Transform Your Heating Business With Networks

Why network?

Put simply, networking is a great way of getting your name out there. So many heating businesses rely on word of mouth referrals and recommendations to sustain their income.

In a way, your regular day-to-day jobs are a form of networking – it just isn’t always thought of that way.

“Gas engineers and other trades people do so well through networking because everyone starts to refer them,” explains Michele.

Actively pursuing networking will help you generate a free source of jobs. These referrals and recommendations then lead into repeat business and even partnerships with letting agencies, commercial clients, and lots more – all of which are extremely good for a trades business. “A lot of the property [networks] are very very good, especially for gas engineers and electricians,” says Michele.

Read more: Do you know your ideal customer?

Eventually, you’ll be able to shift your focus onto what you enjoy and love doing the most. But that’s enough of selling the dream – how can it actually be done?

The perfect pitch: how to network like a pro

A pitch is a short (typically around 60 second) introduction to your business and its services. Some networking events will be a bit more structured and give the opportunity for you to share your pitch in front of an audience. Others, such as chatting at the local pub, will just flow more naturally in conversation – but the core concept is the same. 

What should your pitch include?

You’ve got to make sure they know:

• Your name
• Where you’re from
• What service you offer
• Why it’s important
• Who you’re looking for

But don’t try to cover absolutely everything. Instead, take each of your core services and break them down into even smaller elements. “[Some people] just go on and on, but nobody’s listening. Take each one and make it into a 60 second pitch,” says Michele. 

You’re not there to sell your services, but a benefit or solution to a pain point: “People buy for pleasure or gain, so have energy and engage”. For example, instead of saying you service boilers, break it down into separate parts that each have a key advantage or solve a particular pain point that your customers have:

• You might try networking to those hit hardest by the cost of living crisis and angle your pitch around serviced boilers running cheaper.
• For homeowners with young kids or elderly parents, you could talk about serviced boilers being much safer.
• For property companies, having a single company to keep all their Gas Safety Certificates valid ticks a legal requirement of theirs and makes life much easier.

“Standing up and doing a pitch can be really terrifying… but it’s the confidence and connections that it brings you,” says Michele. This will carry across to many other aspects of your business and is a great skill to have under your belt.