Hey everyone, Gary M. here from Orlando. I've been trying to break into utility auditing and figured property managers might be a good entry point. Anyone having success with cold calling them? What's your pitch?
Cold calling property managers - what's working?
Gary, Dale R. from Corpus Christi. Property managers can be goldmines if you approach them right. I start with 'I help property owners reduce their electric bills by 15-25% through rate optimization.' Gets their attention fast.
Randy here. Property managers are indeed excellent targets because they manage multiple accounts and want to show value to owners. Dale's approach is solid - lead with the savings percentage. I'd add that you should mention specific examples like moving accounts from Schedule GS-2 to TOU-GSD rates. Shows you know what you're talking about.
Brian S. in Salt Lake City. I had my first success with a property manager last month. Found $8,400 in annual savings on a small office complex by catching a demand ratchet issue. The PM now sends me all their properties. Sometimes one good audit opens many doors.
Lisa P. from Anchorage. Different angle - I offer property managers a finder's fee for referrals. Usually 10% of first year savings. It's worked well with two larger PM companies here. They like the extra revenue stream.
Ed T. in Tulsa. Be prepared for rejection though Gary. I probably called 40 property management companies before getting my first yes. The key is persistence and having a few good success stories to reference. Don't get discouraged.
Thanks everyone! Ed, that's good to know about the rejection rate. I've only made about 15 calls so far. Brian, that's a great result - was that on Rocky Mountain Power? What rate schedule were they on originally?
Gary, yes Rocky Mountain Power. They were on Schedule 23 general service when they should have been on Schedule 6A time-of-use. The demand charges were killing them during peak hours. Simple rate change saved them big time.
Leon J. here in Mobile. I've found that smaller PM companies are more receptive than the big nationals. The owner-operators actually listen to the pitch. Big companies have too many layers to get through.
Brenda T. from Tallahassee. Leon's right about smaller companies. I got three clients from one 8-property PM company. They were all on Talquin Electric's Rate GS when they qualified for Rate LP. Saved them $12,000 collectively.
Susan W. in Oklahoma City. Quick tip - call property managers on Tuesday mornings. Monday they're dealing with weekend issues, Friday they're winding down. Tuesday around 10am seems to be the sweet spot for getting through.
Susan that's a great tip! I've definitely noticed Monday calls don't go well. Has anyone tried following up cold calls with a sample audit report? I'm thinking of doing a free audit on one of their smaller properties as a demo.