You Don’t Need More Techs. You Need Better Ones
Jim Cosmas
Service Business Strategist - Growth Expert | Consulting, Coaching, & Profit Maximization Specialist | Scaling Strategies for Sustainable Success
June 26, 2025
You Don’t Need More Techs. You Need Better Ones
HVAC Power Play Series (Week 3 of 5):
Train the Team You’ve Got – Or Get Buried
Here’s What I Wish Someone Had Told Me…
You don’t scale an HVAC company by hiring more bodies. You scale by training the ones you already have to produce 2X more per truck.
There continues to be a massive lie being sold to contractors:
“Your revenue problem is a recruiting problem.”
It’s not.
You don’t need 10 more techs. You need the 5 you already have to close more calls, build value, and stop bleeding revenue.
Quick Recap – Power Play Series So Far:
✅ Week 1: Max Volume, Max Profit
✅Week 2: The A2L Switch = Upsell Advantage
📍 Week 3: Train Your Existing Techs for Max Revenue (Today)
Week 4: Objection Crushers – Summer Edition
Week 5: The HVAC Profit Multiplier Framework
Why Most Contractors Stay Stuck
They complain:
“I just can’t find good people…”
But what they really mean is:
“I haven’t built a system to turn average techs into profitable ones.”
And that’s on leadership—not labor.
The Truth About Techs Today
Great ones are rare
Mediocre ones are common
But mediocre ones can be trained into high performers
And right now, during peak season, you don’t have time to hire—you only have time to level up fast.
The Service Hero Model: Turn Every Call Into a Win
1. Mindset First – If They Don’t Believe, They Won’t Build Value
Why it matters: Technicians who think they’re “just there to fix stuff” will never upsell anything.
How to implement:
Teach techs that their #1 role is to solve problems permanently, not just restore operation
Show them the lifetime value of every customer
Reframe “selling” as “serving with options”
Common Pitfall: Techs feel like they’re pressuring people, so they avoid the conversation entirely.
2. Scripts That Don’t Sound Scripted
Why it matters: Most techs either overshare and confuse… or under-explain and miss the close.
How to implement:
Use the Client Success Hero and Service Hero language frameworks
Practice asking: 👉 “Would it be okay if I offered you a couple of options to solve this permanently?”
Teach techs to pause, use empathy, and always ask: 👉 “Has anyone already looked at this, or am I the first?”
Common Pitfall: Handing out option sheets without walking the customer through them. Don’t drop and dash.
3. Ride-Along Reviews = Sales Breakthroughs
Why it matters: You can’t improve what you don’t observe.
How to implement:
Do 2 ride-alongs per week with your mid-performers
Score each call on:
✅ Greeting & professionalism
✅ Discovery questions
✅ Value-building & option presentation
✅ Closing the next step
Use real audio recordings for team review sessions
Common Pitfall: Letting “star techs” operate on autopilot. Everyone needs coaching—especially your top earners.
Your 5-Day Execution Plan
Day 1: Host a 30-minute “Service Hero Mindset” meeting with your entire field team
Day 2: Choose your lowest-performing tech. Schedule a ride-along this week
Day 3: Script out a “good-better-best” offer flow for your 3 most common repairs
Day 4: Update your team’s job descriptions: every tech is also a client educator
Day 5: Track revenue-per-tech and discuss it openly. Visibility drives improvement.
Objections (From Your Team) You’ll Hear:
“I’m not a salesperson.” → “Exactly. You're a problem-solver—and people pay more for permanent solutions.”
“I don’t like pushing customers.” → “Then don’t push. Ask better questions. Lead with empathy. Recommend what’s right.”
“I’m too busy to upsell.” → “Then you’re leaving money on every job. Time pressure is a reason to streamline, not skip.”
Bottom Line:
Stop hunting unicorn techs. Start building them.
Your best tech might already be on your team… You’ve just never trained them to be anything more than a parts-changer.
Coming Next Week:
HVAC Power Play Series – Week 4: Objection-Crushing Scripts for the Summer Rush
We’ll give you:
Word-for-word responses to the 5 deadliest objections
A script flow to prevent price pushback before it happens
A close-any-call checklist your techs will love using
Your Next Step:
Want to know how much money you’re leaving on the table with your current team?
Run it through the Profit Simulator now. In under 3 minutes, you’ll see what’s really possible:
Need support? Go here: 👉 thebluecollarwave.com
To building beasts, not babysitting bodies,
Jim Cosmas The Blue Collar Wave
