Streamlining HVAC Sales: Combining Permit History, Contact Data, and Rooftop Equipment Views to Shorten the Sales Cycle

Introduction

As an HVAC business owner or sales manager, you’re always juggling time and resources to keep your sales cycle moving. The secret to shortening that cycle is combining three types of data: permit history, contact data, and rooftop equipment views.

Combining these will make your HVAC sales process more targeted and efficient, and you’ll find and close more deals faster.

The Challenges of a Long HVAC Sales Cycle

It’s well known that HVAC and mechanical industries can have long sales cycles, with decision-makers taking their time and communication lagging until the “11th hour.”

Without good data, your sales team could be chasing unqualified leads or contacting the wrong decision-makers to land the job.

Having good data makes all the difference in the HVAC industry and can mean the difference between wasting time and closing deals. But with data from permits, equipment views, and best-in-class contact info, you can focus on the right prospects and waste less time.

How Data Speeds Up the HVAC Sales Process

The world runs on data. Whether it’s permit history to predict when a regular service should take place, buying signals to view when a decision-maker is looking for your products and services, or updated contact data to know when a facilities manager has joined a new account, or rooftop equipment views to help you better target properties with key equipment; data allows you to streamline outreach, build proposals, and target lead more effectively.

These tools help you understand when potential customers need HVAC services, maintenance, upgrades, or new installations. And seeing the entire HVAC system allows your team to address customer needs in a personalized way.

Understanding Permit History’s Role in HVAC Sales

What is Permit History?

Permit history tells you the story of the building. Permits can give you a record of all the large-scale projects, HVAC installations, and potential repairs tied to specific buildings.

This works like a “screenshot,” giving you a holistic perspective on the HVAC system’s age, the last maintenance, and when equipment is likely due for an upgrade.

How Permit Data Creates Sales Opportunities

Tracking permit data allows HVAC companies to predict when customers will need maintenance or replacement of their HVAC systems.

According to sales intelligence providers like LinkedIn, being first to reach out to potential customers in a personalized way gives you an 80% higher likelihood of closing the deal. If you’re second, that number drops to 10% and falls off steeply after the third and fourth messages.

Reaching out at precisely the right time puts you way ahead of the competition, reaching potential customers right when they’re due for service and most likely to respond to your outreach.

Incorporating these insights into your sales training, strategy, and sales cycle can allow you to focus on the right leads at the right time.

Leveraging Contact Data for Better Outreach

Why Accurate Contact Data Matters

Accurate contact data is key to ensuring your sales reps talk to the right people. When you can access the right decision-makers, outreach can be personalized and targeted, and follow-ups become more effective, shortening the sales cycle.

But good data isn’t just for sales. Accurate contact data also helps HVAC service technicians follow up with the right customers for services, maintenance, and upgrades, allowing you to increase the lifetime value of each customer.

How to Optimize Contact Data Use

• Segment Leads: Divide your leads based on service history or customer type (new, existing, or past).
• CRM Systems: Use platforms like Salesforce to automate outreach and manage follow-up tasks.
• Automated Follow-Ups: Automating emails and calls keeps your company top-of-mind without manual effort.
• Train your HVAC Techs: Train HVAC techs to use CRM systems for better customer follow-up, enhancing their sales techniques, and improving customer service.

Using Rooftop Equipment Views to Drive Decisions

Why Aerial Imagery and Rooftop Data is Key to HVAC Sales

Visual confirmation of rooftop HVAC units, RTUs, or AHUs allows you to tailor your sales approach and personalize messaging so it cuts through “the noise.”

Knowing the approximate age and condition of the unit lets you assign dollar values to potential customers, prepare proposals, and give personalized offers for replacement or upgrade. This is gold for an HVAC salesman looking to give accurate quotes and recommendations.

Tools for Viewing Rooftop Equipment

For years, reps and techs tried to view HVAC units on free tools like Google Earth, but they were disappointed by outdated photos, grainy images, and inaccurate HVAC equipment data.

Tools like Convex’s Atlas allow HVAC teams to view rooftop equipment remotely from the comfort of their office with aerial imagery.

This saves time and eliminates the arduous process of combing through city and county permit records, driving to visit a property, or trying to use outdated images on Google Maps/ Earth.In fact, Comfort Systems USA estimated that before using Convex, their team spent two days per week filling the pipeline. Today, they only spend 2-3 hours per week. Using tools that access permit history, aerial and rooftop imagery, and contact data increased effectiveness and efficiency, allowing them to double their sales.

Uniting Permit History, Contact Data, and Rooftop Views for a Seamless Sales Strategy

How Data Integration Improves Sales

When you combine these key points, you can accelerate your sales strategy and results. A data-driven sales strategy eliminates bottlenecks and failure points, which means better targeting, shorter sales cycles, and more closed deals.

Real-World Application

One of our customers, North by Northwest, uses Convex to accelerate the sales pipeline. In the last 12 months, they’ve increased their win rate by more than 13% and booked $1.8M in deals for the next three quarters.

In the words of their VP of Operations, Tiffany Peters, “We used to be considered a ‘mom and pop’ company,” she said. “But now we’re competing with those national companies who have branches in Austin, and that alone is just bonkers to me.”

Results like this only happened once they equipped their team with great sales training and tools, aerial views, and contact data to reach decision-makers faster than the competition.

Investing in the right tools and HVAC sales training can help you achieve similar or even better results.

The Best Tools for HVAC Sales Teams

Platforms That Combine Permit History, Contact Data, and Rooftop Views

If you want an all-in-one solution, Convex Atlas provides a comprehensive platform specifically built for commercial services sales teams to streamline your sales efforts. It integrates permit history, contact data, and rooftop equipment views in one place.

But that’s not all it can do.

According to Salesforce, the average sales rep spends 21% of their time doing lead research, prospecting, and outreach. That’s the equivalent of 2 hours per day, 4- 5 days per week.

Convex is so simple to use that sales reps can perform the same tasks in 3- 5 minutes. Here’s a quick look at how our tools can streamline your sales process and accelerate the sales pipeline:

1. Log in and Check Signals: Log into Convex and check the “Signals” category—our proprietary buyer intent data—to see who’s “in-market” and ready to buy.

2. Search for Properties, Accounts, and Contacts: Search for properties or accounts that align with your products and services. This could be anything from a specific property type (e.g., hospital, airport, or manufacturing building) to individual contacts, job titles, account names, or tenant information. Once you find the buildings you’re looking for, Convex’s property intelligence will show you key insights such as permit histories, building age, square footage, rooftop equipment views, ownership, and transaction details, making it easier to identify contacts and turn them into leads.

3. Leverage Generative AI for Personalized Outreach: Once you’ve found the ideal building or decision-maker, click on the person you’d like to contact, and with just two clicks, use Generative AI—trained on buyer signals, firmographic data, and your company’s contact data—to send a personalized email or draft a phone script. The AI uses data like job titles, decision-maker information, and property history to craft targeted messages that resonate with prospects.

4. Automate Follow-ups and Manage Leads: After outreach, set up automated follow-ups or reminders and track the lead in your CRM. Convex also allows you to export lists of prospects, assign stages, tag coworkers, and assign dollar values to leads, offering CRM functionality for lead management. Integration with CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot ensures seamless pipeline tracking.

That’s why we call Convex an “all-in-one” solution to help you efficiently manage every aspect of your HVAC sales team.

Choosing the Right Platform for Your HVAC Business

Other tools on the market can show you when a building has installed a new air conditioning unit or when a contact has changed companies; each can help you boost sales by informing the reps before they connect with a prospective customer on a sales call.

In general, the best way to decide which tool is right for your team is to consider five things:

1. Sales Targets: What are your sales goals next quarter? Will the tools you’re considering help your team achieve them? Are they tailored to your industry and the needs of your target market?

2. Ease-of-Use: An HVAC salesperson may push back on using certain tools due to the difficulty of use and long learning curves. However, if you choose the right one, they can be up and running in no time.

3. Budget: Talking about budgets can be tricky. I’ve found that the best way to tackle this topic for lead generation or prospecting software is by considering the ROI of each tool. Often, more expensive tools offer better features that can end up paying for themselves, while cheaper options might not deliver as well. It’s all about weighing your options and knowing your end goal.

4. Integration with Other Tools: Does the platform integrate with other tools you’re currently using? CRM systems like Hubspot and Salesforce, marketing automation, and email marketing software?

5. Scalability: Choose a platform that can grow with your business and adapt to changes on your team and in your marketplace.

Obviously, you’re trying to look for a tool that fits your team size and sales goals. Most platforms offer demos, and some offer free trials or scalable pricing depending on how many seats you need.

Conclusion: Streamlining Your HVAC Sales with Data

By combining permit history, contact data, and rooftop equipment views, your HVAC team can drastically reduce sales cycle time and target prospects more effectively. Implementing just a few data points, along with effective HVAC sales tips, can significantly improve results.

These tools give you the insights you need to approach leads when they’re ready to buy.

If you’re looking for that competitive edge, check out Convex. We’d love to show you how our platform helps companies like Koorsen Fire and Security, Johnson Controls, North by Northwest, JAN-PRO, and many others shorten the sales cycle, accelerate the pipeline, and streamline the sales process.

Schedule a demo of Convex today to learn more.