Finding Commercial HVAC Service and Maintenance Contracts: Get in Front of More Decision Makers Faster

Introduction

Reaching commercial property owners and managers used to be a bit of an art. It meant driving around, identifying properties, hunting down the correct contact info, and hoping you sent a message or left a voicemail that resonated with the decision-maker.

Traditional prospecting methods forced HVAC sales teams to rely on hope, guesswork, skill, and persistence. With hours spent scouring LinkedIn, checking public records for permits, or chasing referrals—all in hopes of landing a coveted spot on a prospect’s calendar. It was time-intensive and costly, and more often than not, your efforts were rewarded with rejection.

Today, prospecting for commercial HVAC service and maintenance contracts has completely changed. The precision of a data-driven approach has replaced the guesswork. 

Buying signals show you who’s “in-market” and actively searching for your services. Permit history and decision-maker contact data are easily available and accessible all in one place—and with Generative AI suggesting the most effective outreach message to send based on data, it’s almost too easy.

In this article, we’ll explore how successful HVAC companies are connecting directly with decision-makers who’ve already indicated a need for their services—transforming hours of fruitless drop-ins, prospecting, and guesswork into a streamlined—3 to 5-minute approach that gets results.

The Commercial HVAC Sales Challenge

Finding service and maintenance opportunities in the commercial HVAC market is about creating lasting customer relationships and growing recurring revenue. For years, most of the data needed to identify key properties and systems that needed maintenance was locked away in manufacturer-installation base maps and equipment monitoring systems, which were inaccessible to the public.

Worse, property owners, managers, and facilities directors were locked behind layers of gatekeepers who’s entire goal was to keep salespeople out—until they were needed.

It’s fair to say that this is why traditional sales prospecting took so much time, and the industry had such low conversion rates.

Traditional HVAC Prospecting Pain Points:

• Time-Intensive: Locating contact details and identifying suitable properties can be a time-consuming process. It often begins with driving around or scouring Google Maps, then transitioning to LinkedIn to discover job titles and contacts. You might use an email verification tool and even consider adding the address to your list for a future visit, all while hoping the decision-maker you need to connect with is actually at that location.
• Limited Access to Key Decision-Makers: Finding key decision-makers is hard, but getting past gatekeepers is your next challenge, with no guarantee of reaching decision-makers you could be stuck in limbo until they decide to “make a move.”
• High Rejection Rates: Traditional cold outreach is also hit-or-miss because it’s based on guesswork that often leads to spending time chasing unqualified leads.

According to Salesforce, traditional prospecting takes around 21% of a salesperson’s time ( the equivalent of 2 hours per day, 4- 5 days per week—and customers like Comfort Systems USA found this to be true before using Convex.

Their sales team spent an average of 2 days per week attempting to fill the pipeline, and that was after a 6- 9 month onboarding and time (we’ll come back to this case study in a moment).

Traditional sales prospecting just doesn’t cut it in our data-driven world. If you run a commercial HVAC business, your teams need smarter, faster ways to connect with decision-makers. That’s where data-driven prospecting comes in—it’s a game changer compared to old-school methods!

How Data-Driven Prospecting Gets You to Decision-Makers Faster

Instead of guessing, sales teams at commercial HVAC companies can leverage sales intelligence, property data, and account insights like buying signals to streamline prospecting. Instead of a wild goose chase, data-driven tools empower sales teams to target high-value leads who have already shown an interest in service and maintenance contracts. But they don’t stop there, solutions like Convex also provide direct access to decision-makers at almost 6 Million commercial properties across the USA.

• Sales Intelligence: Data-driven prospecting provides valuable insights into a potential customer’s behavior, interests, and needs. Tracking intent data on the account gives a salesperson the information they need to craft messaging that resonates with decision-makers and increases the chances of conversion.
• Property Intelligence Data: With all of your prospects and customers on a map, you see more, so you can sell more. With access to property data such as building type, age, square footage, tenant info, aerial imagery, and equipment, sales teams can narrow down their search for potential leads based on specific criteria. This saves time and resources by targeting properties that are more likely to need HVAC services.
• Buying Signals: Signal strength combines various data points to show you who’s most likely to become a customer. This changes the game because it focuses your sales team’s efforts on accounts that are most likely to convert into sales.
• Direct Access to Decision-Makers: Unlike many tools, Convex offers regularly updated decision-maker data so you can see who to target and how to reach them. This removes the need for gatekeepers or time-consuming research, making it easier and faster to connect with decision-makers.
• Competitor insights: Convex can also provide insights into competitors’ service contracts, giving HVAC companies a competitive edge in their outreach efforts.
• Traditional vs. Data-Driven Approach: While traditional methods might take hours to gather property details and contact information, tools like Convex equip HVAC sales teams to reach decision-makers within minutes, leading to more successful outcomes.

Case Study: Comfort Systems USA

Now, let’s revisit the case study mentioned earlier – Comfort Systems USA. When they found Convex four years ago, Comfort Systems was already a multimillion-dollar company. But they were facing some challenges:

1. The average salesperson took 6- 9 months to train and onboard fully.

2. Their salespeople averaged 2 days weekly in lead research and prospecting to fill the sales pipeline.

Now, if you calculate the costs of getting a sales team, like with those metrics up and running, it adds up quickly.

When Comfort Systems found Convex, they saw an opportunity to optimize their sales process dramatically. Putting all of the properties in a rep’s territory on one central map allowed them to see opportunities that they’d previously missed—and having direct access to decision-makers meant that as soon as they saw one, they could act on it. This allowed them to identify and target high-value leads in 3- 5 minutes rather than spending hours on research. As a result:

• Reduced Onboarding Time: New reps became productive faster. Comfort Systems now reports that new reps only take 2- 3 months to be fully onboarded—helping them reach their sales targets in less time.
• Increased Prospecting Efficiency: Instead of spending 2 days per week on lead research and pipeline development, salespeople could identify and connect with qualified prospects in minutes.
• Cost Savings and Pipeline Growth: By improving reps access to properties, data, and decision-makers and reducing time on prospecting and ramp-up, Comfort Systems was able to double their sales.

This is one of many case studies that showcase how a data-driven approach can turn a time-consuming prospecting process into a streamlined approach that fuels pipeline growth and drives sales success.

Leveraging Data for Effective Outreach and Personalized Relationship Building

However, data-driven prospecting doesn’t just cut down on time spent searching; it allows HVAC companies to focus on building meaningful connections with decision-makers based on their needs.

Imagine receiving these two emails:

Email 1: Generic Outreach

“Hello (person),

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to reach out and see if you are interested in our HVAC maintenance and repair services. We offer reliable service contracts that can help you keep your HVAC systems running smoothly.

Please let me know if you’d like to learn more or have any questions.

Best,

[Your Name]

[Your Company]”

With the first email, you’d probably ignore it or reply with a quick “not interested” unless you were in immediate need of HVAC services. It’s generic, lacks research, personalization, or connection to your property—and feels like just another pitch.

Email 2: A Personalized Approach

Hi [Property Owner’s Name],

I noticed that [Property Name] recently underwent some renovations, including updates to the HVAC system, which looks like it’s nearing a maintenance check window. As the owner of several properties, I’m sure you know how costly unexpected breakdowns can be—not to mention the impact on tenant satisfaction.

With our tailored HVAC service contracts, we help property owners like you ensure systems run efficiently, meet seasonal demands, and avoid unplanned repairs. Our maintenance plans include:

• Scheduled checkups based on your system’s specific requirements

• Priority service for emergencies

• Transparent reporting, so you’re always informed about system status

We currently partner with facilities similar to [Property Name] in [City/Region] to reduce operating costs and extend the life of their equipment by years. I’d be happy to walk you through a few examples of how this approach could benefit [Property Name] directly.

Are you open to a 10-minute conversation early next week?

Looking forward to connecting,

[Your Name]

[Your Position]

[Your Company]

[Contact Information]

The second email, though, stands out. It shows the sender has done their research, offering a solution based on your property’s specific needs and maintenance timeline. Instead of being another message in the inbox clutter, it’s a personalized approach that speaks directly to your concerns—cutting through the noise and making you more likely to engage.

Your prospects feel the same way when they receive messages that don’t feel tailored to their needs.

Case Comparison: To reach this level of personalization, traditional prospecting and outreach methods might take hours and several points of contact. Our internal data shows this involves several emails and at least six cold calls before you reach a decision-maker if you don’t have the right data.

With data-driven tools, HVAC teams can skip these time-consuming steps and focus on qualified, property-specific opportunities, enhancing both efficiency and conversion rates.

Here’s how data-driven tools optimize outreach and relationship-building efforts.

• Personalized Targeted Outreach: Platforms like Convex let HVAC teams connect with decision-makers faster by simplifying the research process. In minutes, teams can identify a facilities director at a large hospital or airport and begin outreach, allowing more time for genuine relationship-building.
• Buying Signals and Timing: Real-time data on signals showcase who’s actually looking for your services and who’s not, saving hours of research and outreach based on guesswork. This also helps HVAC teams overcome seasonal slumps. By tracking warranty and contract data in our custom fields or your CRM, sales reps can proactively reach out before expirations, peak HVAC seasons, or key service milestones, presenting relevant solutions when they’re most needed.

Practical Steps to Expand Your HVAC Service Contract Portfolio

One key insight that Comfort Systems USA used to double its sales was the fact that owner-occupied buildings converted at significantly higher rates than leased space. Little details like this change the game for commercial HVAC contractors.

Here are actionable steps you can take to expand your service contract portfolios using data-driven insights like the one mentioned above:

1. Build Targeted Lists Using Property Data: Property-specific data empowers HVAC teams to pinpoint high-value accounts such as hospitals, government buildings, manufacturing facilities, or data centers. Insights into whether a property has recently pulled permits or is tenant-occupied vs. owner-occupied can help you focus more effectively. These seemingly minor details allow reps to prioritize facilities with specialized HVAC requirements that align closely with your ideal customer profile (ICP)—increasing the potential for securing long-term service and maintenance contracts.

2. Directly Engage Decision-Makers: Verified contact data equips sales teams to skip decision-makers and reach facilities directors, property managers, and owners. This makes outreach more efficient, increasing the likelihood of a sale.

3. Upsell Using Contract Data: Leveraging data on warranties and service history (something we’ll talk about in another article), HVAC contractors can suggest timely maintenance or upgrades. Contractors with manufacturer partnerships can often access install base maps, which allow you to see all the systems in your territory and tailor service offerings to optimize equipment longevity and performance.

Comparison Traditional Methods vs. Data-Driven Tools Side-by-Side

Here’s a side-by-side look at traditional methods versus data-driven approaches like Convex for finding commercial HVAC service contracts:

Traditional Methods:

• Time-Intensive: Manually searching for contacts, often taking hours.
• Limited Contact Access: Contacts are frequently inaccurate or hard to verify.
• Lower Conversion Rates: Generic cold outreach with limited insight into specific facility needs.

Data-Driven Tools:

• Time-Saving: Access to property data and contact information within minutes rather than hours.
• Direct Access to Decision-Makers: Verified contacts for property managers, facilities directors, and owners.
• Higher Conversion Rates: Personalized messaging and tailored outreach using relevant buying signals and maintenance schedules.

This comparison demonstrates how data-driven prospecting transforms customer acquisition from a time-consuming task into an efficient, targeted strategy that yields more successful outcomes.

Ready to Streamline Your Prospecting?

Securing new commercial HVAC service contracts is about working smarter, not harder. With data-driven tools like Convex, you can find qualified decision-makers faster, focus on high-value leads, and build lasting client relationships.

See how data insights can revolutionize your approach—Schedule a free demo of Convex today and start connecting with decision-makers in minutes, not hours.