500k$ in one year. Which can be sustained based on territory and product.

Revenue_Rambo

Politicker

3

Director, Revenue Enablement

What has kept you from in place instead of joining the sheep? I guess what I'm asking is what do you love about your segment?

HVACexpert

Politicker

1

sales engineer

I love the challenge of the industry and there is always so much the learn

The people here are fantastic as well. I have met so many awesome individuals and this is honestly my favorite part.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

3

🦊

Hell yeah I love to see it 💯

Djangochaned

Catalyst

2

SDR/Cold caller

Is global warming real ?
What do you mean energy codes ?
What’s a Net zero building ?
What’s Decarbonization ?

I’m going on google but I’d still like an answer from you.

HVACexpert

Politicker

2

sales engineer

Is global warming real? - in MY opinion.... yes it is real and measurable, yes humans have contributed to the warming. There is some argument to actually how much humans have contributed.
What do you mean energy codes? so each state adopts both building and energy codes. These are minimum values and requirements that both residential and commercial buildings must abide by, and is enforced by law. This includes everything from material type, design requirements, controls etc. These can change state to state.
What is a net zero building? - Basically it is a building that over a period of a year that it will generate the same amount of energy it uses. This is where buildings are heading, the idea is if I am using basically no energy throughout the year, that is better for the environment and cheaper for the consumer.
What's Decarbonization? - this is the new buzz word. It is basically the removal of the use of fossil fuels both at the primary building site, as well as the power generation utilities. You may have seen in the news about the removal of gas stoves. However, HVAC is a far bigger user of natural gas through things like furnaces and boilers, so it requires some major design changes on our part to provide quality heating year round, without gas heat.
hope this helps.

Djangochaned

Catalyst

1

SDR/Cold caller

Danm thank you for explaining man pretty cool topics

GDO

Politicker

2

BDM

any tips for someone who is constructing their family home? we are obligated to have a ventilation system etc so I'm curious what the biggest scams or mistakes are :D

HVACexpert

Politicker

1

sales engineer

I assume you will be in the home awhile, so here is some advice;
-Don't be afraid to upgrade to a more high efficient system, it should pay you back on utility cost reduction, and sometimes based on the efficiency some utility companies will provide rebates. I would also consider something with multiple stages, this will add comfort as well as help on utility costs.-I would stick with the main brands. Carrier, Trane, Lennox, York. It might be slightly more expensive but these dealers will typically do a better job and have more experience since they carry the flagship brand names.-always get at least three prices.-if you have questions on scope or terminology feel free to message me.
good luck!

GDO

Politicker

1

BDM

Thanks! 🙏

SgtAE

WR Officer

2

AE

Howdy, we never did get connected, let me ping support and maybe they can connect us over email.
Question from my side, are you seeing an influence from the IT side of things coming into OT.
I know theirs a lot of FM techs that work at the control level using platforms like Niagara from Tridium to controller AHU's HVAC etc.
At the same time we on the IT side of things are doing IoT analytics, Lorawan, BMS integrations etc.
Are you working with IT companies right now? or is it considered a compete?

HVACexpert

Politicker

0

sales engineer

So I am not in the controls space anymore, however, my previous employer absolutely played in the IT side of it. They would provide full integration not only on the HVAC side, but could also integrate lighting controls, security, fire protection, the works. They had a great front end and remote UI and could do analytics. The other major competitors in this space could do the same thing.

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