Aproaching business owners help them to reduce energy costs
Discussion
Hi Guys
I have recently set up business as an electrical contractor but I am struggling to drum up new business/new leads. We have a few jobs on but I am always looking for the next one. I would like to know how I could get my foot in the door with commercial clients. Building owners, in house facilities managers, etc.
In most office spaces around London I know that I could reduce their energy consumption by at least 30% if not more in some cases. But unless you speak to the right people in that building you will never get the chance to show them where these savings could be made. So my question to you is how did you get in with some of your bigger clients? Luck, social events, word of mouth? Where am I going wrong?
I have recently set up business as an electrical contractor but I am struggling to drum up new business/new leads. We have a few jobs on but I am always looking for the next one. I would like to know how I could get my foot in the door with commercial clients. Building owners, in house facilities managers, etc.
In most office spaces around London I know that I could reduce their energy consumption by at least 30% if not more in some cases. But unless you speak to the right people in that building you will never get the chance to show them where these savings could be made. So my question to you is how did you get in with some of your bigger clients? Luck, social events, word of mouth? Where am I going wrong?
First you need to identify your market, then work out what they want to hear/buy, then find the people who are responsible for buying what you plan to sell, then you contact them and tuck them up properlike.
Well perhaps not the last bit but that's the general idea. You have to get what you know across and get the sale. Not easy; it could take years to get rolling and expect plenty of disappointment.
Well perhaps not the last bit but that's the general idea. You have to get what you know across and get the sale. Not easy; it could take years to get rolling and expect plenty of disappointment.
Good luck, I've been in the energy efficiency sector for over 25 years, I've lost count of the number of companies who have burst onto the scene making big claims and the disappeared, there is no easy sell, it is just lots of hard work, the biggest issue is credibility, the guys you are approaching will have been cold called hundreds of times before, what are you offering that all of the others arent?
gareth h said:
Good luck, I've been in the energy efficiency sector for over 25 years, I've lost count of the number of companies who have burst onto the scene making big claims and the disappeared, there is no easy sell, it is just lots of hard work, the biggest issue is credibility, the guys you are approaching will have been cold called hundreds of times before, what are you offering that all of the others arent?
Service - There are so many facilities managers and business owners that are fed up of their incumbent contractors either not doing what they said they would or just plain ripping them off in it for the quick buck. But they appear to be too busy or under to much pressure find new reliable service providers.I would be much more interested in helping a business step by step and getting repeat business rather than being a one job wonder.
Tough cookie to crack that one...
I get so many phone calls offering to save me money on energy. In fact now if I answer the phone and I get greeted by "Could I please speak the person responsible for your..." the call ends very quickly. It is literally every day... gas, electric, mobile phones, postage, printing, vehicle tracking, fuel cards... people on the phone trying to sell stuff.
Contacting the person you need, and preventing someone prematurely ending your call will be a big hurdle.
I get so many phone calls offering to save me money on energy. In fact now if I answer the phone and I get greeted by "Could I please speak the person responsible for your..." the call ends very quickly. It is literally every day... gas, electric, mobile phones, postage, printing, vehicle tracking, fuel cards... people on the phone trying to sell stuff.
Contacting the person you need, and preventing someone prematurely ending your call will be a big hurdle.
Trev LTS said:
gareth h said:
Good luck, I've been in the energy efficiency sector for over 25 years, I've lost count of the number of companies who have burst onto the scene making big claims and the disappeared, there is no easy sell, it is just lots of hard work, the biggest issue is credibility, the guys you are approaching will have been cold called hundreds of times before, what are you offering that all of the others arent?
Service - There are so many facilities managers and business owners that are fed up of their incumbent contractors either not doing what they said they would or just plain ripping them off in it for the quick buck. But they appear to be too busy or under to much pressure find new reliable service providers.I would be much more interested in helping a business step by step and getting repeat business rather than being a one job wonder.
Dr Interceptor said:
Tough cookie to crack that one...
I get so many phone calls offering to save me money on energy. In fact now if I answer the phone and I get greeted by "Could I please speak the person responsible for your..." the call ends very quickly. It is literally every day... gas, electric, mobile phones, postage, printing, vehicle tracking, fuel cards... people on the phone trying to sell stuff.
Contacting the person you need, and preventing someone prematurely ending your call will be a big hurdle.
This, I get 3 or 4 calls a day. TPS subscribed...I get so many phone calls offering to save me money on energy. In fact now if I answer the phone and I get greeted by "Could I please speak the person responsible for your..." the call ends very quickly. It is literally every day... gas, electric, mobile phones, postage, printing, vehicle tracking, fuel cards... people on the phone trying to sell stuff.
Contacting the person you need, and preventing someone prematurely ending your call will be a big hurdle.
Networking is more important than cold calling nowadays, use social media to indentify the correct buyers, build a database of potential customers and important contract end dates and contact them at the appropriate time. Go out of your way to be genuinely helpful but never a nuisance. Offer great deals and make your customers happy and collect referrals for new business as you go. It's not a quick process but build a good reputation
Dr Interceptor said:
Tough cookie to crack that one...
I get so many phone calls offering to save me money on energy. In fact now if I answer the phone and I get greeted by "Could I please speak the person responsible for your..." the call ends very quickly. It is literally every day... gas, electric, mobile phones, postage, printing, vehicle tracking, fuel cards... people on the phone trying to sell stuff.
Contacting the person you need, and preventing someone prematurely ending your call will be a big hurdle.
Same here, occasionally I'll speak to one of them but their follow up email etc never arrives and I end up just telling the next months worth of cold callers to fI get so many phone calls offering to save me money on energy. In fact now if I answer the phone and I get greeted by "Could I please speak the person responsible for your..." the call ends very quickly. It is literally every day... gas, electric, mobile phones, postage, printing, vehicle tracking, fuel cards... people on the phone trying to sell stuff.
Contacting the person you need, and preventing someone prematurely ending your call will be a big hurdle.
k off as soon as I realise it isn't one of my customers tying up my phone.Two sales calls in two minutes... first one selling forex services, the second selling fuel cards.
Fortunately I'm on Voipfone, so I just transfer them to 166.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB28pL0UOrw
Fortunately I'm on Voipfone, so I just transfer them to 166.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB28pL0UOrw
Dr Interceptor said:
Two sales calls in two minutes... first one selling forex services, the second selling fuel cards.
Fortunately I'm on Voipfone, so I just transfer them to 166.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB28pL0UOrw
Lucky you, I've only had business rates savings today. Fortunately I'm on Voipfone, so I just transfer them to 166.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB28pL0UOrw
RobinOakapple said:
You're fighting an uphill battle with this one OP. Quite honestly I'd suggest finding another way of getting work. It's not that what you are offering isn't worthwhile, the problem is that you won't be able to sell it.
I agree with this.As someone who rents an office in London - the cost of energy versus the cost of everything else (rent/wages/everything) is microscopic. I wouldn't even muster the enthusiasm for a conversation about it if you could reduce it by 80%.
THe only people who would be care about the cost are owners of large buildings who, I would imagine, would not be swayed by a quick sales call.
If I were an electrical contractor wanting to drum up more business I would spend my time phoning around some larger building contractors with a view to pricing subcontract works. London has a huge excess of that kind of work and there is no better time.
We're a medium sized electrical contractor, I did consider trying to become the "energy efficient contractor" but no one really cares that much. It's hard to convince people to change their lights when they work fine and they just see ££££ for the replacements and don't look at the bigger long-term picture.
However almost all of our jobs utilize some form of LED lighting, lighting control and sensor installs etc. We rarely install non-LED lighting if we can help it!
We basically tag it onto big new jobs and refurbishments, then they have to buy lights anyway, we're doing the complete project and LED is now so well priced it's almost a no-brainer not to install LED lighting, controls etc. That way the builders, councils etc see how good LED is then they tend to spec them into refurbs.
I don't think we've ever changed perfectly good lights JUST because LED uses less electricity. It's always because of a refurb/lighting improvement (i.e better light/more light) or new build.
As also mentioned some people consider their energy costs microscopic compared to others, we've fitted out two data centres with HF lights, they are starting to fail due to end of life (on 24/7 in warm environment) I've offered an LED alternative but he simply said "the lighting power usage is absolutely nothing compared to all the data racks".
However almost all of our jobs utilize some form of LED lighting, lighting control and sensor installs etc. We rarely install non-LED lighting if we can help it!
We basically tag it onto big new jobs and refurbishments, then they have to buy lights anyway, we're doing the complete project and LED is now so well priced it's almost a no-brainer not to install LED lighting, controls etc. That way the builders, councils etc see how good LED is then they tend to spec them into refurbs.
I don't think we've ever changed perfectly good lights JUST because LED uses less electricity. It's always because of a refurb/lighting improvement (i.e better light/more light) or new build.
As also mentioned some people consider their energy costs microscopic compared to others, we've fitted out two data centres with HF lights, they are starting to fail due to end of life (on 24/7 in warm environment) I've offered an LED alternative but he simply said "the lighting power usage is absolutely nothing compared to all the data racks".
BrabusMog said:
Lucky you, I've only had business rates savings today.
The good news is that those ones will probably calm down after April because the potential savings are very much reduced.Incidentally it is a field that a number of PH members, including me, know about. If you PM the business address affected I'll have a quick look and check there is nothing obviously wrong. If there is something obviously wrong I'll be able to give some suggestions as to what to do and who to use if anyone.
Hi Guys
Some constructive comments, thanks.
I am aware that so many people are fed up of cold callers and large utility companies calling them up to offer them savings, this is not something I am very keen on doing as most see it as a waste of time.
I think Dumbo 100 has got the real answer that I was looking for, most people go to who they know first, whether they have met them at a business meeting or socially. This tends to close a lot of doors as many are scared of change.
Blindswelledrat, thanks for the tip on the end of your post, again it is a case of speaking to the right person at the right time in their offices. I have also considered sales emails but I am not sure how well they are received or if they have a very good success rate. I would like to avoid being put on someone's spam list.
Frimley, everyone tells you how good they will be at service and how well they will deliver, but a lot of time once the order is placed all of that goes out of the window. This is where I would like to think I would be different. Good service goes on to repeat business.
Some constructive comments, thanks.
I am aware that so many people are fed up of cold callers and large utility companies calling them up to offer them savings, this is not something I am very keen on doing as most see it as a waste of time.
I think Dumbo 100 has got the real answer that I was looking for, most people go to who they know first, whether they have met them at a business meeting or socially. This tends to close a lot of doors as many are scared of change.
Blindswelledrat, thanks for the tip on the end of your post, again it is a case of speaking to the right person at the right time in their offices. I have also considered sales emails but I am not sure how well they are received or if they have a very good success rate. I would like to avoid being put on someone's spam list.
Frimley, everyone tells you how good they will be at service and how well they will deliver, but a lot of time once the order is placed all of that goes out of the window. This is where I would like to think I would be different. Good service goes on to repeat business.
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