24. The Relationship Doesn't Open the Deal Anymore: Curran Ethridge on Digital-First HVAC Buying

What if your best rep loses a deal without ever knowing he was in the running? In this episode of HVAC Leaders, host Ashlei Rolloff talks with Curran Ethridge, founder of Circuitry Media, about what happens when a relationship-driven industry meets a buyer who wants answers before a relationship begins. Curran has worked both sides of the table, inside manufacturing brands and outside consulting to them, and his take is direct. The relationship used to open the deal. Now digital opens it, and the rep closes it. Key insights: Buyers now do most of their research (website, competitors, trade pubs, LinkedIn, Reddit, AI) before they ever call a rep An aging workforce is retiring with decades of institutional knowledge, right as buyers get more sophisticated Gartner data: 67 percent of B2B buyers do not want to deal with a rep, and the average buyer checks out six competitors before making contact Every digital touchpoint has to answer three questions: will it work, will you support it, and why should I care, in one sentence If you can not differentiate on the product, you differentiate on the brand, starting with listening to customers relentlessly Curran's "stranger test": hand a stranger five competitors' website copy side by side. Most companies find out they sound identical For the executive still betting everything on the rep model, and the marketer who knows something needs to change but needs the language for leadership, this episode gives you both. Mentioned in this episode: - Curran Ethridge's website: circuitrymedia.com - Curran's email: [email protected] - Gartner study on B2B buyer behavior (67 percent stat)