What appeals to one customer may not move the needle for another. Here are some insights on the priorities and information needs of a company’s decision makers.
Facilities Manager or Property Management Firms
Priority one for this audience will be the yearly operational cost of the facility. Help them understand the value of an LED lighting upgrade by showing the potential savings in:
Electricity cost – Use an ROI calculator to show the change in costs from LED. Remember to show them both what they will save and the excess they will continue to spend by not upgrading.
Maintenance cost – Add up the cost of replacement bulbs or fixtures, the cost of bulb storage space, if any, and the expense of disposing of old bulbs that contain mercury.
Labor cost – Every bulb that gets replaced comes with a labor cost that can be calculated by multiplying the time spent for each replacement, times the hourly wage of maintenance staff, times the number of replacements made annually.
NOTE: We’ve provided all the formulas for these calculations in our e-book.
Don’t Forget to Mention
LEDs offer plenty of benefits customers may not have considered. You can reassure customers your solution will address facility concerns, like:
Product quality
Warranties
Manufacturer reputation
Rated life of the product
Reduced maintenance
Keeping dust or bugs out of fixtures
Disposal cost of their existing fixtures
Business Owners
Office space is already a big expense for business owners. Any upfront costs that may hit the balance sheet will need to be justified in tangible benefits, like:
Return on Investment: Like facility managers, business owners will be focused on the numbers. Like any long-term investment, they will want to fully understand the break-even term and will appreciate seeing the pros and cons of upgrading versus keeping the status quo. Showing the calculations that go into your numbers will give them confidence to decide.
Upfront cost: An LED upgrade project will have to make sense in the business owner’s budget terms. If you can offer options for financing, it will go a long way in helping them fit the project into their financial picture.
Rebates: Rebates and incentives offered by utilities or governments can be the deciding factor in an LED upgrade, especially if there is a board of directors overseeing the process. If customers can land the right rebates, it can reduce their upfront costs by 50%-75%. Anything that offsets upfront costs or removes them altogether will greatly improve the likelihood of project approval.
Productivity and Morale: Business owners are also employers. And they’re concerned about occupant safety, user experience and productivity. Clue them in on the impact poor lighting can have on employee comfort and morale.
Don’t Forget to Mention
LED technology and the pros and cons of different lighting solutions aren’t likely to be familiar territory for business owners. You can’t assume all the benefits are understood, so be sure to cover these advantages:
Productivity benefits for employees of better lighting
Less disruption to the office environment from frequent bulb replacement
Eliminating the labor and material costs of ongoing maintenance
Less business downtime during the install by using retrofit kits
Added functionality and professionalism in office spaces like dimming or scenes
Added cost savings from smart features like occupancy sensors
Better light quality from fewer fixtures
