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Zach Williams
Owner & Founder, Venveo
If you hate money, then don’t do email marketing. The average ROI for email is about 36x. That means for every $1 you spend on software or doing email marketing, you can get $36 back.
Email marketing is a type of content marketing where email is how you get your message to your market. A solid email marketing strategy helps you stay connected with customers before they need emergency service.
Because of that, it’s not that different from any other advertising channel you use to tell people about your stuff. And, unlike social media, you control who gets to see it instead of some algorithm.
With every email you send, your objective should be to either increase the likelihood that someone purchases in the future or get them to buy now.
Use these examples to know what to write and when to send them. Each campaign example includes a complete template (subject lines, body text, and a sales pitch as a call to action) you can copy and tweak.
Important: Replace anything in brackets with details specific to your situation.
People naturally procrastinate on maintenance until something breaks. Which always happens at the worst possible time and ends up costing more money.
Connect the upcoming season to the benefits of doing something before things get busy. Send the first email in this sequence 6–8 weeks before peak season, with emails spaced weekly and the final email going out 2–5 days before your busy season starts.
Alert customers when a specific season is approaching and explain the consequences of waiting to do something until their system fails during peak demand.
Subject: Summer is just x weeks away (your AC ready?)
Your air conditioner is about to face its biggest test of the year.
Last summer, we had customers paying $400+ for emergency service that would’ve cost $150 if they’d scheduled a checkup right now.
Others had to go days without AC because every company in the city was booked solid.
Your AC doesn’t care that it’s inconvenient to break down during your daughter’s graduation party or when you’re hosting out-of-town guests. It’s going to quit when it’s pushed hardest. When you need it most.
The good news?
Most breakdowns are preventable with a simple tune-up before the heat hits.
Schedule your Beat the Heat Checkup now before the rush. Same-day service available through May 20th.
{Your Name}
PS - How it feels when your air goes out in the summer
PS statements are one of the most read parts of an email besides the subject line.
You want people to click the link for your main offer. But if they don’t, we still want to get people used to clicking links in the emails we send. It helps condition behavior and sends positive trust signals (in the form of click-through rates) back to your email provider, which makes it easier for your emails to land in their inbox and not the promotions tab.
In these examples, the PS statements link to memes to make people laugh. If you can’t get them to click on your main offer, you at least want them to remember you (we call this aided and unaided recall in the marketing world). Making people laugh works pretty well for that.
I encourage you to do what you feel comfortable with, though. Experiment and try things out to see what works best for you.
Provide a simple DIY checklist homeowners can complete in minutes to spot potential issues before they become expensive problems.
Subject: 10 minutes now saves you $400 later
This checklist catches 80% of AC issues before they become emergencies.
Outside Unit (5 minutes)
- {First thing they should check}
- {Second thing they should check}
- {Third thing they should check}
Inside Unit (3 minutes)
- {First thing they should check}
- {Second thing they should check}
- {Third thing they should check}
Thermostat (2 minutes)
- {First thing they should check}
- {Second thing they should check}
Red flags that need immediate attention: Ice on the outdoor unit, burning smells, weak airflow from multiple vents.
Found something concerning? Don’t wait until it’s 95 degrees outside.
Schedule your Beat the Heat Checkup before the issue gets worse (and more expensive).
{Your Name}
PS - How your AC feels when you don’t check up on it
Share specific, actionable tips to reduce energy consumption during the upcoming season with potential dollar savings.
Subject: Tips to cut your electric bill this summer
Your summer electric bill doesn’t have to be a mortgage payment.
These 3 simple changes put money back in your pocket.
#1: {First tip}. {Elaborate and explain how this helps}.
#2: {Second tip}. {Elaborate and explain how this helps}.
#3: {Third tip}. {Elaborate and explain how this helps}.
Making these changes can help you spend less cooling your home without sacrificing comfort. But not if your system isn’t in good shape.
Schedule your Beat the Heat Checkup now to make sure things run smoothly all summer.
{Your Name}
PS - When you see your summer electric bill
Explain how professional maintenance is like insurance against breakdowns, while emphasizing limited availability during peak season.
Subject: Beat the summer rush (book now or pay later)
Everyone suddenly remembers their AC exists when temps hit 90 degrees outside.
Here’s what happens every summer:
- April–May: We’re able to provide same-day service with discount pricing.
- June: More people need help. 2–3 day wait times. Prices start climbing as the discount season ends.
- July–August: We start taking emergency calls only. Premium rates with week-long wait times.
Smart homeowners book their tune-ups now while we can fit you in same-day at our discounted rates.
Your Beat the Heat Checkup includes:
1. {Benefit #1}
2. {Benefit #2}
3. {Benefit #3}
Don’t wait until your AC quits on the hottest day of the year when you’ll have to pay twice as much to get it fixed and still be stuck sweating for days.
Schedule your Beat the Heat Checkup while same-day service is still available at a discount.
{Your Name}
PS - What its like trying to get your AC fixed in July
Create urgency with a limited-time offer before the busy season begins.
Subject: ${amount} off before summer (ends {Friday})
Summer starts in {x} days. After {Friday}, here’s what changes:
Service availability: {Same day service availability ends}
Pricing: Rates increase from ${amount} to ${amount}.
We’ve got {number} same-day Beat the Heat Checkup slots left. Get ${amount} off for a limited time by booking now.
Don’t be the person calling on a 90 degree Saturday paying more than double for emergency service because you didn’t get things ready beforehand.
Claim your ${amount} off Beat the Heat Checkup before the discount expires {Friday}.
{Your Name}
PS - How it feels missing out on this offer
Weather alerts create a great reason to email your market. Use these moments to position your services as preparation rather than reaction.
Create templates in your email marketing tool that are always ready to tweak and send when weather events like heatwaves, polar vortices happen.
Send this first email when the severe weather is a little over a week out, explaining how it will stress their HVAC system and what could go wrong. If you don’t have a week of advanced notice, adjust as needed.
Subject: 10-day heatwave starts Monday (is your AC ready?)
The National Weather Service just issued a {heat advisory} for {area}. Expect {10} straight days {above 95°F} starting {Monday}.
That's not just uncomfortable weather. That's your air conditioner running non-stop for over a week straight.
Here’s what can go wrong if you’re not prepared:
1. {First thing that can go wrong}
2. {Second thing that can go wrong}
3. {Third thing that can go wrong}
Last time we had a heatwave like this, we got {47} emergency calls in one day. Most were for units that would’ve kept running with a simple tune-up beforehand.
Don’t wait until your air goes out to call.
Schedule your Heatwave Readiness Check now so you don’t pay more later when everyone’s rushing to get their broken units fixed.
{Your Name}
PS - How a {10}-day heatwave feels
This is a final urgent push sent 24-48 hours before the weather event explaining what can go wrong if they wait.
Subject: Last chance to prep your AC before the heatwave
You’ve got less than {48} hours before the {10}-day {heatwave} starts.
After that, here’s what changes:
Service availability: We’ll only be able to take emergency calls
Pricing: Rates go up over {3}x
Wait times: Same-day service becomes “we’ll get there when we can”
We have {3} Heatwave Readiness slots left before we’re only fixing broken units for the next {10} days.
Once the heat hits and systems start breaking, you’ll be in line behind hundreds of other people no matter who you call for help.
Don’t wait to call until it’s an emergency.
Book your Heatwave Readiness Check before the rush begins and it’s too late.
{Your Name}
PS - What it’s like when your AC goes out during a heatwave
This is what we call an evergreen campaign, meaning you can run it all year long to keep a steady stream of new reviews rolling in.
In the first email, you offer something in exchange for the customer leaving you an honest review. Phrase it as compensation for their time while emphasizing how their feedback helps other homeowners.
People are busy, and leaving you a review is usually not at the top of their priorities. Offering compensation helps, but a deadline gives people that extra motivation to overcome procrastination.
Platforms like Google explicitly prohibit compensating people in exchange for reviews. But that doesn’t stop some business owners from doing it to help them rank higher on Google anyway.
Make sure you’re aware of the rules (and risks) of the platform you’re trying to get reviews on beforehand.
The Federal Trade Commission does not prohibit compensating people for reviews as long as you’re not compensating them on the condition that they leave you a positive review. When asking people to leave a review or feedback, ask them to share their honest experience.
For more guidance, see the FTC’s Guide to Paying for Online Reviews.
Subject: Get ${25} for 2 minutes of your time
Leave us a review sharing your honest experience with our service before {date} and we’ll send you a ${amount} gift card.
Your review helps others just like you know who to hire when they need help.
How it works:
1. Click this link and leave an honest review on {platform}.
2. Reply to this email with a screenshot before {deadline}.
3. Get your ${amount} Amazon gift card within {48} hours.
It’ll take just 2 minutes of your time.
Leave your review before {deadline} and claim your ${amount} bonus.
{Your Name}
PS - How it feels when people leave us reviews
In this second email, remind them of the reward offer with urgency around the expiration date and make it easy with direct review links. Send this follow-up 1–2 days after the first one.
Subject: Review bonus expires {Friday} (${amount})
You still have time to get your ${amount} bonus for leaving us a review before {deadline}.
All you need to do:
1. Click this link and leave an honest review on {platform}.
2. Reply to this email with a screenshot before {deadline}.
3. Get your ${amount} Amazon gift card within {48} hours.
After {Friday}, the bonus program ends.
Your 2-minute review helps other homeowners in {area} find trustworthy HVAC service when their system breaks down.
Claim your ${amount} bonus for leaving a review. This offer expires on {deadline}.
{Your Name}
Don’t limit yourself to the examples above. Here are some additional campaign ideas you can try out. There’s no need to try them all at once. Pick the ones that match your business and customer base the best.
TIP: If you’re not sure what to write and don’t feel like learning all the ins and outs of being a copywriter, you can always contact us for help.
New homeowners don’t know what they don’t know. Help them out.
TIP: Partner with local real estate agents or brokers to educate new homeowners on the basics of HVAC maintenance.
Email #1: Welcome to Homeownership. Congratulate them and introduce the hidden HVAC costs/issues that most new homeowners don't discover until it's too late. You can offer them a new homeowner’s discount in the very first email, too.
Email #2: First Month HVAC Priorities. Give them a checklist of things to look for in their first 30 days.
Email #3: Avoid the $5,000 Surprise. Share common expensive HVAC problems that catch new homeowners off-guard and how to prevent them.
Email #4: The Myths. Address all the things your potential customers tell themselves that are stopping them from taking your initial offer. What are the things they tell themselves that keep them from moving forward or taking action? It’s almost always something related to time, effort, cost, or perceived risk (or lack of).
Email #5: New Homeowner Discount. Offer the special new homeowner maintenance package or inspection discount again. Reinforce urgency by emphasizing when the offer ends and what it could cost them later.
Most homeowners forget to change their filters until their system starts acting up. Use your CRM to set up automated reminders based on their last service date to keep them on track.
One of the trickiest things with email marketing is having something to say that your customers will actually find relevant and useful. 59% of Americans say that most emails they receive are not useful to them (Edison Mail, 2023). Reminding people it’s time to change their filter gives you a good reason to reach out and make one more good impression with your customers in a valuable way.
TIP: You can also use your CRM to determine the size and type of filters they need, and give them links to purchase filters directly from you or from an online retailer where you can earn affiliate commissions.
Upsell existing customers with old furnaces/AC units to modern heat pumps by demonstrating energy savings, rebates, and year-round efficiency benefits.
Getting people to take action when what they already have is still working is the hardest part. Try explaining how repairing furnaces is only going to get more expensive because fewer and fewer HVAC contractors know how to even diagnose and fix them anymore.
If you have numbers on how many of their neighbors (or people in their city/county) have already made the switch, you can mention that too. The Bandwagon Effect and Fear of Missing Out can be powerful motivators to get people to take action.
Educate customers with 10+ year old systems about when to repair vs. replace. Position it as “Planned Replacement vs Emergency Replacement.” Send these during shoulder seasons (especially in spring before people get their tax returns).
Highlight manufacturer rebates (and if they’re expiring soon) and how it’s cheaper to do this now than during the middle of summer or winter. Anticipate and address the objections they’re going to have. Use any and all social proof you have in the form of reviews, stories from past customers (including those who waited too long and paid the price for it).
Happy customers are your best source of new business. Create a simple referral program that rewards existing customers for sending friends and family your way. Offer incentives like account credits or gift cards when their referrals book a service.
There are a few things to keep in mind to avoid some common mistakes before you go running email campaigns using the examples above.
People unsubscribing from your emails isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Email is just another way to tell people about your stuff. If people unsubscribe, it doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t want to buy or that they don’t like your company. It may just mean they don’t prefer that form of communication.
You don’t want to keep sending emails to a list of people who aren’t interested. Doing so will just make it harder to reach the primary inbox of everyone else.
So make it easy for people to unsubscribe.
Note: Be aware of and comply with CAN-SPAM laws
Additionally, this is not legal advice. Review the FTC's website for more specific legal information regarding laws related to the CAN-SPAM Act. We have a ton of experience with this and know how to remain compliant. If you’re worried you’ll make a mistake or just need help, please reach out to us.
Segmentation, in this context, means dividing your email list into smaller groups based on what those people have in common. Instead of sending the same email to everyone, you send specific messages to specific groups of people.
Think about it like this: a customer with a brand-new HVAC system isn’t going to be interested in getting a series of emails about replacing their older units. A homeowner dealing with their first emergency isn’t going to care about the same things a property manager responsible for the upkeep of multiple apartment complexes would.
Start with simple characteristics you (hopefully) already track about your customers.
If you have a marketing suite capable of advanced tracking, you can start segmenting people based on their behavior.
For example, you can measure how engaged they are by measuring how they interact with your emails, your website, or any paid ads you’re running.
People don’t often delete their personal email accounts, but if they do, you’ll see it in your bounce rate metric. Keep an eye on it and remove people if their email address bounces.
You want your emails to look like emails. You’re not an ecommerce company. Save the fancy graphics and layouts for social media. The more images and links you add, the higher the likelihood your emails will end up in the Promo tab.
Simple, text-based emails work. They have a better deliverability rate and are easier for customers to quickly scan and understand.
Also, don’t forget to check how your emails look on mobile before sending them. Most email marketing platforms have features for this. For example, HubSpot and Mailchimp both let you see what any email will look like across a variety of devices and email clients.
Focus on the basics if you’re just getting started. Don’t get overwhelmed trying to do every advanced strategy or tactic you read about online.
Testing different subject lines and email content can improve results. But I wouldn’t worry about this until you have a big enough email list to reach statistical significance.
Note
The exact list size needed for a proper a/b test will vary based on the changes you’re testing, your desired confidence level, the metric you’re measuring, and how long you want it to run.
You’re probably not trying to be a statistician on the side. So start by just getting in the habit of consistently sending emails and listening to customer feedback before you worry about optimizing everything.
Don’t try to create a bunch of different customer segments based on complex criteria.
Worry about getting a proper CRM setup and training your staff to use it first.
Some segmentation is fine in the beginning. Just keep it simple. For example:
That’s a good place to start. Add more as your email list grows and you understand your market more.
Some marketing automation tools will help. But complex drip sequences with multiple decision trees and variable-based conditional logic can wait.
But if you’re the type of person who just wants to get things right the first time, hire an agency with experience marketing HVAC companies to do it for you. That way, you can focus on what you do best—running your business and serving your customers.
Start simple, stay consistent, and scale up when you're ready.
Your customers just want to be comfortable. Help them get what they want by giving them useful information that’s relevant, simple to understand, and easy to act on.
Start with one campaign. Pick the seasonal readiness series if you’re approaching summer or winter. Or try to review generation if you want to see a quick boost in your local rankings on Google. Send simple, text-based emails. Your biggest competitive advantage won’t be fancy email templates. It’s being the company that people remember before they have problems, not just after.
Still not sure where to start? Look, I get it. You’re busy running your business. Writing copy, creating email templates, segmenting your lists, building automation workflows, configuring DNS settings, and tracking all the data that goes along with it isn’t exactly what you dreamed of doing with your week.
If you want to buy back your time and pay someone else to make you money, contact us here. We’ll take care of the emails so you can take care of your customers.
