A facility manager will almost never book a service agreement on the first call, so plan three calls over about ten days and give each one a different job. Call one asks who maintains the rooftop units now. Call two offers a free look at one building. Call three sets the date for the walk-through. Each call is under a minute. Together they get you a site visit with a person who has heard your name three times.

The example is made up. Rafael Dumont owns Northgate Mechanical, a six-technician commercial HVAC shop that services rooftop units, boilers and controls in office parks and retail centers. He calls facility managers and property managers who run buildings of 20,000 to 100,000 square feet. The rest of this page is what he says on each of the three calls.

Call 1, day 1: who maintains the units

Hi, is this Imogen? Rafael Dumont at Northgate Mechanical. I'm a commercial HVAC contractor, and I'm calling facility managers in the area to ask one question. Who handles preventive maintenance on the rooftop units at Fairmont Plaza today, an outside company or your own staff?

Ask nothing else. If she says "an outside company," ask "How long have they been with you, and is it a service agreement or call-when-it-breaks?" If she says "our own people," ask "How many technicians, and do they cover the roof and the controls?" You are learning who the competition is. Close with, "Would it be okay to send a one-page overview of what we do and call you Monday?" Most people say yes to a sheet of paper.

Call 2, day 4: the free look

Imogen, Rafael at Northgate Mechanical, we spoke Tuesday about Fairmont Plaza's rooftop units. I mentioned a one-page overview. Quick question: when was the last time anyone logged filter changes and belt checks on all the units in one place? I can do a free walk of the roof, look at the units, and write you a one-page condition report with the issues ranked by how soon they will cost you. No pitch on the day. Can I do Thursday morning?

The condition report is the product on this call. It is useful to her even if she never hires him, because it lists unit ages, visible leaks, dirty coils and belts. That is her next budget request written down. Rafael sends it within two working days. He does not give prices on the phone for a service agreement, because he has not seen the equipment.

Call 3, day 10: set the date

Imogen, Rafael at Northgate. Did you get the overview and the note about the roof walk? I'm over in the Fairmont area Thursday and Friday. Which gives you the least disruption, Thursday at 8 or Friday at 1? It will take about 45 minutes and I'll need roof access and one name to check in with.

The third call asks for a specific date, because by now she has heard the idea twice and either wants it or doesn't. A clear "not now" at this point is useful too. Put the building on a quarterly call list and move on. A different way to organize your first sentence is in how to start a cold sales call.

Objections from facility managers

  • "We have a contract." "When does it renew? If you're happy, I'm not asking you to switch. I'd like to be your second bid next time, and the roof walk costs you nothing."
  • "The owner decides." "Who is that, and what do they look at, price or response time? I can write the report so it works for them." Ask for a name and the best way to reach them.
  • "No budget until next year." "That's when the condition report helps most. It becomes your budget line. What month do you submit requests?"
  • "Send me a price." "A service agreement price depends on how many units, what ages, and what's wrong with them. I can't be honest about that without seeing the roof. That's why I'm offering the walk."

More on building a bid pipeline for this buyer is in how to get commercial HVAC contracts.

Voicemail for each call

Call 1: "Imogen, Rafael Dumont at Northgate Mechanical, 555-0123. A quick question about who maintains the rooftop units at Fairmont Plaza. I'll try again Thursday." Call 2: "Imogen, Rafael at Northgate. I'd like to do a free roof walk and send you a condition report. Call me back or I'll try Friday." Call 3: "Imogen, Rafael. I have Thursday and Friday open for the roof walk. Reply to my email with the time that works." Never leave all your detail on the first voicemail. Hold something back for the second.

The email after the first call

Subject: Rooftop units at Fairmont Plaza

Hi Imogen, thanks for the minute on the phone. Attached is the overview I mentioned, one page. I offer a free roof walk and a written condition report on rooftop units and boilers, ranked by urgency. No obligation to hire us. Would Thursday morning work? Rafael Dumont, Northgate Mechanical, 9 Quarry Lane, Boise. Reply "stop" and I won't write again.

When to call a facility manager

Facility managers walk their buildings in the morning and take tenant calls through the day. Call between 1:00 and 3:30 p.m., after lunch and before the end-of-day rush. For this trade the calendar matters more than the clock: call in early spring, before the cooling season, and in early fall, before the heating season, when an agreement is on their mind. The general case for different buyers is in best time to cold call.

The law for contractors who call

The Federal Trade Commission's Telemarketing Sales Rule exempts most calls from a telemarketer to a business (16 CFR 310.6(b)(7)). It still bans false or misleading statements about what you sell, including its cost and performance (16 CFR 310.3(a)(2) and (a)(4)), so never say a unit is failing unless you have seen it. It still covers calls that sell nondurable office or cleaning supplies. Its calling hours are 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the called person's location (16 CFR 310.4(c)), a rule written about residences that is still the right limit for business calls. If an AI voice does the dialing, remember that in February 2024 the Federal Communications Commission ruled that AI-generated voices are artificial under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which brings in consent rules, especially for mobile phones. States can add their own rules, so check yours. This is general information, not legal advice.

If making three calls a building is more than your week can hold, Rocketship can place them on Launch and up: AI calls that say they are an AI assistant and can book the roof walk on the call, with the email follow-up sent from your own Gmail. The cost is on the pricing page.