For two days in Chicago, commercial HVAC service sales professionals from Synergy member companies stepped away from their day-to-day responsibilities to compare notes, challenge ideas, and learn from one another.

From mindset and time management to qualifying, AI, and communication, the 2026 Sales Forum focused on one goal: helping members become more effective sales professionals by learning from real experiences shared around the room.

Here are a few of the conversations that stood out.

Building the Mindset for High Performance

The forum opened with guest speaker Matt Phillips, who challenged attendees to think differently about mental toughness and what it takes to perform at a high level.

His session focused on the habits, mindset, and self-awareness that allow people to stay motivated, overcome setbacks, and continue growing throughout their careers. Throughout the morning, members reflected on the beliefs and routines that either help or hinder their performance, setting the tone for the rest of the forum.

“Matt was phenomenal and actually applied his teachings with comprehensive and group set activities,” said James Finster (Five Star Mechanical). “Most speakers just speak, he made us do it! Just great!”

Understanding Where You Create the Most Value

Monday afternoon shifted from mindset to strategy.

After completing a time management assessment, members discussed where they spend their time and whether those activities are moving the sales process forward. The conversation led into an interactive exercise where attendees defined their ideal customer profile and explored the vertical markets where they’re have the greatest success.

Members spent time in groups focused on specific customer types. The property management group discussed the unique challenge of selling to people who often aren’t the building owners. Their conversations centered on helping property managers navigate budget constraints, lengthy approval processes, and communication with ownership groups. Rather than simply selling equipment or maintenance agreements, members shared ideas like providing asset management plans and educational resources that help customers make informed decisions.

Across every vertical, the discussion came back to the same question: How can we better understand our customers’ world?

“For someone who is new to the industry and in my role, I absorbed a lot of great information from my groups,” said Aly Ortega (Western Allied Mechanical).

Practicing Better Sales Conversations

Day two was built around real-life selling scenarios.

Members broke into groups based on the type of work they sell, from preventive maintenance agreements to project work and hybrid sales roles. Each group was given a customer scenario and challenged to think from both the salesperson’s and the customer’s perspective with the focus of asking better qualifying questions.

One example that generated discussion was replacing technical questions like, “How old is your chiller?” with questions that uncover business impact, such as, “What happens to your business if that chiller fails?”

The role-playing exercises gave members the opportunity to test those questions, receive feedback, and hear how others approach similar situations.

“This was a good exercise for both the person being the client and the people selling,” said Matthew Gardner (Climate Makers). “Great refresher which we don’t do enough of often.”

Learning From One Another

Throughout the afternoon, members tackled some of the most common objections they hear in the field, including price concerns, customers who are happy with their current provider, delayed decisions, and the challenge of being “ghosted” after submitting a proposal. Each group rotated around the room, building on one another’s ideas and sharing practical strategies that have worked in their own companies.

The conversation continued into sessions on AI and internal communication.

Keenan Jennings from Storer Services demonstrated practical ways he’s incorporating AI into his sales process, while Allison Rodgers from Synergy shared simple techniques members can begin using immediately, like using the voice dictation function. The discussion focused on how AI can save time, improve preparation, and strengthen customer communication.

Members also explored how stronger communication between sales and operations can improve the customer experience. By reducing internal friction and setting clearer expectations, sales teams and operations teams are better positioned to deliver on the promises made throughout the sales process.

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If you’re a mechanical contractor looking for a peer group that brings real value, real sharing, and real relationships, learn more about becoming a Synergy member.