One of the smartest things you can do to sell efficiency is to never mention energy at all. Put the sale into the realm of something else people are going to care about.
For example, a controls contractor participated in our environmental optimization-training a year ago. Afterwards he was quoted in Buildings magazine saying, "If you take a look at tenant surveys, there's a tremendous amount of productivity tied up in thermal comfort, air quality and personal sense of control."
In short, the whole article in Buildings was not about saving energy at all. It was about increasing productivity and comfort while decreasing complaints. Bring that same attitude to the table while meeting clients. Talking about anything else may put them to sleep!
Another tip is to not talk about the utility bill or the equipment you’re selling. You should talk about what they care about. For example, if you’re talking to a landlord, you need to realize that one of their top priorities is to stop their phones from ringing with “too hot” / “too cold” complaints.
In a nutshell: don't talk about energy, don't talk about your equipment, and don't talk about utility bills. You may think those are the top three things to talk about. They aren’t. Talk about something your prospect cares about instead.
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