Build Your Business With JR Waddell

Get To Know JR Waddell

JR can you tell us the nature of your business/job description at Hogg Mechanical and how you got started?

Hogg Mechanical is a 138 year old full service HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) company spanning the era’s of wood/coal/oil/gas/geothermal/solar. We help residential and commercial properties with all of their heating and cooling needs by providing the perfect comfort level!

My title at Hogg Mechanical is Business Development and Communications which is a somewhat fancy name for sales and marketing. Business to Business sales for commercial buildings and marketing for residential houses. I met Ryan vanDyk (Sales and Operations Manager at Hogg Mechanical) in my previous position at the Greater KW Chamber of Commerce. Hogg was aggressively looking to grow their business and knew that online/social media was becoming a huge presence in the area. They wanted to capitalize on this fast paced emerging trend and we came to a mutually rewarding agreement. With this Hogg Mechanical’s online presence was born.

How much time and effort do you think companies should put towards their marketing/advertising?

We think all industries and companies are different. In our industry our leadership team dedicates approximately 45% of our time to marketing/advertising. The HVAC industry is extremely competitive in Southwestern Ontario and we feel that we are doing an amazing job staying ahead of the game. We allocate approximately 6 to 7% of our budget per year towards marketing and advertising.

How often do you see your efforts turn from leads to sales?

We have about a 60% conversion rate of our leads to sales. We constantly strive to generate the best leads and feel that Quality over Quantity is our competitive advantage.

Working for a company that has been in business for many years, what challenges do you face when it comes to implementing changes?

Our first step is to ensure that everyone on our team is brilliant at the basics. Setting realistic change patterns and taking baby steps towards an end goal. We have had success in accepting that co-workers change at different paces and styles. We approach this in a way that allows everyone to adapt and grow at their own reasonably oriented pace and style.

How do you stand out from others in your field?

We truly let our customers dictate what we offer and how we offer it. We found the old approach of HVAC companies selling what was best for themselves as opposed to what was best for their customers inhibited growth in today’s market. Ex. Our generously priced $45 tune up fulfilled a need in the market for homeowners to have a reasonable way to keep their heating and cooling equipment running safe, efficiently and with having an educated piece of mind about their Air Conditioners, Furnaces, Fireplaces, Pool Heaters etc.