Stop the Stinking Thinking: Selling High-Value HVAC Solutions with Confidence

Stop Racing to the Bottom: How Michael Goer Built a Premium HVAC Brand (One Educated Client at a Time)

By Joe Crisara

If you're in the home service industry and you're tired of the grind, discount shoppers, rushed installs, and razor-thin margins it’s time to change the game. In this episode of the Service MVP Podcast, I sat down with someone who’s done just that. Michael Goer, Managing Partner and COO of Environmental Heating & Air Solutions, joins me to share how he built a premium HVAC brand from the ground up.

Michael didn’t start with a silver spoon or a tech investor. He started in a red van, crawling through attics in upstate New York. Over the years, he made the journey from installer to sales, then into training, and finally, into leadership. Today, he’s helping lead a $20M+ business and he did it by embracing something most contractors overlook:

High-value service backed by education, boundaries, and strategy.

Watch the full podcast episode here: Stop the Stinking Thinking: Elevate Your HVAC Sales Strategy with Michael Goer 

or

Listen to the full podcast episode here: Stop the Stinking Thinking: Elevate Your HVAC Sales Strategy with Michael Goerr 

 
Pick a Lane: Premium Over Price

One of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Michael is the intentional choice to not be the cheapest. Instead, Environmental Heating & Air picked the premium lane and stayed in it.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t about price gouging or fancy packaging. This is about clearly defining value and delivering it every single time.

When you try to serve every type of customer, you dilute your service. But when you decide to serve people who want more than just “a box swap,” you can focus on whole-home performance, comfort, and long-term outcomes.

"The customers who spend the most are usually the easiest to work with,” Michael told me. “Meanwhile, the ones grinding you for discounts often become the biggest headaches."
 
Educate First, Sell Later: The Whole-Home Approach

If you want to sell premium solutions, you have to educate first. That’s something I’ve taught for years, and Michael’s team exemplifies this beautifully.

They don’t just replace HVAC units—they use infrared cameras, CFM analyzers, and duct pressure testing to show clients what’s actually wrong. And here’s the key: They do it before talking about products.

“You’re not there to install what they asked for. You’re there to show them what they didn’t know was broken.”
This consultative approach builds instant trust. When you're the only one diagnosing airflow issues or envelope inefficiencies, your price makes sense because it’s attached to real solutions.

 
Boundaries Matter: Not Every Client is Your Client

One of the most powerful lessons in this episode is about setting boundaries. Michael’s company doesn’t even bring up single-stage systems in their proposals unless the client insists.

Why? Because they stand behind their recommendations. If a customer insists on cutting corners, they document that better options were offered. They’re not afraid to say, “We may not be the right fit.”

This mindset protects your brand, your team, and your time. More importantly, it gives your team the confidence to walk away from the wrong clients.

 
Scaling Without Compromise: From $3M to $20M+

Michael and his team didn’t get to $20M by chasing leads. They did it by doing more with the leads they had. Rather than competing on price, they raised their average ticket by delivering layered, performance-based solutions.

When others are panicking over low call volume, Environmental is thriving because every call is treated as an opportunity to transform a home.

“You don’t need more calls,” Michael said. “You need to do more with the calls you already have.”
 
Sales Strategy with Purpose: Good, Better, Best

At Service MVP, we teach a “Good, Better, Best” structure but only when it’s rooted in purpose. That means starting high to align with what the client really wants, and stepping down only if necessary.

Michael's team will phase out projects doing mechanicals now, ductwork later—and build long-term trust while farming their own future calls. That’s smart business.

“Start high, work your way down. Even your middle-tier sale is a win.”
 
Eliminate the Stinking Thinking

One of the biggest barriers to premium sales isn’t the customer it’s you. Too many techs and salespeople disqualify clients before they even make the offer. They assume people won’t buy. They assume the market is “too price-sensitive.”

Michael puts it plainly: “Stop the stinking thinking.”
When you believe in your value and have the tools to communicate it clients will invest. They want comfort. They want solutions. They want experts who can guide them through the process.

 
Final Takeaways: Transform, Don’t Just Replace

This episode isn’t just an interview it’s a blueprint. If you’re ready to:

 Raise your average ticket
 Educate instead of pitch
 Attract better-fit clients
 Scale without sacrificing quality
 Sleep at night knowing you did the right thing

…then it’s time to shift your mindset and upgrade your process.

“If you're not offering the best first, the answer is always no. Don’t let fear keep you from transforming someone’s home and their life.”
 
Want to Learn to Sell Like This?

Join the Service MVP Club and get access to the exact tools, training, and coaching that empower pros like Michael and his team to win big. We’ll teach you how to lead with value, educate your clients, and never compete on price again.

Live Weekly Coaching
On-Demand Sales & Service Training
Proven Tools, Scripts, & Role-Based Courses

Click here to try the MVP Club free for 2 weeks

Let’s stop selling and start serving at the highest level. You’ve got this.

To your transformation,

Joe Crisara

America’s Service Sales Coach

Founder, Service MVP