2 Words Can Change the Trajectory of Your Business

Leads are harder to come by this year. Everyone feels it.

From California HVAC companies waiting for a hot summer that never came, to operators in the Midwest staring at higher ad costs and lower call volume.

2025 has been strange.

The natural instinct in tough times is to scramble. Change the creative. Rewrite the script. Pull money from one channel and toss it into another. But that’s not what separates the companies that are surviving from the ones still growing.

The difference is consistency and discipline.

Why Consistency Matters

Revenue always ebbs and flows. But as Tony Castellucci pointed out during our recent conversation, the real danger isn’t a temporary dip in sales. It’s a dip in market share. Revenue will return when conditions shift. Market share does not.

That’s why you can’t afford to disappear when things get tough. If you pull back too far, you risk what Tony calls the “double V,” a valley in revenue and a valley in market share. Operators who stay visible, even when it’s uncomfortable, are the ones positioned to bounce back fast when demand resurfaces.

Consistency also keeps you ready for the 1% of the market that’s always in buying mode. At any given time, most of your audience isn’t actively looking for service. But the small slice that is? They need to see you, not just “a plumber” or “an HVAC company.” If you go dark, someone else takes that spot.

Why Discipline Wins

Consistency without discipline can still fail. When leads slow, many operators panic and “get cute” with their ads, experimenting with clever creative instead of sticking to what works. That lack of discipline kills performance.

The operators who thrive are the ones who keep their message laser-focused on three simple points:

• Why you? What makes your company the right choice?
• Why now? Why should the customer act today instead of waiting?
• How can I afford you? What options reduce price resistance upfront?

These three questions diffuse nearly every objection before the customer even calls. And here’s the key: you don’t need to reinvent them. Repetition is the discipline. Answer them clearly, over and over, and customers remember you when it’s time to buy.

Proof in the Numbers

Even in 2025’s toughest weeks, some operators posted record results. They didn’t stumble into them. They were running 52-week campaigns that never wavered. When a stimulus hit, whether controlled through marketing or uncontrolled like a sudden weather swing, they were the company ready to catch the surge.

On the flip side, operators who cut back or chased new messaging saw the opposite. Leads dried up, costs went higher, and the brand presence they’d built started slipping away.

The Best Play

The lesson is simple: don’t overreact to short-term pain.

• Stay consistent so your brand never disappears from the market.
• Stay disciplined so your message doesn’t drift into noise.
• Protect market share even if revenue dips, because it’s much harder to win back later.

Operators who keep their foot on the gas in a year like 2025 won’t just survive. They’ll come out stronger, with more customers, more credibility, and more share of the market than their competitors.

Consistency keeps you visible.
Discipline keeps you sharp.

Together, they’re the most reliable growth strategy you have in a year when almost everyone else is struggling to generate leads.

‍