Founders Future

HVAC Marketing Masterclass: High-Ticket Strategies with Michael J. Fox

Closers.io

In this episode of Founders Future, with host Ammar Elm, we sit down with Michael J. Fox, the founder and CEO of Corberry Digital Marketing. Michael shares his journey from a 17-year career in e-commerce and enterprise-level plumbing distribution to identifying a critical gap in the market: home service companies, particularly in HVAC and plumbing, were severely underserved in the digital landscape. He discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for digital transformation, leading him to pioneer an agency that acts not just as a marketing vendor, but as a fractional CMO and growth partner. Michael explains that true success in scaling these businesses isn't just about generating leads, but about optimizing the entire customer journey and operations to meet the demanding algorithms of platforms like Google and Facebook.

Michael delves into the specifics of his agency's approach, focusing on why they niche down to HVAC and plumbing—trades with high average ticket values and year-round demand. He outlines their client acquisition strategy, which relies heavily on inbound marketing through targeted Facebook ads and authority-building content rather than cold outreach. Looking ahead, Michael shares his vision for scaling Corberry to a $5 million agency by enhancing visibility through podcasting and video content, and he offers invaluable advice for new agency owners: reverse the traditional model by building your brand authority and audience first, then perfect your operational systems afterward.