What is IFP?

I
Initial Contact - First impression is everything, on average it will take 20 meetings for someone to change their first impression of you:
  • ​Dress Code - Dress for the occasion, understand the customer you are introducing your self to, use common sense. If you are meeting with a hotel owner Polo and Slacks will do, wearing a suit to a welders shop is a bad idea :).
  • Homework - Do homework on the business; how long have they been in business, is the owner involved in the community, are they accredited by the BBB.
  • Greeting - Firm Hand Shake, look person you are shaking hands with in the eyes, wipe your hands before entering a business, worst start to any meeting is a sweaty hand shake
  • Approach - Until you have your own foundation and approach use the one that is available to you from USEC, study it work for word, worst case scenario you will sound like a robot, best case you will get the bill.
  • Objections - Know your objections word for word, you should be able to fire off the rebuttal to "I'm not interested" in your sleep.
  • Bill/LOA - Why are you there? You need to have a purpose, you are not there to make small talk but to help the customer in their Energy Procurement process, YOU MUST GO FOR THE BILL EVERY TIME!!!! Once you have the Bill go for the LOA (only for applicable states).

F
Fact Finding - Ask the business owner questions to find out what you need to do to win their business, this is the perfect time to conduct the Interview worksheet:
  • Ask questions that matter, genuinely care for their business, if you know what they want, it will be easy for you to earn their business
  • Professional - This is the time you outshine your competition, know your shit. 
  • Initial Customer Interview - This is the form that will assist you with asking the right questions, you will find it attached below.
Initial Customer Interview form
File Size: 234 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

P
Pre-Close - Set your self up for success, make sure to get the customer to commit to doing business with you, this is how you do it:
  • Discount (you know that your price will be cheaper then what they are paying right now) - Mr Customer, I value your time as well as mine and the last thing I want to do is waste it, let me ask you this question; "If I come back with .055 cents per kWh, would you guarantee that I will have your business?" if the answer is Yes shake on it, if No ask a follow up question.  What would I need to come back with to have you give me a guarantee that I will have your business?
  • Man of your Word - (this is a good one for people with huge ego) Mr Customer if I can come back with the number you are asking for, will you guarantee that I will have your business? answer Yes, Thats Great, most of business owners I work with are men and women of their word and I can see that you are one as well, would you be willing to shake on that yes? Shake hand look them in the eye and follow it up with "I'm going to do a good job for you" (tribute to Christopher Sobut).

What is PCS?

P
Proposal - Separate your self from competition, make sure to have the CSA completed and have the contracts pre-filled, here are some ways to prepare:
  • ESA (Energy Service Agreement) - Be impeccable with your paperwork, If you prepare you paperwork before your meeting, there are less chances of a grammar error being made, nothing drops your professional net worth like a grammar mistake.
  • CSA/Offer Sheet - We have 2 types of Proposals, Complex for large deals and Simple for small.
  • Competition - Do your homework on the competition, know this "your competition will always come up during the Proposal Presentation" you can be an like an ostrich and stick your head in the ground hoping that it won't come up, or you can be prepared.
  • Objections - Deep down in your gut you will know the objections that could or will come up, role play these objections at the office, don't be the one to say later "I knew he was going to say that, or I thought that could come up" if you can think of an objection, prepare for it.

C
Close - This is the only time that you will assume, build up YES momentum and assume the close, follow these steps and you will get the signature:
  • YES Momentum - Simple way to build up YES momentum is to double check their information on the agreement, (is this your legal entity? YES, Did I spell your name right? YES, is this your business phone number? YES, is this your billing address? YES) well you get the point.
  • Assumptive Close - After double checking all the info flip the agreement around to face the customer, hand them a pen still looking at the paperwork and say "Ok Mr Customer, I just need your OK right here (point to the X where signature goes)" do not look up, if you do look up it now turns from an assumptive close to asking for permission.
  • Option Close - This is a simple but effective way to help the customer make a decision on the spot, as you give them the offer make sure you present 12, 24 and 36 months, when finished with your presentation simply say "Mr Customer now that you know the options available to you, do you wish to go with 12, 24 or 36 months?  SHUT UP look down at the offers and wait for the answer.

S
Solidification - After working this hard to get the signature spend a few more minutes to ensure that there is a relationship with the customer, let them know that you will take good care of them, also do not forget to prep the customer for the QC:
  • Quality Control - This is a perfect time to prep the customer for the QC or as we call it TPV call that will happen before we submit the deal to a supplier, if you have to go over the questions that Ops will ask the customer. It is important that you get a cell phone number for the Decision Maker in case they are not at their business when Ops calls for the QC. If you know they will be hard to reach, submit the Agreement right there on the spot and notify Ops to call the customer immediately.