Have you ever tried selling an efficiency product or service to a prospect with an older building, only to hear your prospect say something like, “Our building is older, so you’d expect it to be less energy-efficient.”? This is a very common myth and you should be prepared ahead of time to overcome your prospect’s objection. Today, we’ll discuss a couple of responses that you might use to dispel this myth and move the discussion forward.
Response #1: “John, it’s funny you should say that because a lot of people are under that misconception (with all due respect). Did you know that the oldest building to get an ENERGY STAR® label in this country was built in 1820? How old is your building?”
Chances are, John’s building was built well after 1820, and you can then continue the discussion with the response below.
Response #2: “In our research, we found that older buildings actually score better than newer ones as long as they have been retrofitted with more contemporary building systems and are being operated properly. Older buildings are often made with better quality materials, thicker walls, and smaller windows, all of which is great for thermal insulation. Additionally, older buildings are more likely to have had retrofits done than newer buildings, since the chillers, boilers, motors and drives on newer buildings are less likely to have totally worn out and needed replacement.”
