It’s often said that a good salesman can sell anything. However, in the HVAC sector in general – and ventilation in particular – even the most persuasive individuals will struggle to make inroads on their wits alone.

Here are ten unique features of a ventilation sales manager’s role.

1. Wide and deep – You’ll need to demonstrate a little knowledge on everything to aid dialogue with your customer as well as specific detailed knowledge on the particular products you’re trying to sell them.
2. Don’t forget your specs – Hospital specs, pool specs, pharmaceutical specs – whatever industry you’re selling to, understand what spec of equipment they need.
3. Fully loaded – Arm yourself with information about the heating loads, cooling loads and psychrometrics of your manufacturer’s air handling units.
4. Suits you – Do you know which fan, filter, heater and cooling coil is right for the job? Make sure you can fit the product to the application.
5. Back to basics – Some of the best ventilation sales people have come from design engineering or consultancy backgrounds and understand their customers’ priorities.
6. Listen up – Listening is a skill many sales people overlook in their rush to seal a deal. In the ventilation sector, understanding the ins and outs of your customer’s project will help you engineer the best solution.
7. It’s a fact – Negotiation skills are important but you’ll need to know your facts and figures when it comes to ventilation rates, acoustics and controls and be able to calculate and present an overview of a system’s resistance if you’re going to get past first base.
8. Get trendy – Like any other industry, the ventilation sector has its bubbles and busts. Commercial property may still be struggling but healthcare and education are growing markets that represent great opportunities for savvy sales people.
9. Learning curve – A good ventilation sales person will keep abreast of industry developments, learn everything there is to know about the products and understand the latest regulations. A good employer will provide on-going training to communicate the key features of the product range and how these provide solutions for customers.
10. He who dares, wins – There’s a lot to take on board as a sales professional in a niche market such as this. Experience is valuable, knowledge and hard work are rewarded and the fact that this is an area that is continually evolving with new technology and greener practices means there is ample opportunity for career development and progression.

So there you have it. As Steve Jobs once said, “People don’t know what they want until you give it to them.”

Savvy HVAC Industry and Career Advice from Thornhvac 

Thornhvac is a leading HVAC recruitment company serving the UK’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning markets. Contact us on 0115 8714 777 or email jobs@thornhvac.co.uk.