A performance-based growth partnership can be a good deal for an HVAC owner, but only when the conditions are right. If results can't be measured, nobody can be paid on them fairly. If your crews are already booked solid, more leads just mean more unhappy customers. This guide is a practical checklist. Work through it before your first conversation and you'll know whether to explore a partnership now, prepare for one later, or choose a fixed-fee plan instead.
The short answer
You're ready when you can measure results, absorb more work, see room in your market, and commit to reviewing numbers monthly.
Those four conditions are what the Growth Partner Program depends on. Ali Sedighi invests time upfront and is paid on measurable results, so a partnership only makes sense when those results can be seen clearly and the business can act on them. Partnerships are limited, and each one has custom terms written for that company. The checklist below breaks each condition into questions you can answer yourself.
Part 1: can results be measured?
This is the most important test, because a performance arrangement without measurement isn't one.
Score yourself on each item:
- ☐ You can export a list of last year's jobs with dates, job types and amounts.
- ☐ You know roughly how many replacement estimates you ran last winter and how many closed.
- ☐ Calls are tracked by source, or you're willing to add tracking.
- ☐ Your phone system logs missed calls, or can be set up to.
- ☐ Your invoices separate job types clearly: repairs, maintenance, replacements, installs.
- ☐ You can tell which jobs came through Google, referrals or repeat customers, at least roughly.
If you ticked four or more, you're in good shape. If you ticked fewer than three, start with the baseline and tracking service. A few months of clean data will put you in a much stronger position, and it's useful whatever you decide.
Part 2: can you handle more work?
More demand only helps if you can deliver it well. Answer honestly:
- ☐ In your busiest month last year, could you have taken 20% more jobs without long delays?
- ☐ You have, or can hire, technicians and installers for more replacement work.
- ☐ Your office can answer and book more calls without extra mistakes.
- ☐ You can supply and schedule the equipment for more installs.
- ☐ You have a plan for overflow during cold snaps and heat waves.
If your crews are booked three weeks out every January, more marketing isn't your bottleneck. It might be hiring, scheduling or pricing. Growth in the shoulder seasons can still make sense, and maintenance memberships can smooth demand, but be realistic about capacity first.
Part 3: does your market have room?
A partnership needs space to grow, whether that's new customers, new areas or new job types. Signs there's room:
- ☐ Your Google Business Profile has fewer or older reviews than the companies around you.
- ☐ Your website has one general services page rather than a page for each job type.
- ☐ There are towns near you that you serve but don't show up for in search.
- ☐ There's a job type you'd like more of, such as heat pumps, boilers or ductless systems, that you barely market today.
- ☐ Competitors in your area are visible in paid search and you aren't.
Each tick is an opportunity a partner can measure, because it starts from a known, low point. Our local search and paid search pages explain how each gap is usually closed. Market size matters too: in very small or remote markets, the scale may be too small for a performance arrangement to work well, and a fixed plan can suit better. The areas pages look at this region by region.
Part 4: will the owner stay involved?
A partnership is a working relationship, not a subscription. Check these:
- ☐ You, or a senior manager, can review numbers with Ali once a month.
- ☐ You're willing to share real figures, including the bad months.
- ☐ You're open to changing how calls are answered and quotes followed up.
- ☐ You can make decisions quickly when a campaign needs adjusting.
- ☐ You'd rather share risk and upside than pay a flat fee regardless.
If you'd prefer a hands-off arrangement with a known monthly cost, that's a perfectly reasonable choice. The fixed-fee plans on our pricing page are built for it.
Part 5: are your assets in your name?
Before any partnership, make sure your company owns what it should.
- ☐ Your domain is registered to your company.
- ☐ Your website hosting account is in your company's name.
- ☐ You're the owner, not just a manager, of your Google Business Profile.
- ☐ Your Google Ads and other ad accounts are owned by your company.
- ☐ Your call-tracking numbers can be kept if you change providers.
If any of these belong to a past agency, recover them now. It's much easier before a new relationship starts than during one.
Red flags in any performance offer
Walk away from any performance deal, ours included, that shows these signs.
- Promised results. Anyone who promises leads, rankings or revenue is selling hope.
- No written baseline. Pay against an undefined starting point is a dispute in waiting.
- Shared leads. If the "leads" are also sold to your competitors, they aren't yours.
- Marketer-owned accounts. If they own your website or ad account, you can't leave cleanly.
- No exit clause. Both sides should know exactly how the arrangement ends.
- Leads as the only measure. Insist on booked jobs or revenue.
- Pressure to sign quickly. A fair partner wants to see your numbers first.
Scoring yourself
Add up your ticks across Parts 1 to 5, out of 26.
- 20 or more: you're a strong candidate. Read about the Growth Partner Program and get in touch.
- 13 to 19: you're close. Fix the gaps in Parts 1 and 5 first; they're usually quick.
- Under 13: start with tracking and the basics, perhaps on a fixed plan, and revisit a partnership once you have a season of clean data.
Whatever your score, the guide on measuring results is worth reading next, and you can always call, text or email to talk through where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
What if I fail most of the checklist?
Then you've learned where to start, which is useful in itself. Most gaps, such as missing call tracking or slow quote follow-up, can be fixed in a few months, and a fixed-fee plan can carry the work in the meantime.
Do I need a certain revenue to qualify?
There's no published revenue threshold. What matters more is whether results can be measured and whether there's room to grow. Partnerships are limited, so fit is decided case by case.
Should I tell my office staff about a partnership?
Yes. Call handling and quote follow-up are usually part of what's measured, so the people who answer the phone need to know what's changing and why.
What red flags should I watch for in any performance offer?
Promised results, no written baseline, leads shared with other contractors, accounts owned by the marketer, and no exit clause. Any one of those is reason to walk away.