The economy is creeping towards a recession. The DOE’s 13 SEER mandate has helped level the playing field, household buying habits have changed dramatically since the popularity of the internet, and media options have drastically fragmented. With all of this going on, how can a low to mid level HVAC contractor compete against the big guys? While there is no perfect answer to this question, there are some suggestions to help you spend your precious marketing dollars wisely.

Start by looking to your manufacturer and distributor advertising programs. There are literally thousands of dollars available to dealers who agree to use branded and sometimes pre-packaged advertising programs. In fact some manufacturers offer up to 4 times a dealer’s advertising investment!

Next, think about timing and placement of your advertising. What are you really getting out of your investment? Case in point: if you put all of your dollars into yellow pages advertising then you are primarily marketing to prospects that are in that “oh crap” scenario. Their furnace just died and it’s the first cold day of the year. The narrowly focused contractor thinks that this is a good lead. A wiser contractor realizes that he or she needs sales during the off-season times of the year like the Spring and Fall.

Next, think about both reach and frequency when establishing your marketing program. Think of it this way: reach is the number of people that will potentially see your ad; frequency is the number of times they will see it. In local markets, both radio and TV reps will sell very cheap spots, giving you the impression that you will get a great program because you get a large number of ads. What you might not consider is that your local rep is selling you a plan with poor “reach”, with what’s called “broad rotators” that air between midnight and 6am when no one is watching. To maximize both reach and frequency consider paying a higher price to narrow your air time, and concentrate your advertising into “flights”. Better yet, find an agency that will work to get you the best plan your money can buy.

A hidden gem that few contractors take advantage of is PR. With a little extra time investment on your part, you can be an “HVAC industry expert” in your market place. Local papers and TV stations are always looking for experts on home energy efficiency. You could get some free publicity by offering up your time to speak to the media or by sending a press release on how homeowners can save money on their home heating and cooling costs by buying a higher efficiency system. Do some online research to get your facts, or talk to your Territory Manager to see what the Manufacturer might have available for you to customize. You may be surprised to learn that the Manufacturer has done all the leg work, and all you have to do is add your contact information.

Finally, if you don’t have a website, get one. Some manufacturers have pre-packaged dealer websites available for you to purchase. The overall cost is minimal compared to the cost that you might shell out for a brand new site. Plus you get the added value of using an organization that can provide the professional content that will raise the credibility of your company. For those willing to go the extra mile, experiment with some new media techniques to help your site stand out. More and more people have cell phones with video capabilities. Think about adding homeowner testimonials on your site. Sometimes people need to hear it to believe it. Here’s an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO2QJU5FVA0