Apprentice Turned Million-Dollar-Producing Selling Technician in 18 Months
Thomas Larson desperately wanted an opportunity in the HVAC trade; Chris and Aimee Shonrock of Rock Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Castle Rock, Colorado, saw something special in “Lars” and gave him one. Lars’ eagerness to learn and his exceptional communication skills and incredible work ethic have helped him shape a bright and limitless future.
by Bob Houchin
A common complaint heard throughout the contracting industry is the lack of workforce in the trades. Applicants can’t pass a background check or simply don’t have a work ethic. More than ever, business owners must cast a wide net when looking for employees—and hand-select those with the right attitude and drive. Then, they must invest in that special individual. Rock Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning has proof this method works.
Meet Thomas Larson. Everyone seems to call him Lars. He’s a fresh-faced, 20-something who’s upbeat, oozes positive energy, and possesses astute linguistic abilities far exceeding most his age. Today, he’s the sales manager and a selling technician for Chris and Aimee Shonrock, owners of Rock Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Castle Rock, Colorado. Lars is responsible for weekly communications training with Rock’s technicians and installers, and he personally sells more than $100,000 a month, every month. Oh, and Lars has only been in the HVAC industry since April 2017.
“Lars is a real exception to the rule, I have to point out,” Aimee said. “He was this young kid who came to us looking for an opportunity. He had a wife and two kids. He wanted to succeed badly, and he’s worked so hard. He’s earned all the success that has come his way. Not everyone can grow this quickly, and that’s okay.”
“But everyone can try,” Lars quickly interjected.
Talk to Lars about where he’s come from and where he wants to go, and you will find yourself impressed.
Car Salesman Turned HVAC Apprentice
Lars describes himself as a hands-on learner who always enjoys talking to people. He worked on cars as a kid. “I’ve always been a gearhead, working with my dad on them,” he beamed. After a brief hockey career fizzled due to injury, Lars pursued a career in another hobby, figuring his communication skills would serve him well. He sold cars.
“I did really well at it. I became the internet sales manager. But I hated wearing a tie. And I get too fidgety being in one place all day,” Lars explained. “It just wasn’t for me, long-term.”
For a bit, Lars opened a sprinkler-repair business with a family member. He wanted to work with his hands. But he soon found financial struggles that often burden new businesses. Ultimately, he moved on.
“I was 23 at the time. I asked a friend whom I respected, ‘If you were my age, what trade would you go into?’ Without hesitation, he said HVAC. I started thinking about it. We get hot and cold seasons in Colorado. So, it’s something that could keep me busy year-round. With my sales ability, I figured I could make a way to make some money doing it,” Lars explained.
In talking with other people, Lars felt the best avenue for pursuing a career in HVAC would be to become an apprentice with a company, rather than jump directly into technical school. Sure enough, he found someone willing to take him on. “I knew I wouldn’t make much as an apprentice, so I lined up a job in the evenings hauling trash, so I could supplement my income and support my family,” Lars shared.
The situation proved to be terrible. His employer rarely called him into work, but always wanted him to be on standby. “They had no interest in training me on the job,” Lars insisted. “They even said to me, ‘What good is it for me to pay you to sit in a truck with somebody?’ I quit after a month. I wasn’t making any money. I have a wife and two kids. I can’t be expected to sit around all day. It was very frustrating.”
Lars Almost Gives Up on the HVAC Industry
Lars went back to doing odd jobs to pay the bills, something he’d been doing here and there. He was down on himself and down on the HVAC trade. “I was concerned that this is what the industry was going to be,” Lars exclaimed. “But I kept searching online for an HVAC apprentice position.”
“I found Rock on Craigslist, believe it or not,” Lars continued. “I almost didn’t call them because of the poor experience I had with the first company. To my wife’s credit, she said, ‘What’s the worst thing that could happen? You’ll end up back where you are now.’ So, I gave them a call.”
Aimee took Lars’ call. She then had Lars talk to Chris. The two agreed to an interview date and time. “When I came to Rock for my interview, I was very honest with them about my previous experience. But I also came with documentation of my previous sales experience. I showed them that I’ve always been able to sell anything. I told them that I just wanted to learn. I just wanted an opportunity,” Lars implored. “And Chris and Aimee gave me that opportunity. I felt like I owed it to them to give them my best effort.”
“I soon found that Rock was an excellent environment; it’s a place where I could learn and excel,” Lars added. “I told my wife, these are really nice, good people. I’m going to try and make myself as valuable as possible, as quickly as possible.”
Chris & Aimee Give Lars a Real Opportunity
Chris and his son Austin took Lars under their wings. For his first five months, Lars received hands-on training. When Chris or Austin weren’t helping him, Lars did what he could on his own to advance his technical knowledge. “I picked it up pretty quickly,” Lars said. “Again, I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands.”
One week, of course it was time where Chris and Aimee were out of town, one of their experienced technicians quit. No advanced warning. He was done. Yet they had a full call load for that truck. “Chris felt confident enough to ask me if I was ready to go into a truck on my own—just for maintenances and estimates. By then, he saw that I was pretty good at selling already when riding-along with him. I told him, I was,” Lars said.
“Normally, we wouldn’t put someone in a truck that quickly—but he immersed himself in the industry. He eagerly learned everything he could. We were in a situation where we had customers that needed to be taken care of. We put our faith in him,” Aimee explained.
It proved to be faith well-placed. That truck became Lars. And Lars almost immediately became Rock Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning’s top-performing technician. This year, 2018, is his first full year as a selling technician, and he’s on-target to well exceed $1 Million in sales. And roughly three months ago, Chris and Aimee promoted him to sales manager.
“I love [the new role and responsibilities]. I run calls but now I get to train. Training is something I love. I love to help others. When I first started, everyone here was so eager to help me learn the technical side of the industry. I loved being able to teach them how to sell,” Lars explained. “Together, we can all get better and become more valuable. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone else do better.”
Lars only wants to become more valuable for Rock Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning. “I’d love to grow into the General Manager one day. But I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can for Chris and Aimee. It’s the least I can do for them. I’m so thankful they gave me this opportunity,” Lars said passionately. “I’ve found that I love what I do, and I love this industry.”
How has Lars turned himself from an apprentice into a million-dollar producer in little more than 18 months? How does he approach every call? And what does he do every day that makes him successful? Let’s take a look in this issue’s “Learning from the Best”!
How do you get ready for each call?
First and foremost, I erase what happened on the last call—good, bad, or indifferent. Whether I sold nothing, or I sold a $20,000 system. I get rid of that call because it has nothing to do with what’s ahead of me. That’s the first thing I do. I clear my mind.
The next thing I do, I look at the customer history. I look through our ServiceTitan. Most of the calls I run, the majority, are club members. I look at our service history, our previous estimates, our previous invoices—has anyone tried to sell them a system before; have we done any expensive, high-level repairs before. Basically, I’m looking to see if I’m walking into a repair-versus-replace situation. Replacement estimates are crucial to me. Has anyone explained to them that they have an 18-year-old system, and it would be to their advantage to consider replacing it? If there’s an old estimate—I don’t really care how it went—I know there’s a window: These people have been made aware, at least once, and they should consider replacing their system.
When first meeting the customer, how do you begin building a relationship?
Yeah, people’s walls can be up a little bit if you’ve never been to a house. I try to find something that I can spot in the driveway or yard to compliment, or build rapport, to lightly break the ice. Ideally, I try to do that as I’m walking into the home. If I can’t see anything, then as I put my shoe covers on, I’ll take a quick peek around the home, whether it’s painting, flooring, new bannisters, anything that you can give a light, genuine compliment. I try not to be cornball, and if I can’t find something, I won’t do it. I’m not going to say something nice about someone’s 18-year-old, beige carpet. People see right through that.
You’ll be amazed at how people will want to talk with you about something in their home. I just serviced a house—I sold them an air conditioner, actually—and I stood there and talked with the homeowner for 15 or 20 minutes. This was before I even looked at their system—and this was a no-cool call. I was just standing in this guy’s entryway; the amount of detail and craftsmanship that went into this guy’s house was absolutely incredible.
For me, the key is to take my time. I genuinely try and build rapport. I try not to ask generic questions that come off a script. I feel like people can see through that. And I don’t like feeling that way—it makes me feel weird.
What’s your next step after building rapport?
Assuming it’s a no-cool call, after I build a little rapport—I have my shoe covers on and tool bag in hand—I actually don’t do a sit-down introduction. I do a few minutes of what I call standing rapport. Most of the calls I run are no-cools or no-heats. So, I like to take care of that—I want them to know that I have servicing their home in mind. I’m not just there to chat with them.
The next thing I do is ask the customer to show me to the thermostat. I like to keep the customer involved throughout the whole process. When I adjust the thermostat up or down to get a call for cooling or heating, I make sure to ask what they keep their thermostat set at. “You keep your thermostat at 72?” One, that way they know I’m paying attention, and I’m not going to keep their thermostat at 85. Two, if there is something strange, like someone keeps their A/C at 66, I can talk to them about that later. It’s not going to catch them off guard. Essentially, I’m making ammunition for myself, while also showing the customer that I’m taking note of every little detail.
From the thermostat, where do you go next?
To the equipment. For example, if it’s a no-heat call I ask the customer if they’ll show me to the furnace. I let them lead the way. If I’m there for service, I start asking them questions: How’s the system been working? Have you noticed any noises or odors? Is there anything you’d like me to address specifically? That way, they know I’m not trying to just get in and out of their house in 30 minutes; I’m really trying to dig deep and find if there’s anything I can do to make their system perform better.
Do you encourage the homeowner to stay with you while you’re diagnosing the system?
Absolutely. As soon as I get down to the furnace, I shut the disconnect off, pull the doors off, and let them know: You’re more than welcome to stay here throughout the maintenance; ask any questions you have in mind. That way, you can see how your system works if you don’t already know. I like to throw in that “if you don’t already know” part, because some people get defensive. I make it a point to add: If you’re here, I can show you step-by-step what I’m seeing. About 20 to 30 percent of my customers actually take me up on that offer. For the most part, people will say, “No, I trust you. Just come upstairs if you need anything.”
How do you break the bad news that it’s in the homeowner’s best interest to replace their system?
There are situations where I still go to homes with younger systems that are installed poorly or serviced poorly, or it wasn’t properly maintained, and I always go up and get the homeowner. I don’t just tell them that type of bad news. I always ask, “Mr. or Mrs. Smith, may I borrow you when you’re free?” I always say, “when you’re free,” because some people are on conference calls or in the middle of something. As soon as they come down, that’s when I walk them through the situation. I physically show them the problem; I want them to put their hands on it. Then, I’ll say, “This is how it should be, and this is how it is.” When they can physically put their hands on it, and see and feel those differences, it makes it easier to explain what the potential performance loss is and why the furnace or A/C is not working correctly or not working at all.
How do you communicate technical information in ways homeowners can understand?
One of my favorite phrases I use on every call is “without boring you to death” when explaining things. Say, I’m explaining static pressure. I’ll say, “I don’t want to bore you to death, but I want you to understand what I mean when I say static pressure.” Then, I’ll draw them a quick stick-figure house diagram of what a furnace looks like and show them where the air comes in. Or if they’re standing next to it, I’ll point to the direction of the airflow. It’s easy to show those basics without overwhelming a homeowner.
After you’ve explained to the homeowners they have a problem, what do you do next?
It depends on the issue. I don’t give heat-exchanger replacement estimates, for example, if a find a failure. In situations such as those, it becomes pretty easy for homeowners to see the value of replacement. They see the crack, or they see the rust. Without boring them to death, or fear-mongering, I simply explain what the heat exchanger is and does. Most times people are pretty taken aback by that. I’ll also touch on how expensive a heat exchanger is. At that point, it makes it pretty easy to transition into replacement. I’ll phrase it, “In a situation like yours, I’d recommend a replacement option, and we have quite a few for you to take a look at.” If they seem receptive to it, I’ll ask, “Is there a place we can sit down and talk about this? Maybe in your kitchen? I have everything here on the iPad, too, if you’d prefer to stand.” I just try to make people feel comfortable—it’s their home, after all.
How many replacement options do you typically present?
It depends. I don’t start giving options until I’ve asked lots and lots of questions. Because I don’t want customers to think I’m shooting from the hip. I don’t like to be sold things that way. I like to ask about their current system’s performance—what they would improve if possible. Is airflow an issue, do they feel like their A/C constantly runs all day? I always keep those questions open-ended, that’s crucial. Never ask performance-based questions that will result in a yes or no answer. I’ll ask open-ended questions for a good 5 to 10 minutes. I’m not grilling them, mind you. I do that while I’m on the iPad entering the square footage of the house, finding out if they made any additions to the home since this system was installed, the basics you need to know. I build my estimates based upon their answers, and I try to limit their options to three—a good, better, and best.
Do you always give homeowners a recommendation?
I do. When I give them a good, better, best, I already have the option they should choose in mind. For example, I’ll say, “In your situation, Mr. Homeowner, it sounds like we’re not really in need of any specialty cooling. We don’t have an abundance of cooling hours here, like they do in Texas and Florida. A lot of these multi-stage air conditioners, especially the high-end units, it would take too long for you to get your return on your investment—and I know you mentioned previously, you may be out of this house in five to six years. What I recommend in a situation like yours, is a 16-SEER. It’s single-stage, but it’s still a higher-efficiency unit, and you’re not going with anything budget…” And I’ll continue with my speech. By asking the right questions on the front end, you should know what kind of system the homeowner needs. I personally don’t like to just give options and sit there quietly. I’m the HVAC professional in their home. They want my recommendation.
Do you always offer your options with financed prices, as well?
Yes, we have GreenSky financing built in. It’s funny, a lot of our customers prefer to pay cash. I was blown away by that at first. I’ve had people write $30,000 checks like it’s no big deal. I try to get a feel for the customer when I present the price. You can tell a lot by someone’s facial expressions and body language if they’re a little bit sticker-shocked. If I even get a little hint of that, I’ll say, “I know this is a fairly large investment, but the great news is we have a lot of 0% offers available. Is that something that would interest you?” There’s nuance to offering financing, because you can instantly lose rapport with a customer if you give them the impression that you don’t think they can afford that new system.
How do you handle customers who insist on getting a second bid?
I don’t try and overly persuade those people. A lot of guys do, and I hear that when I go on “strictly-estimate” calls: “The other guy was really trying to tell me why I didn’t need to get other bids… And he was saying they were good enough.” I take a different approach with bid-shoppers. When they share with me that they’re getting multiple bids, I say, “It would be foolish not to do your homework.” I always say “homework.” I never say, “shop around.”
Then, I’ll say, “I urge you to take a look at our company’s history and the many outstanding reviews we’ve received from customers just like you.” Next, I’ll touch base once more on all the benefits of doing business with us: Our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, our 5-Year Labor Warranty, and so on. I’ll emphasize that no other company offers those. Finally, I’ll ask them to research us thoroughly—before calling another company—so they have a laundry list of all the things Rock offers, because I’m confident the next guy that comes in won’t be able to touch half that list. When I explain those differences, it instantly justifies my higher price versus the “Chuck in the Truck.”
How do you handle one-legger situations, where the other decision maker isn’t home?
When someone tells me they have to talk to their wife or husband, I’m not afraid to say, “Is this the correct number we have for him on file? I’d be happy to talk to him. I know this is a lot of information, so I’m more than happy to explain everything for you to him. It just makes it a bit easier for everyone to best understand the situation.” I got really good at selling cars over the phone, in my previous career. So, if I can get the other decision maker on the phone, usually I can get the sale.
If you must leave an estimate, do you follow-up on those appointments?
I do. We have a two-week window where we’re supposed to be following up. Once that fourteenth day hits, the office starts following up, and if they close it, they get half your spiff. Before I leave the home, I always give them my cell-phone number. I’ll say, “If you guys have any questions about our installation process, about our equipment, if you have any questions at all about anything, I’ll be more than happy to answer those at any point. If you call me, and I don’t answer, it’s probably because I’m running another service call, but I’ll get back with you as quickly as I can. Or feel free to text me throughout the day. I’m always available that way, too, as long as I’m not being inconsiderate in another customer’s home.” By leaving that number, they contact me. It happens all the time. They’ll want to clarify some detail. And I understand why—I’ve given them a lot of information. It can take some time to process.
Why do people ultimately buy from you?
Rapport is number one, and I believe service sells equipment—not sales. When you go into a call, and you start cutting corners, customers notice it more than you realize. When they see me in their home, doing my measurements, pulling a blower-motor wheel to look at their heat exchanger, I’m down and getting dirty—just to do an estimate—that’s something that’s going to set me apart from the other guys. Customer service has to be all-encompassing, especially in the trades. You have to have an element of service and rapport. If you don’t, you’re just another sales guy talking numbers.
What piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in this industry?
Don’t cut corners. Cutting corners will always come back on you in a negative way. If you cut corners as a student of this industry, you’re not going to learn everything you need to be successful, or you’re going to learn to do something incorrectly. You’ll run into guys who boast that they’ve been in the industry for 20 years, but they still don’t know how to size ductwork properly. I’ll take good training over a lot of training any day. With sales, if you cut corners another salesperson is going to come in, give a more thorough estimate, deliver better service, and close that homeowner. If you cut corners on a repair, you’re probably going to have a call-back. So, never cut corners. Give maximum effort every day and you can be successful.