Cracking the Code

Compensation Plans That Actually Drive Performance

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you incentivizing performance effectively? Most pay plans look good on paper but fail in the real world because they’re too slow, too complicate...

Winning $60K Jobs Overnight with Light Commercial

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Many contractors overlook the easiest path to bigger tickets and faster closes: light commercial jobs. When a business loses heating or cooling, they ...

The 60-Second Rule: 2X Lead Conversions

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is your follow-up speed costing you thousands in missed revenue? Studies show that if you don’t reach a new lead within a minute, your chances of co...

AI and the New HVAC Leads Game

16 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How are you performing on lead generation? Many contractors still think lead generation is about ranking on Google and bidding on the right keywords. ...

Double Growth with Better Booking

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the fastest path to double your business growth? Chad Petermen, President & CEO of Peterman Brothers, says it’s mastering your call center!...

Building a Buyer-Ready HVAC Business From a M&A Expert

02 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Selling an HVAC business isn’t just a financial milestone. It’s a legacy moment that reflects your leadership and the culture you’ve built. Succ...

How Menu Pricing Unlocks Trust, Transparency & Sales

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Too many contractors still rely on quote-driven sales processes that often cause confusion and slow sales momentum, sometimes to a screeching halt. Th...

How Wowing Customers Led to $60 Million in Annual Revenue

19 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Building a strong customer base is great, but building a referral fan base is transformative. Companies that master unforgettable customer service eve...

How Contractors are Thriving in a Changing Landscape

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

External pressures are reshaping the HVAC industry — from tariffs and private equity, to rapidly evolving homeowner expectations. Yet despite it all...

AI That Builds Better Customer Journeys

05 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone’s talking about AI, but here’s the truth — it won’t replace people and it won’t replace critical thinking. The real competitive edg...

How Video and Training Led to 3X Business Growth

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tripling a business doesn’t happen overnight. For Barron Heating, AC, Electrical & Plumbing, it came from two core commitments: finding the right pe...

The Three Keys to Lasting Success

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Who’s really running your business and what should you focus on? How should you think about finances? The answers to these fundamental questions are...

The Entrepreneur’s Journey

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Being an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint of heart. Running your own business means long days that stretch far beyond a 40-hour work week, tackling ...

Stress-Free HVAC Sales Process That Works

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does selling sometimes feel like you’re pushing prospects too hard? Closing more HVAC jobs can be stress-free for you and your customers when you le...

Interview Questions to Find A+ Employees

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does your interview process get the right people in the right roles? This week, Drew Cameron and Gary Elekes build on last week’s discussion about r...

Avoiding the Biggest Recruiting Mistakes

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hiring the right people is hard enough. What happens when the wrong person is already on your team? In this week’s episode, Contractor University fa...

Driving Operational Maximization

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know how to maximize your operations during the summer rush? It starts with aligning your people, processes, and priorities — then turning ev...

Leadership That Drives Brand Trust

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Customers don’t sit in on staff meetings, and they won’t study your mission statement, but they feel the effects of how your business runs every t...

Chasing Greatness: Becoming an Industry GOAT

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The best contractors aren’t just skilled — they’re hungry, humble, and always leveling up. Going from a profitable business to a leader in the i...

The Psychology Behind Buying HVAC: Part 2

27 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The best in-home sales strategies aren’t flashy. Don’t think high-tech, think high-touch. With thoughtful, structured, customer-first selling tech...

The Psychology Behind Buying HVAC: Part 1

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What really makes homeowners say “Yes,” when making HVAC purchasing decisions? It’s not always about the price — it’s about the feeling behi...

Top 10 Critical KPIs for Contractors: Part 2

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is Your Business Focused on the Right Numbers? Not all metrics are created equal—and if you’re tracking the wrong ones, you could be missing key o...

Top 10 Critical KPIs for Contractors: Part 1

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you measuring what really matters in your business? Achieving financial success in your business is built on understanding what functions truly mo...

Building a Prosperity Mindset: Part 2

29 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What’s holding you back from reaching your full potential in business? Success requires concentration on even the smallest processes and aspects of ...

Building a Prosperity Mindset: Part 1

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What separates a struggling contractor from one who builds a thriving business? It’s not just technical skills or a business degree, it’s mindset....

Building Strong Customer Relationships: Part 2

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why do some techs struggle to gain traction with customers, while others using the same process consistently connect and convert? It often comes down ...

Building Strong Customer Relationships: Part 1

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why do the “right” words to a customer sometimes fail to produce results? Techs often start with a concept, a maintenance agreement or a diagnosis...

Drive Excellence with Performance-Based Pay: Part 2

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if your pay structure actually inspired innovation and accountability? Performance-based pay motivates your employees to do more than just comple...

Drive Excellence with Performance-Based Pay: Part 1

24 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does it feel like you’re paying for hours worked rather than results delivered? Implementing a pay structure based on merit doesn’t just change co...

Customer Service & Dispatching Alignment: Part 2

18 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does your customer service suffer when things get busy? Is your dispatch team constantly playing catch-up? When dispatching is aligned with customer s...

Customer Service & Dispatching Alignment: Part 1

11 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is your dispatching team in alignment with your technicians? Do your front-line employees provide service that creates loyal customers—or are they j...

1-on-1 Coaching: The Shortcut to Contractor Growth

04 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have an expert confidant who truly understands your business—and can guide you to highs while avoiding the lows? Having someone to bounce ide...

Top 5 Ways to Maximize Sales with Payment Plans: Part 2

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do your customers understand how today’s purchasing decision shapes future savings and support? When you shift the conversation from convoluted paym...

Top 5 Ways to Maximize Sales with Payment Plans: Part 1

20 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nobody likes surprise costs, especially in the thousands. With 70% of customers using payment plans for their purchase and spending 110% more on avera...

Scaling Your Business for Sustainable Growth: Part 2

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Struggling to scale your business effectively? You’re not alone. Overwhelmed teams with communication and workflow breakdowns can hinder sustainable...

Scaling Your Business for Sustainable Growth: Part 1

06 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know what gaps might hinder your company’s growth? Transitioning from a startup with a few employees to a multi-million-dollar business is ab...

Earn Homeowner Confidence with Third-Party Certifications

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do you differentiate yourself in the market and stand out as a quality provider? Having high standards isn’t enough. Getting third-party apprais...

Selling Your Business: Top 10 Insights from an Expert Broker

23 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you considering selling your business but unsure about the market? Do you know when the best time to start planning your exit strategy is? Learn t...

The “Why” Behind Your Business

16 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does your company have a greater purpose that your team can get behind? What truly drives your business? The “Why” behind your company gives a fou...

Finding Good People: The Technician Edition

09 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the contracting industry you often hear “I can’t find good people!” It’s time to change the narrative. With a projected 21% increase in tec...

Qualifying and Setting Sales Leads, Part 2

02 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you tired of pouring time and resources into leads that just don’t convert? Save time and money while closing more leads. It’s more manageable...

Qualifying and Setting Sales Leads, Part 1

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Maximize your sales potential by mastering lead qualification and setting! Don’t chase your tail with leads that are a bad fit or might not be ready...

Recruiting & Retention for Results

16 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Making thoughtful, strategic hiring decisions is crucial for every contractor. In fact, hiring the wrong staff can cost businesses up to 30% of an emp...

All About Indoor Air Quality, Part 4

09 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Poor indoor air quality causes or aggravates 50% of all illnesses. That means that offering indoor air quality solutions to your customers isn’t jus...

All About Indoor Air Quality, Part 3

02 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if the air inside your customers’ homes was 100x more polluted than the air outside? Wouldn’t that concern them? And wouldn’t it provide yo...

All About Indoor Air Quality, Part 2

26 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We cannot live without air – it’s the most important thing for every single one of us. So of course it’s the most important thing for your custo...

12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders

19 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is your personal vision? More importantly, what are your team members’ personal visions? The most engaged and productive members of any team te...

All About Indoor Air Quality

12 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When you walk in the home as a service tech, it’s not always just about determining if a unit’s broken. Sometimes a unit seems to be functioning f...

Payment Options That Incentivize Buying

05 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every business wants a customer with their ideal buying behaviors. But customers aren’t born with those behaviors – it’s the business’s respon...

Show Customers All the Ways They Can Buy

29 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Making something comfortable and affordable is the first step to appealing to your customer. But if it doesn’t make sense to them in their everyday ...

How to Scale Your Business, Part 2

15 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You’re ready to scale your business, now all you need is a list of priorities. What’s first? Thankfully, there are three crucial categories you ne...

How to Scale Your Business

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Design Principles for Residential Comfort Advisors

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Use QR Codes in Your Marketing

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How We Learn

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How Digital Marketing Adds to Your Overall Marketing Plan

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Use Financing to Adapt to the Modern Consumer

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three Ways to Optimize Your Sales Process

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is Price Conditioning?

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Approach Different Types of Buyers

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What Makes A Good Leader?

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Build Trust and Generate Customer Referrals

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Get Technicians to Sell pt. 2

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every day, you’re either affirming your current habits and routines or breaking them and starting new ones. As a business owner, you need to create ...

How to Get Technicians to Sell

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Different Types of Buyers for Service Companies

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Synchronize Your Marketing

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Determining Technician Success in the Home

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Essential Interview Questions and Tips for Your HVAC Business

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Avoid the Biggest Recruiting Mistakes

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Maximize Your Operational Efficiency

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Use Buzz Marketing in Your Business

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Create Trust in Your Brand

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

HVAC Buying Psychology pt. 2

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

HVAC Buying Psychology

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

4 Steps to Increasing Referrals and Repeat Customers

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Top 10 KPIs for HVAC Contractors pt. 2

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Top 10 KPIs for HVAC Contractors

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Growth Mindset for Residential HVAC Contractors pt. 2

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Growth Mindset for Residential HVAC Contractors

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Design Principles for Residential HVAC Contractors

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Use ChatGPT in Your HVAC Business pt. 2

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Consumer Financing ABCs for HVAC Contractors

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Use ChatGPT in Your HVAC Business

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Technician Communication pt. 1

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Technician Communication pt. 1 | Cracking the Code Podcast The post Technician Communication pt. 1 first appeared on My Contractor University | Dashbo...

Performance-Based Pay pt. 2

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Find Your Dream Team

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Run Your Call Center and Customer Service Department Like a Pro

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Inspire Your Team & Grow Your Business with Tommy Mello

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Learn How to Build Your Price Book

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Performance-Based Pay Pt. 1

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Customer Service and Dispatching Pt. 2

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Customer Service and Dispatching Pt. 1

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

HVAC Design Principles

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Business Coaching for HVAC Contractors | EGIA Contractor University

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Top 5 Ways to Maximize Sales and Profits with Payment Plans pt. 2

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How to Increase HVAC Sales

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Maximize Profits with an HVAC Payment Plan | EGIA Contractor University

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Top 5 Ways to Maximize Profits and Sales with an HVAC Payment Plan Understand the secrets to boosting profits and skyrocketing sales in our latest epi...

Make the Most of HVAC Business Coaching | EGIA Contractor University

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the latest episode of Cracking The Code, Scott Deming dives deep into the realm of HVAC business coaching, engaging in a compelling interview with ...

Planning for Scaling and Expansion Pt. 2

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Cracking The Code, we’re back with part two of our exploration into planning for scaling and expansion with Gary Elekes. Building upon ...

Planning for Scaling and Expansion

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Cracking The Code, our host, Gary Elekes, takes you through the intricate process of planning for scaling and expansion in part one of a ...