When HVAC businesses hit the shoulder season, staying proactive can mean the difference between a slow period and steady growth.
- Should you prioritize spending all your marketing dollars during the busy seasons?
- Should you be spending on leads when leads are harder and expensive?
- What else can you be doing during the shoulder season to keep growing?
Here’s a collection of insights from industry leaders to help you maximize your marketing efforts and maintain profitability during the slower months.
But first – what’s the real challenge with shoulder seasons?
Well take a look at these crazy statistics that illustrate the dilemma:
- Energy Savings Potential – During shoulder seasons, buildings can reduce HVAC energy consumption by up to 20% by utilizing natural ventilation and adjusting system settings to align with milder outdoor temperatures.
(Source: paritygo.com) - Operational Efficiency – Implementing HVAC optimization strategies during shoulder seasons can lead to energy savings of approximately 15-30%, as systems operate more efficiently in milder conditions.(Source: tagup.io)
- Maintenance Opportunities – HVAC companies report a 25% increase in preventative maintenance appointments during shoulder seasons, as customers prepare systems for upcoming peak usage. (Source: blog.ecmdi.com)
- Customer Engagement – Re-engaging existing customers during shoulder seasons can lead to a 20% increase in repeat business, as clients are more receptive to maintenance reminders and special offers.(Source: usehatchapp.com)
- Revenue Challenges – HVAC contractors may experience a 30% decline in service calls during shoulder seasons, highlighting the need for proactive marketing and service diversification. (Source: achrnews.com)
1. Door Hangers and Yard Signs – Simple Yet Effective
Zachary Wilson of Lokal highlights the power of adding door hangers and yard signs to your standard operating procedures (SOPs). This grassroots approach taps into hyper-local marketing, increasing visibility where it matters most—right at the doorstep of potential clients.
The Breakdown:
- 5 techs on the road
- 4 calls per day
- 6 homes targeted per call
- 120 impressions per day
- 600 impressions per week
- 2,400 impressions per month
- Cost: $1,200 per month ($0.50 per door hanger)
Wilson recommends tying accountability to these efforts with a quarterly contest for techs and comfort consultants. Set clear KPIs and offer a $1,000 bonus to the top performer.
Why This Works: In a digital age, tangible, physical marketing tools still hold weight. Door hangers allow techs to leave a lasting impression on neighboring homes that might need services but haven’t yet reached out. Yard signs promote trust through social proof—neighbors see work happening right in their community.
Pro Tip from Kevin Lesage of Searchlight Digital: Use call tracking numbers and QR codes on every sign and hanger to track ROI and customer acquisition cost (CAC). Create landing pages specific to each QR code to better understand neighborhood-based performance.
2. Focus on Call Center Excellence First
According to Norris Ayvazian of consulting firm Service Crucible, before you spread your budget across channels, prioritize your call center. An inefficient call center can burn leads that your marketing dollars generated, wasting both time and money.
Key Steps:
- Track booking rates by call type and source
- Tag and monitor lead costs, close rates, and ticket averages
- Regularly train call center staff to ensure top-notch performance
A poorly performing call center inflates your marketing costs by failing to convert leads. Ayvazian advises businesses to optimize call center performance to ensure marketing dollars aren’t wasted.
Example: If a call center converts at 60% but can be trained to hit 85%, you immediately save 25% on marketing for every booked job. This operational shift alone can add tens of thousands to your bottom line annually.
3. Budgeting for the Shoulder Season
Crystal Williams suggests increasing your budget during slow months to push harder when leads are scarce.
“It feels unnatural,” she notes, but when leads dry up, marketing investment is critical to capture what’s available.
Williams emphasizes knowing your lead needs to reach revenue goals and working backward to build a budget that reflects that.
Sarah Pellett Ghirardo of ServiceTitan agrees, pointing out that channels like PPC, Yelp, and lead aggregators fluctuate. Seasonal peaks require adaptable investments. Her advice: “Consistency is key, but forecast capacity based on historical data.”
Tactical Tip: Analyze conversion data from last year’s shoulder seasons. Identify which channels produced the most cost-effective leads and double down. Conversely, reduce spending on underperforming channels.
4. Data-Driven Budgeting and Forecasting
Eric Thomas offers a practical tool—a spreadsheet designed to allocate marketing budgets using 36 months of revenue data. This provides accuracy in forecasting and ensures marketing spend aligns with revenue trends.
If you’re interested in the spreadsheet, Thomas is happy to share it. Reach out to them at Rival Digital’s website.
Why It Matters: Forecasting lets you predict the dips and spikes with greater accuracy, allowing you to spread budgets effectively. It also prevents the common mistake of over-spending during peak seasons and under-spending when marketing efforts could yield the greatest return.
Joshua Crouch of Relentless Digital recommends holding onto budget reserves for when they’re most needed. Rely on organic strategies like SEO and Google Maps during peak times and allocate paid ad budgets during slower months.
Action Step: Build a “buffer fund” equivalent to 10-15% of your marketing budget. Deploy it specifically for PPC or lead gen when incoming leads slow. This keeps the pipeline full when competitors are pulling back.
5. Seasonal Marketing Strategy
Marcus Morris of Family Heating & Air Conditioning raises an important question: Should you allocate more during slow months, spend heavily during peak times, or keep a flexible budget?
His approach emphasizes striking during peak seasons but holding reserves for low-demand periods. This way, you aren’t over-spending during busy months when lead cost is low.
Original Insight: Think of your marketing like inventory management. During peak seasons, your “inventory” (available leads) is high, so costs to acquire are lower. During slow seasons, you’re paying premium rates for limited leads—but this ensures your team stays busy and your brand top-of-mind.
6. Leverage Your Existing Customer Base
Ayvazian suggests keeping 35% of aged opportunities on your board and targeting systems nearing end-of-life. Retarget dormant customers and follow up with maintenance-only clients.
Crystal Williams of Lemon Seed Marketing emphasizes customer retention campaigns. Email sequences, postcard reminders, and even personalized text follow-ups can drive low-cost leads from your existing base.
Pro Tip: Launch seasonal check-up campaigns targeting past clients. Incentivize them to book maintenance visits, which often lead to upsells for system upgrades.
7. Tactical Reserve Budgeting
Ayvazian also proposes allocating 15-20% of your budget for tactical reserves. This allows quick pivots for competitive PPC bidding, testing new channels, and addressing demand spikes.
8. Community Engagement and Referral Programs
Original Insight: Consider rolling out referral programs during the shoulder season. Offer existing customers a discount or gift card for referrals that lead to completed jobs. This incentivizes your customer base to drive leads directly.
Why It Works: Referrals bring in high-converting leads with minimal cost, as they come from trusted sources. HVAC companies can see a 20-30% boost in shoulder-season bookings with an effective referral program.
Final Thoughts
Staying ahead during the shoulder season requires a blend of grassroots efforts, budget optimization, and data-driven strategies. As Joshua Crouch puts it, “Let demand work your lower-hanging fruit like SEO, and save ad dollars for when you need them most.”
Implementing these tips from industry pros ensures that your HVAC business not only weathers the slow seasons but thrives year-round.
