A contractor named Chris Powers from Southern Values Cooling and Heating in Florida called into the Escape the One Man Show hotline with a question every growing trades business owner eventually faces. Should I hire selling techs or comfort advisors?

In this episode Derek Cormier, founder of Climate Experts and host of Escape the One Man Show, breaks down exactly how he thinks about this decision and why getting it wrong at the wrong stage of growth can cost you more than you think.

The answer is not one or the other. It depends entirely on where you are in your business right now.

If you are trying to figure out how to structure your sales team as you grow this episode is for you.

What You Will Learn in This Episode: Most contractors make the mistake of trying to specialize too early. When you are in the early stages of growth you need people who are flexible and can wear multiple hats. A selling tech who can diagnose a problem and present a solution is the right first hire. But as your business matures and your volume grows you need people who are exceptional at one thing. That is where the comfort advisor or what Derek prefers to call a project manager comes in. Someone who does nothing but present solutions, build relationships, and close. The difference in performance between a generalist and a specialist at scale is significant and Derek breaks down exactly when and how to make that transition.

Topics Covered: Why selling techs are the right starting point for most growing trades companies. How to identify employees who can play multiple roles as you scale. When your business is ready to bring on a dedicated comfort advisor or project manager. Why Derek prefers the title project manager over comfort advisor. The difference in mindset between a technician who sells and a person who specializes in presenting solutions. How specialization improves performance and average ticket at scale. Why trying to build a specialized sales team too early creates more problems than it solves. How to structure your team so techs and project managers work together effectively. What to look for when hiring your first dedicated comfort advisor.

Who This Episode Is For: This episode is for HVAC contractors wondering whether to hire selling techs or comfort advisors, trades business owners building out their first sales team, contractors doing one to five million in revenue trying to figure out the right structure, and anyone who has ever felt like their techs are leaving money on the table on every call.

About Escape the One Man Show: Escape the One Man Show is a podcast for contractors and trades business owners who are done being the bottleneck in their own company. Every episode host Derek Cormier breaks down the real tactics, leadership lessons, and culture shifts that helped him build Climate Experts into a multi-million dollar home services business in Florida. Topics covered include recruiting in the trades, marketing for contractors, Facebook ads for home service companies, building company culture, leadership for trades business owners, scaling a contracting business, HVAC business growth, plumbing business growth, electrical business growth, and how to build a business that runs without you.

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