Debating whether to offer free sample audits on 3-6 months of bills as a way to get in the door. Some prospects seem interested when I mention it, but I'm worried about doing free work that doesn't convert to paid engagements. What's been everyone's experience with sample audits? - Derek H.
Free sample audits - loss leader or waste of time?
Derek - I offer free samples regularly in Nashville and it's been my best lead converter. About 70% of samples turn into paid audits. The key is to do just enough work to show your expertise but not give away everything. I usually check rate schedule optimization and obvious billing errors on 3 months of bills. - Jeff C.
Jeff - how do you position the sample so they don't just take the free findings and implement themselves? I tried this approach in St. Paul and found some issues, but the client just called the utility directly instead of hiring me for the full audit. - Don A.
Don - that's why I only give high-level findings in the sample. Like "I identified 2 potential rate optimization opportunities and 3 billing calculation issues that could save approximately $400-600 per month. The full audit would verify these savings and check 24 months of history for additional errors." Don't give specific details or tariff numbers in the sample. - Jeff C.
Jeff has the right approach here. The sample audit should be like a medical diagnosis - you identify symptoms but don't provide the full treatment plan. I recommend limiting samples to basic rate comparison and obvious meter reading errors. Save the complex tariff analysis, demand charge optimization, and power factor review for the paid engagement. Think of it as proof of concept, not free consulting. - Randy D.
I've done about 12 sample audits in Bismarck over the past year. 8 converted to paid work, 4 didn't. The ones that didn't convert usually had internal staff who wanted to handle it themselves after seeing what to look for. Now I only offer samples to companies without dedicated facilities staff. - Arnold K.
Arnold - that's a good screening criteria. How do you determine if they have facilities staff before offering the sample? - Derek H.
Derek - I just ask during the initial conversation. "Who currently handles your utility bill review and facilities management?" If they have a dedicated facilities manager or engineer on staff, I skip the sample and go straight to explaining the value of professional audit. If it's handled by accounting or office manager, I offer the sample. - Arnold K.
Good strategy Arnold. I've found that smaller companies (under 100 employees) are better candidates for sample audits since they usually don't have technical staff to implement findings themselves. Larger companies often have engineers who can run with your preliminary findings. - Ken J.
Ken - what size companies do you target in Omaha? I've been all over the map in Mobile and wondering if I should focus on a specific size range. - Leon J.
Leon - I target companies with $3K-15K monthly electric bills. Below $3K there's usually not enough savings to justify fees. Above $15K they often have facilities staff or engineering consultants already. That bill range typically covers 25-200 employees depending on the business type. - Ken J.
This has been really helpful! I was offering too much detail in my sample audits in Eugene. Going to scale back to high-level findings only and see if that improves my conversion rate. Thanks for the insights everyone! - Keith D.