Four for the Road

Here are four software solutions that address selling or servicing customers in the field. Each features a set of capabilities aimed at streamlining or otherwise addressing tasks related to its niche or focus.  

Sales Rabbit (www.salesrabbit.com 801/341-2569, available at the App Store and Google Play, subscription plans) is a stand-alone mobile app for contractors selling in the field. The app, designed to aid in canvassing, sales, and management processes, offers lead tracking, lead management, and GPS tracking.  

Lead management capabilities include 10+ customizable field types and the ability to record industry specific details for each lead. Features include a messaging platform for company communications that gives you the ability to create and organize threads by individual or group and the ability to attach photos, videos, and PDFs to add details to lead documentation. The app also provides a leaderboard which can be used to consolidate relevant company statistics such as prospects approached, closure percentage, people contacted, and you can tag messages to keep them organized and searchable. It is possible to customize reporting based on the custom fields (data) selected and to view live reports on reps and company activity.

Sales Rabbit’s GPS tracking capabilities enable displaying a unique profile image for each rep and filtering results by team, rep, or date. Users can discern between old and new locations with fading stamp and time stamp locations for each rep.

The app enables you to create optimized travel routes based on lead locations and appointments for the day, including turn-by-turn directions. Management can also draw areas on iPad and assign them to reps and also color coordinate territories of each sales rep.

A sketchboard is available for hand-drawings that can be used to enhance communication of information visually, e.g. to illustrate pricing, installation procedures, or anything else that is best communicated visually to a customer during a pitch.

Administrators can upload various types of sales tools, including PDFs, videos, sales presentations, as well as training materials.

The add-on service, Data Grid (available on the Team and Pro plans), enables a sales representative inside the map view to access data about each residence,  including name of resident, whether a renter or owner, income, blurred credit rating, and other details which could help in tailoring the sales presentation. Also available in the Pro version: the ability to utilize e-contracts, customized with your company logo and with your own set of guarantees, terms and conditions, and other considerations. 

The solution carries a one-time set-up fee and a fee per month per user based on the plan selected and capabilities included.

Coolselector®2, a free calculation and selection tool for refrigeration professionals, enables unbiased calculations for the selection of refrigeration and air conditioning components based on standard operating conditions or user requirements. This allows the user to visualize the performance of a single component or a complete system/subsystem and compare and analyze the impact of different conditions.  

The software, which is available to download for free at coolselector.danfoss.com and access online at coolselectoronline.danfoss.com, proposes refrigeration components, compressors, and condensing units by considering variables such as cooling capacity, refrigerant, evaporation, and condensation temperature.

Coolselector®2 features various options for graphical presentations, including Operating Conditions Overview, Products and Refrigerant Overview (value, current, American, International, SI), Line Pressure Drop Overview, and Log (p)-h Diagrams. Users of both the desktop and online versions can save selections and projects. Reports that include technical specifications and a bill of materials can be exported as PDF or Excel. Two video series to help users increase their skill with the software and understand the principles behind it are available at YouTube.com/DanfossCool. 

IAQ PRO SmartAir™ measuring instrument for commercial, institutional and residential installations (CPS Products, www.cpsproducts.com/hvacr/smart-tools/, 800/277-3808, available for Android and iOS devices) is a contractor-grade IAQ tool designed to identify issues, help diagnose the causes, and recommend effective solutions. It integrates into CPS Link™, the app for all the CPS wireless products. IAQ PRO SmartAir utilizes sensors to take measurements of particulate matter, VOCs, carbon dioxide, temperature, relative humidity, and static pressure and identifies likely causes of indoor air quality issues. The meter, which connects to smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth, provides instantaneous readings. A 30-minute test is recommended for best results. The app generates both onscreen recommendations and a transmittable PDF report with the contractor’s logo on it in the form of a proposal with recommended solutions and customizable cost itemization.

My Service Builder (MyServiceBuilder.com, LLC, 515/957-1814) offers commercial/industrial HVAC maintenance agreement sales people an estimating tool. Its API allows users to connect their CRM to avoid double client information entry. Six agreement types are available, each featuring an equipment list, filter list, and sales tasks and including inspection labor, maintenance labor, repair and replace labor, emergency labor, small parts, maintenance repair parts, and non-maintenance items.

Available agreements are: Full Coverage Plus (everything), Full Coverage (traditional), Full Coverage (no compressors), Full Coverage (labor only), standard maintenance, and inspection only. Users can customize an agreement and modify values as needed and add images of a customer’s equipment to a maintenance agreement proposal. The solution is subscription priced, monthly or annually, with updates, training and support included. A free 30-day trial is available.

Patti Feldman writes articles and web content for trade magazines and manufacturers of building products. She can be reached at [email protected].