Mark Jewell's Blog: Selling Energy, page 43

Remember the Hierarchy of Factors

You may recall Seth Godin’s hierarchy of factors that cause a non-business-owner to say “yes” to a proposal made in a business-to-business setting: avoiding risk, avoiding hassle, gaining praise, gaining power, having fun, and finally, making a profit. When you approach a prospect with an energy solution, you would be wise to keep this hierarchy in mind. Even if you believe your offering will generate all kinds of savings, for example, if it is perceived to be a risky investment or too much of a hassle to pursue, you’ll likely not prevail.

Scaling Up Excellence

What is scaling, exactly?  In business terms, it means spreading effective practices throughout a company, which seems pretty straightforward.  Chances are most of your experiences with scaling optimal work practices have been simple and uncomplicated – inspirational posters, emails, checklists and the occasional “pep” meeting.  However, at the end of the day most of the things just don’t cut it.  Successfully scaling a company is complex and requires a lot of time and perseverance. 

Weekly Recap, February 5, 2023

Here are our sales-enhancing tips from this week's Selling Energy Blogs...

6 Key Characteristics that Make a Highly Effective Team

“Many of us are more capable than some of us, but none of us is as capable as all of us.” - Tom Wilson

Would You Like Some Help with That?

A lot of people approach customers and prospects expecting that they're going to get business.  This kind of thinking is fraught with peril.  The minute you call with that attitude it will be telegraphed in your language over the phone.  If you're meeting in-person it will be telegraphed in your body language and micro-facial expressions. 

Tax Implications, Part 2

Yesterday, we talked about tax deductions, tax credits, marginal tax rates, and effective tax rates. Today, we’re going to continue the discussion with a look at before- and after-tax returns.

Tax Implications, Part 1

Over the course of the next two days, we’ll discuss taxes and tax incentives in the context of efficiency projects. I’ll concede that, of the topics we discuss on this blog, the “tax discussion” is not the most thrilling one; however, it’s important that you have a good understanding of the financial implications of taxes as they can have a significant impact on your ability to demonstrate value for your prospects. Please note that the purpose of this blog is not to give you tax advice; it’s to provide topics to be thinking about so when the time comes, you’ll be prepared to have a productive discussion with your prospects and customers.

Money-Saving Driver

How often does the promise of saving money drive decisions? Well, let me rephrase that. Here in America, are we known as being a nation of savers? I don’t think so. If we were, we wouldn’t have credit card debt three times what it was in 1994.

Fill Your Bucket

Humans are, by nature, driven by emotion. Any savvy sales professional knows how important emotion is in the decision-making process. When you’re in a sales situation, your demeanor and tone can have a significant impact on the emotional state of your prospect. For this reason, it is vital that you stay positive and that you actively avoid anything negative (words, body language, facial expressions, etc.). Not only does positivity help your prospect get in the mindset to buy, it also helps you perform better – both in the sales setting and in your everyday life.

Weekly Recap, January 29, 2023

Here are our sales-enhancing tips from this week's Selling Energy Blogs...