Are you concerned about increasing energy costs? You aren't, but your commercial customers certainly toss and turn each night with these worries. Energy efficiency is a top concern of your commercial decision maker.
It’s the facilities manager who needs to reduce energy costs by 15% while managing twice as much space. This means using space more effectively, flexible power hook ups, and consolidating equipment areas.
Or the office building manager concerned about electrical rates increasing faster than shared utilities on a mixed tenant floor. They cannot increase rent fast enough and stay competitive, so lowering energy consumption is the only option.
Using a prospect newsletter, you can put energy efficiency cost reduction ideas to work driving sales. Do this kind of low-cost marketing program like clockwork and watch your bank account swell up. And your customers will love you for it!
It works this way:
- Prospective commercial customer wants to lower costs;
- Prospect doesn't know how to lower costs;
- Your friendly fun prospect newsletter gives them ideas.
Each month they get new ideas on lowering costs with energy efficient conversations, alternative or backup power, and even lower power lighting systems. An electronic newsletter could go out weekly.
The only question left in the mind of a prospect is, “What is it going to cost?”
You know a good energy efficiency program costs the client very little. They often can achieve a break even in 12 months, especially if negotiating utilities and tax credits are in the mix. This means you can answer the “money” question with zero risk.
Your commercial prospect wants assessment, audit, or investigation by a qualified electrician. They need this to justify the investment. Good news is you can deliver this value!
News about lowering electrical consumption becomes a trigger for a consultation. Not a “free estimate.” Instead a service where you determine how you can help the prospect.
Call it an “Energy Saving Inventory” where your technician with a check list goes through the client site looking for ways to save them money. The prospect gets smarter, you understand their needs, and the initial sale establishes your expertise.
Some electrical contractors charge for this service. You must always have a price for this service, however, you don’t have to charge. Especially when you zero in on highly qualified leads.
A determining factor on “charge, no charge” is customer lifetime value.
The key is you are addressing an itch of a decision maker who wants money in their pocket. Your prospect newsletter plants the seed, the consultation gets them started.
The extra kick that my team puts on these types of campaigns is consistency with “marketing.” Not with your marketing so much as making the energy efficiency solution you deliver marketing tools for the customer.
Imagine this headline featuring your customer:
“Local hospital reduces costs with a ballast conversion and solar panel install. This included generator services, power conditioning, and lighting controls with dimmers. Savings, $1 million over two years.”
In the trade magazines for hospitals this is worth something. It may also have public relations value in the community. All possible by your humble electrical company that gave them the idea – and implementation.
Here you are closing the idea loop. Remember, ideas are everywhere, your prospect is flooded with them daily.
You might be saying, “It’s tough enough to do our own marketing, I’m not marketing my customers too!”
Not every million dollar plus electrical contractor is ready to level up. Maybe you are comfortable where you’re at despite rising costs, difficulty to find talent, and difficulty cashing out of a business. Good luck to you.
What makes this approach for cultivating high quality leads with energy efficiency ideas is your execution. You’re not marketing the customer as much as the “customers success with your business.”
An idea is mentioned in your prospect newsletter, a consultation is offered, you deliver a solution, and then coach each customer on secondary benefits. Prompting your customers savings and benefit working with your company is a testament to your process.
In another article you’ll learn how to use that trade magazine media coverage to both promote your customers success story and your business. The take away here is that energy efficiency ideas help customers and attract high quality leads for you.
Speaking of a paid consultation, that’s how I help smart electrical contractors who want to boost cash flow with higher quality leads. It’s subject to availability, yet custom tailored to getting you on the right path for ten-million plus growth.
To learn more or ask your questions, simply contact us. Meanwhile, can you see how you can help your prospects by sharing ways to use what you do to lower costs? Think you can come up with 12 energy saving ideas for your commercial customers?
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