Hey everyone, Sam L. here from Charlotte. Been struggling with cold calling for months now. Getting hung up on constantly. Anyone have scripts that actually get you past the gatekeeper? I'm targeting office buildings and retail centers but can't seem to get to the decision makers.
Cold calling scripts that actually work?
Robert F. in Jacksonville. Sam, forget scripts - focus on referral sources first. Property managers are your best bet. I got my first three clients through Cushman & Wakefield referrals after doing a free sample audit for a 45,000 sq ft office building. Found $18,400 in annual savings on their Duke Energy Rate GSS-3 account.
Randy here - Robert's absolutely right about property managers. But Sam, if you're going to cold call, lead with a specific win. Something like "I just saved a similar 20,000 sq ft retail center $12,000 annually on their JCP&L Rate GLP account - worth 10 minutes to see if your Duke Energy bills have similar issues?" Don't ask for meetings, ask for bill reviews. Lower commitment threshold.
Phyllis G. from Macon. I've had luck with Georgia Power commercial accounts by mentioning specific tariff issues. "Are you on Rate TOU-GSA-6? Most buildings your size are overpaying by 15-20% because they're not optimizing their demand charges." Gets their attention fast when you know their likely rate schedule.
Calvin B. here in Memphis. LinkedIn has been way more effective than cold calling for me. I search for facility managers and property managers, then send connection requests mentioning a recent audit win. "Just helped a similar Memphis office building reduce their MLGW Rate GSA-2 costs by $2,300 monthly." Response rate around 30%.
Thanks everyone! Calvin, what do you say in the follow-up message after they accept the connection? I've been connecting but then not sure how to transition to actual business discussion without sounding salesy.
Sam, I wait about a week then send something like "Thanks for connecting. I noticed your building portfolio - I specialize in finding billing errors and rate optimization opportunities for similar properties. Would you be open to a quick 15-minute call to discuss what I'm seeing in the Charlotte market?" Keep it consultative, not salesy.
Alice D. in Staunton. Chamber of Commerce events have been gold for me. Joined the local commercial real estate group and networked with brokers. They introduced me to their property management contacts. Much warmer than cold calls and I've landed four clients this way through Dominion Energy Rate Schedule 5 optimization.
Aaron M. from Tulsa chiming in. Direct mail still works if you target right. I send letters to buildings over 25,000 sq ft with OG&E Rate LMP accounts, mentioning specific savings examples from similar properties. Include a one-page case study showing actual before/after bills. Gets about 5% response rate.
Greg S. in Omaha. Partnership approach works well too. I partnered with an energy broker who handles rate procurement, I handle bill auditing. We refer business back and forth. He introduced me to a 78,000 sq ft warehouse on OPPD Rate LGS that I saved $31,000 annually by catching incorrect demand billing.
This is all super helpful! Going to try the property manager referral approach first, then work on some LinkedIn outreach. Greg, how did you find the energy broker to partner with? That sounds like a great model.
Sam, found him through the Nebraska Energy Association. Most states have energy professional groups. Look for brokers who handle commercial accounts but don't do auditing - perfect complementary services. We have a simple referral agreement that splits fees when we refer business to each other.
Patricia W. from Tucson jumping in late here. Don't overlook nonprofit organizations as practice clients. I did free audits for two churches and a community center to build experience and case studies. Found $8,900 in annual savings for one church on their TEP Rate E-32 account. Now they refer me to other nonprofits.