Selling Energy Solutions
Posted by Frank in Uncategorized on June 23rd, 2009
“Selling Energy Solutions: A Hands-on Workshop for How to Sell Green” will be held September 24th and 25th at the Hilton Chicago O’Hare (Inside the Airport) for key employees of members of the National Association of Electrical Distributors.
Attendees will:
– Practice questioning techniques for selling energy efficiency building upgrades/retrofits;
– Learn how to craft a sales presentation on the business case for energy efficiency investment based on total cost of ownership, return on investment, and payback;
– Learn prospecting techniques you can use to look for new customers; and
– Gain insight about regulatory mandates and emerging technologies in international markets soon to impact customers in the U.S.
It is a “must” for outside salespeople, branch managers, inside salespeople looking to move to outside sales, energy product specialists and others who work in electrical distribution seeking to speak the language of energy efficiency, building owners and facility managers.
Contact me ASAP for more details.
Green/Sustainable Training for Electrical Contractors
Posted by Frank in Uncategorized on June 9th, 2009
Electrical contractors are more interested than ever in education/training about “Green/Sustainable Building Technology” based on the results of Electrical Contractor’s 2008 Profile of the Electrical Contractor. In this most recent industry-wide biennial study, 57% percent indicated an interest as compared to 28% in the study two years earlier.
According to respondents, specific areas of planned training in the 12 months following the research are “Green Building” (22%), “Energy Use Regulations” (17%) and LEED Certification (8%). In the 12 months prior to the survey, electrical contractors that actually took training in these three areas were 13%, 9% and 8% respectively. This indicates real growth in interest in these areas and this is something that product manufacturers and others - especially electrical distributors - should note.
Since electrical contractors currently spend 75% of all the dollars for their purchases of installed products with electrical distributors, it seems imperative that electrical distributors must be able to provide electrical contractors with this needed training and these products if distributors plan to hold and grow business with this essential market segment. (Electrical contractor sales currently constitute nearly half of all electrical distributor sales volume.)
Electrical Contractors Going For the Green
Posted by Frank in Uncategorized on May 28th, 2009
Electrical Contractor’s 2008 Profile of the Electrical Contractor Topline Report shows (for the 12 months prior to this biennial survey of the industry) that 30% of electrical contractors have worked in one or more of the following: LEED Projects, Solar PV, Wind Generation, Net Meeting and/or Co-Generation. This was particularly true of larger firms (100+ employees) where the percentage was 57% while it was 27% for smaller firms.
The percentage breaks down by category as follows:
Solar/Photovoltaic 11%
LEED Projects 9%
Geothermal 7%
Co-Generation 7%
Net Metering 5%
Wind Generation 3%
Fuel Cells 0.04%
This research - conducted in early 2008 - is really an indication of market activity for 2007. (The next such profile study will be done in early 2010 and will reflect 2009 activity.) How much growth do you believe there has been in these types of projects by contractors since 2007?
Renewable Energy Interest
Posted by Frank in Uncategorized on May 27th, 2009
I just returned from NAED’s National Electrical Leadership Summit in Hollywood, Florida where I found evidence that the current economic and political state of the nation has important players thinking about exploring new directions their business models:
15 renewable energy companies (manufacturers, re-distributors and integrators/consultants for PV solar and wind) were in attendance to learn about opportunities with traditional full-line electrical distributors and these distributors were equally interested in opportunities with these product and service suppliers. After 4 days of meetings (group and one-to-one), seminars, educational sessions and events of various kinds with the 70+ distributors in attendance, my own “vest pocket” survey of a number of both renewable energy companies and distributors showed an keen interest on the part of both groups that I have not seen in the past two years or so of my work on renewable energy.
Advertising During a Recession
Posted by Frank in Uncategorized on May 11th, 2009
There is a long established maxim that clearly spells out when to advertise: when business is good and you can afford to do it and when business is not good and you cannot afford not to do it. This view is supported by plenty of research that points out the many important advantages in continuity of advertising in good times and bad including sustaining brand recognition, strengthening corporate image, retaining and growing market share, achieving market domination, etc. Yet, advertising budgets implode when times get tough. Read the rest of this entry »