A Seasonal Direct Mail Calendar for HVAC Companies
HVAC demand follows the weather, so the best direct mail plan does too: mail a cooling tune-up offer a few weeks before the first hot spell, a heating check before the first cold snap, and promote maintenance plans in between. Printing two designs, one for cooling and one for heating, at 5,000 6.5″ × 9″ postcards each costs $1,158 for the year ($579 per design).
When should each mailing go out?
| When | Mailing | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Late winter to early spring | Cooling wave 1 | A/C tune-up offer before the heat |
| Early summer | Cooling wave 2 | "Is your A/C ready?" and replacement financing |
| Late summer | Maintenance plan | Join a plan: two tune-ups a year, priority service |
| Early fall | Heating wave 1 | Furnace or heat pump check before the cold |
| Late fall to winter | Heating wave 2 | No-heat service, indoor air quality, replacement options |
Shift the timing for your climate: in hot southern markets the cooling season starts earlier and runs longer, and in northern markets the heating waves matter most. Aim for mail to land a few weeks before demand rises, not after.
What should each postcard say?
- One seasonal offer with a deadline, such as a tune-up price valid through a set date
- Your phone number, large, on both sides
- Proof you are local and licensed: license number, service area, a real photo of your technicians or trucks
- Your maintenance plan, if you offer one, as a secondary message
Our guide to writing a headline and offer that make people call goes into the wording.
How do you plan the printing for a year?
Printing per design, and mailing each design in waves to the same routes, keeps the cost per piece low:
- Cooling design: 5,000 6.5″ × 9″ postcards for $579 (pay for 2,500), mailed in two waves
- Heating design: 5,000 for $579, mailed in two waves
- Total printing: $1,158 for the year, plus shipping and USPS EDDM postage
If your routes need more, the 10,000 tier of the same size is $779 per design. The 6.5″ × 9″ postcard qualifies for EDDM and leaves room for a photo and one offer. See how many postcards to mail and how often to size each run.
What supports the mailings between waves?
- Door hangers after every service call: leave one on the neighboring homes. 2,500 3.5″ × 11″ door hangers are $409. See door hangers vs. postcards.
- NCR work orders for technicians: 500 two-part 8.5″ × 11″ forms for $199, or three-part for $254.72, on our NCR forms page.
- Business cards for every technician: 2,500 for $69.
More ideas are on our page for HVAC companies.
Want your year of mailings planned and priced? Call 512-573-1977, 7am–7pm Eastern, 7 days a week.
