Watch the EPIC2025 Breakouts You Missed or Have to See Again

For years now it’s been consistently cited as one of the biggest challenges for contractors: “We can’t find good people to hire!” But not every contracting company struggles to identify, hire and retain talent. So, what is it that the best companies do to make themselves the employer of choice in their areas?

In this panel discussion, representatives from the industry’s best recruiting companies share the secrets they’ve learned over the years. You’ll learn how they’re able to consistently find the best talent in the business, as well as why some companies never seem to lose employees – but are able to replace them immediately on those rare occasions that they do.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• Secrets to recruiting and hiring like an industry-leader – even if you’re a fraction of the size
• How culture can help you win over your dream hire, even if you don’t have the biggest budget
• Where you can look for new hires that you – and your competitors – may not be thinking of
• And so much more!

It’s time to approach the stand and reach a verdict on your brand! This interactive workshop introduces the KickCharge SparkTest, the 10 essential categories for assessing the value of any brand.

We cover the criteria for each category (name, tagline, logo, target audience appeal, etc.) and then enter the courtroom. Score yourself as we cover the standards to pass judgement on your own brand. By the time the verdict is reached, you’ll have gained tremendous insight into how your brand measures up and whether your business is branded or “blanded.”

Plus, you’ll learn:

• Key differences between brands that resonate with the customer – and brands that get ignored
• The 10 branding categories your business needs to focus on to build long-term value
• A proven framework to setting yourself apart in the marketplace
• And so much more!

The trades are experiencing significant changes that will shape future opportunities for home services contractors. Navigating these shifts can be challenging, but understanding the emerging trends can provide a competitive edge and help you stay ahead in a rapidly evolving industry. But what are the major forces and trends shaping the way we conduct business in the coming years? How will sustainability, technological advancements, and shifting market dynamics transform the home services landscape?

In this session with Gary Elekes, serial entrepreneur, contracting business owner, and founder of iMarket Solutions, on the future of the industry. We explore topics such as the convergence of technology and the rise of smarter homes, the impact of private equity on markets, and the evolution of marketing in the trades. Plus, Gary will dive into the transition to new software platforms, the implications of new governmental policies, and how artificial intelligence will reshape various aspects of business operations.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• Market Trends: sustainability, funding, cyber security, analytics
• Technology convergence and the smarter home
• Private equity and its future impact on markets
• Software, artificial intelligence and what new platforms you need to know about
• Social media and the evolution of marketing in the trades
• And so much more!

In contracting, the line between thriving and struggling often comes down to avoiding hidden traps. In this breakout session, you’ll discover the most common traps sabotaging your business. Contractor University’s industry-leading business coaches will share powerful strategies to help you dominate your market, boost profits, and build an unstoppable team. Don’t miss these game-changing secrets to elevate your business and crush the competition.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• How a clear and compelling vision, mission, and core values can transform your business, energize your team, and drive unstoppable success
• How timely and accurate financial tracking gives you the power to grow with confidence.
• How to confidently price your services for maximum profit without scaring away customers.
• And so much more!

You’ve heard all about consolidation in our industry; about both contractors and private equity companies purchasing home services businesses. But how do you know if you’re ready to sell your own business? And if you’re not, how do you know what to do in your business to maximize value for when it’s time to sell – or maximize value so much you decide to keep it?

In this panel discussion, hear from some of the most accomplished companies in the industry when it comes to purchasing or selling home services businesses. You’ll learn what buyers are looking for, and what drives up the sale price, and you’ll walk away with an understanding of what creates value in your business – for a potential buyer, or for you to own for the long run.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• The main factors in a contracting business that correlate to salability and price
• Pitfalls that too many would-be sellers struggle with and how to avoid them
• Simple tricks that can boost your value and catch the eye of buyers
• Helpful tips to help you decide whether you want to sell or not
• And so much more!

In today’s competitive market, converting leads into booked appointments can make or break your business growth. Join us for an actionable, data-driven session designed to unlock the true potential of your marketing efforts. Through insights uncovered by over 50,000 calls, we’ll cover key strategies to boost your lead-to-booking conversion rates, including:

• Right Call, Right CSR: Discover how assigning the right customer service rep to the right type of call increases booking likelihood.
• Effective Call Center Management: Learn data-backed techniques to optimize call handling and ensure every call counts.
• Speed-to-Lead Tactics: From instant form follow-ups to handling inquiries, see why promptness is key and how to respond in a quick and personalized way with AI.
• Value-Driven Call Coaching: Explore data insights on how to build value in calls by emphasizing benefits and memberships, plus proven dos and don’ts that impact booking success.
• Best-in-Class Tech Solutions: See how industry-leading AI tools can transform your call center operations, from real-time coaching to advanced call classification, and boost your ability to close bookings efficiently.

Backed by statistical evidence and real-life case studies, this session is your chance to adopt the same cutting-edge AI-driven strategies that leading HVAC, Plumbing, and Electrical companies are using to grow their bookings. Don’t miss out on these insights that could transform your bottom line!

Key Learning Objectives:

• Optimize Lead-to-Booking Conversions with Data-Driven Call HandlingUnderstand how to assign the right customer service representative to the right call type, and leverage data-backed techniques for managing your call center effectively to increase booking rates.
• Enhance Booking Success through Value-Building Techniques and Membership OffersLearn specific conversational tactics, including building value and discussing memberships, supported by statistical insights on what to say (and avoid) to maximize conversion rates.
• Optimize After-Hours, Overflow, and Call Triage for Maximum ConversionGain strategies to handle after-hours and overflow calls effectively, including triaging calls with AI to ensure urgent leads are prioritized and seamlessly managed, helping you capture booking opportunities around the clock.

Time is the great equalizer, both in business and life. It is unbiased and fair to all, yet many people feel time works against them. In reality, it is often we who work against time. So how can you solve the math problem of time? How can you build a framework that uses task management and personal positioning to help you compound time? How can you escape the hysterical hyperactivity that keeps you and your team feeling time-compressed and busy without accomplishing your goals?

In this session, Drew Cameron will share principles, concepts, tools, and resources to help you unlock more time and unleash your fire, drive, creativity, flexibility, and productivity. By following the “Freedom Framework,” you will learn to lead a more productive, prosperous, and prolific life where you are at peace. Drew will also reveal the obvious secrets that most people miss, helping you understand how to make the most of each moment.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• How to manage tasks and position yourself to make the most of your time
• Strategies to escape the feeling of being busy without achieving goals
• Principles and tools to unlock more time and increase productivity
• How to follow the “Freedom Framework” for a more prosperous life
• And so much more!

As the national homeowner demographic shifts towards a younger generation, HVAC business owners face the challenge of evolving their selling strategies to meet the unique needs and preferences of millennial homeowners. The customer buying experience is changing, and it’s crucial to adapt to stay competitive in the market.

Jason Walker has built his reputation as an industry-leading sales expert by mastering how to adapt his communications to different generations. From humble beginnings as a warehouse shop cleaner, Jason quickly rose to become a top-performing comfort advisor and currently runs a successful HVAC business and travels the country as a highly sought after sales trainer. Jason, also known to his dedicated social media followers as Jay Dub Money Maker, hosts an industry-leading podcast, HVAC Masters of the Hustle, where he has shared best practices and helpful tips for HVAC business success with hundreds of thousands of listeners nationwide.

In this session, Jason will share strategies and tactics to help attendees stay competitive and meet the expectations of younger homeowners, including:

• Understanding the characteristics and preferences of younger homeowners in the HVAC market.
• Adapting communication styles to resonate with a tech-savvy, information-driven demographic.
• Leveraging social media and digital platforms to reach and engage younger clients.
• Implementing personalized sales approaches that emphasize sustainability and energy efficiency.
• Implementing streamlined financing options that make energy efficient systems affordable and easily accessible.
• Building trust and credibility through transparency and education.
• Utilizing data and technology to enhance the customer experience and streamline the sales process.
• Developing a mindset and culture that fosters continuous improvement and innovation in sales strategies.

In today’s competitive market, many home services contractors struggle to effectively promote their services, truly stand out from the competition, and grow their businesses. While some companies remain invisible in the crowded marketplace, others seem to effortlessly attract a steady stream of new customers. What sets these successful businesses apart, and how can you emulate their success?

In this breakout session, we bring together top marketing experts from the home services industry to reveal the most proven, winning strategies. You’ll gain invaluable insights into the most effective marketing techniques that are driving growth for the best in the business. Learn how these experts create compelling marketing campaigns, leverage digital platforms, grow referrals and repeat business, and maximize their marketing budgets to achieve exceptional results.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• Proven strategies to create high-impact marketing campaigns that resonate with your target audience
• How to use social media and online reviews to build your brand and attract new customers
• Insider tips on utilizing local SEO to increase your online visibility and drive more traffic to your website
• And so much more!

The industry is changing, and contractors who adapt and embrace how consumer expectations, substantial financial incentives from various government levels, and the crucial role of technology are collectively shaping the home services industry will be in a position to succeed for years to come. HVAC contractors can harness these insights to optimize their business strategies and thrive in a rapidly changing market.

This presentation is tailored for HVAC contractors, business owners, and industry professionals aiming to adapt to and capitalize on the changing dynamics of consumer behavior, governmental incentives, and technological advancements in the home services industry.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• How evolving consumer expectations drive demand for online transparency in home services
• How financial incentives from federal to local levels shape HVAC customer choices
• Leveraging rebates to boost sales of high efficiency systems
• Using digital tools to engage customers and deliver seamless service

Your company’s continued growth and vitality are ultimately dependent on you. And it’s never been more difficult to keep your team emotionally engaged in their work creating “WOW” experiences for homeowners. In this session, we will discuss what it takes to lead your team through turbulent times. You will also be given the opportunity to evaluate your own leadership during our time together as well as steps you can take to improve. Principle-centered leadership creates a culture that shapes behaviors that produce progress and prosperity inside your organization. Learn what leaders do to engage their teams to WOW their customers by reserving your spot in this session!

Plus, you’ll learn:

• How great leaders engage their teams
• How to lead your team through turbulent times
• Evaluate your current leadership and find ways to improve

We’ve been told time after time how important payment solutions are for every customer.

But, why?

What is the psychology behind the consumer buying experience? What role does the actual purchase experience play in your overall customer experience? What tools, ideas, tips and tricks should be utilized to create the best purchase experience? What does a great “Purchase Experience” look like?

In this interactive game show experience the experts from OPTIMUS, GreenSky, and other industry-leading lenders, shone light on some of the most successful purchase experience strategies implemented by the most successful HVAC companies.

Play along with the video to test your knowledge and uncover:

• How consumer behaviors have changed over time and how to understand the driving forces that lead to the actual purchase portion of your customer experience
• Understanding the true difference between payment solution offerings and zero-interest solutions
• How to increase profits and gain better reviews through a great customer purchase experience
• The power and simplicity of commercial lending and its impact on your bottom line
• The truth behind common myths around payment solutions and how your overall experience will attract more affluent buyers

Why is it that some contractors are able to spend as much – or as little – time in their business as they’d like and still be successful? What is the secret they know that allows them to continuously grow in size, locations, and profitability, even if they choose to be hands-off owners? To take vacations? To spend time with their families?

Learn how from Steve Shallenberger, the founder of acclaimed Becoming Your Best Global Leadership – and the founder and president of Synergy Companies, one of California’s most successful contracting businesses despite the fact that Steve is able to take a less active day-to-day role. In this recorded breakout session from EPIC2025, you’ll hear Steve’s eye-opening strategies on how to do what matters most in your business by mastering the art of delegating. And you’ll get the roadmap to build proven systems, structures and people to get a consistent desired result – even when you’re not there!

Plus, you’ll learn:

• How to avoid the pitfalls that allow your business to OWN YOU, even though YOU OWN the business
• How to achieve a P/PC (production & production capability) Balance
• How to balance time between “working in” and “working on” a business – and then be at peace in the process
• How to profit from personal and professional development for you and your employees
• How to hit your short-term goals and long-term objectives

Why do your customers often ignore your findings, data, and recommendations? Many technicians face the frustrating scenario where clients ask for advice, only to counter the recommendation – or take no action at all. Understanding how humans make decisions can help you craft your approach to serve and inform your customers but also compel them to act.

Acclaimed sales trainer Russ Horrocks, explains the psychology of decision-making and provides strategies to enhance customer engagement. By focusing on the traits and behaviors of the best technicians and mastering the art of effective communication, you can make your customers feel safe and confident in their decisions. Plus, Russ shares how to build a team of technicians where specialization creates incredible customer experiences and leads to effective, happy, and successful techs.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• The traits and behaviors of top-performing technicians
• The simplicity of effective communication
• How to make your customers feel safe regardless of their concerns
• How to deliver information without applying pressure
• And so much more!

You’ve heard all about the future that artificial intelligence will usher in. But the truth is, AI is already here and having a significant impact on businesses just like yours. How can you leverage the technology to gain a competitive advantage?

In this session, join Josh Crouch and Tersh Blissett – hosts of the successful podcast Service Business Mastery and experts in home services businesses and how to market them – and begin learning about all the ways that you can leverage this groundbreaking technology to enhance your business’s efficiency and improve your customer’s journey during their lifecycle.

All the ideas and examples shared will be practical and applicable to everyone in attendance; you can walk out and implement them the next day.

Plus, you’ll learn:

• Where AI technology is at and what it can accomplish today
• How to marry AI and automation to get back precious time to focus on more important tasks and projects
• How to delegate the creation of AI/automation to others
• Which tools are essential
• How to find thousands of ideas to leverage AI and automation
• And more!