Many residential energy efficiency programs have confronted the challenge of how to improve conversion rates of customer interest into completed upgrades by working with their contractors. Participating contractors are a primary face-to-face link between customers and the program, and many program administrators have taken steps to empower contractors to market program services through sales training and co-marketing. Programs have found that offering sales training can significantly boost sales and improve customer experience and conversion rates. During sales training, technicians commonly learn about the program’s upgrade process, how to sell using non-technical language with customers, and other techniques for transforming assessments into upgrades. For many programs, contractor sales training resulted in more effective sales approaches, increased conversion rates from assessment to upgrade, and increased revenues for contractor businesses.
Co-marketing, meanwhile, can help both contractors and programs. Contractors who use customized program-provided materials have more resources to market and differentiate themselves, and they can gain credibility in the eyes of the customer by being directly associated with the program. A program can leverage contractors’ in-person contact with customers and their existing customer base to increase its reach. Marketing and advertising guidelines for contractors, especially when the program name or logos are used, plus review by the program can help ensure consistency in program-branded marketing materials.
Learn more with the following resources:
Topical Resources
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Contractor Sales Training: Providing the Skills Necessary to Sell Comprehensive Home Energy Upgrades
This Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Clean Energy Policy Brief describes how adding sales skills to contractors' existing technical expertise helps convert more assessments into comprehensive home energy upgrades. It profiles Efficiency Maine's contractor sales training and includes a list of resources.
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Workforce Development and Sales Training for Energy Efficiency Contractors
Link(s)This webcast reports on the energy efficiency services sector workforce size, expectations for growth, and training needs and features a case studies from Efficiency Vermont and Efficiency Maine. -
Energy efficiency programs can communicate with jargon and technical terminology, which puts off homeowners. However, marketing best practices suggest wording based on improved consumer experience is more effective. This presentation covers seven proven communications strategies for causing behavior change.
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This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focuses on how mentoring on sales skills and business management helped one contractor increase sales and become more profitable. The call also covered top tips for supporting contractors, such as helping contractors develop systems to be more efficient in completing projects and creating a service plan with customers for additional improvements in the future.
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This guide assists with developing an implementation plan for a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. It covers key elements of the plan, including the scope and objectives of the program and the policies and procedures that will ensure its success, including co-marketing and brand guidelines (section 1), workforce development and contractor engagement (section 3), assessment and report requirements (section 4), installation specifications and test-out procedures (section 5), and quality assurance (section 6).
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This presentation provides guidance to contractors on business fundamentals, marketing and lead generation, successful consultative selling and closing, and measuring and improving performance.
Examples
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This video explains how Efficiency Maine helped contractors gain sales and business skills through training, which helped the program improve assessment-to-upgrade conversion rates and homeowner satisfaction.
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This case study explains how Efficiency Maine provided contractor sales training to boost upgrade conversions.
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In this video interview segment, Andy Holzhauser of the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance discusses the importance of programs empowering contractors to sell upgrades and loans.
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The Trade Ally Code of Conduct outlines the expectations and guidelines related to participation as a registered Trade Ally in the Focus on Energy Program.
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Illinois Home Performance provides co-branding opportunities for participating contractors, including co-branding on program marketing materials.
Tips for Success
Handbooks
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See the steps: Outline contractor engagement and support activities; Decide on the content and approach for training. These steps provide information on how to design a program to train contractors about the program’s upgrade process and how to sell it to customers.
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See the steps: Develop training resources for participating contractors; Develop contractor marketing support materials. These steps cover how to develop resources to train contractors and co-market your program’s services.