SnapCount Insights

Conducting a successful lighting audit is no simple feat. But in an industry where time equals money, the most savvy auditors are always looking for ways to streamline the process for greater efficiency. Some even go so far as software design in an attempt to create their own custom tool that can quickly resolve the most common problems they face.

But that’s no simple thing, either. Just ask Ty Clark, the founder of LightBids. LightBids is a lighting audit software Ty developed in his quest to help auditors overcome the most common challenges they face on the job. The lessons he learned in the process are invaluable for anyone thinking of going down the same path.

Over the last few years, there’s been a tremendous push in the business community to meet sustainability goals. Many of these companies are now enjoying the fruits of their efforts, achieving their commitments, and reaping the benefits of energy efficiency.

But make no mistake: There’s still a tremendous need in the market. One study by Princeton University revealed that it will require an investment of more than $2 trillion for the United States to achieve true energy sustainability. Much of that capital will be spent to upgrade lighting, controls, and HVAC — and to install electric vehicle charging stations.

For a company like Orion Energy Systems, this represents a huge opportunity. Orion’s mission is to help customers accomplish their sustainability goals through innovative technology and exceptional service. But to get their products into the hands of more retrofitters, Orion needed a partner like SnapCount. Here’s why.

Call us ahead of our time: While we’ve always understood the incredible impact efficiency measures have on energy operations, we’re seeing the mainstream take notice in a big, big way. As corporations work to achieve significant sustainability goals, it has led to a reality where energy efficiency has become a de facto obligation for leading business and their facilities.

Given the nearly 6 million non-residential buildings in the United States representing over 100 billion square feet of space, energy and electrification represent a $2 trillion opportunity over the next 10 years.

Yes, that’s a lot of opportunity for our industry, but we’re also putting our own dollars, reputations, and human capital and energy at stake on these projects. With so much work on the horizon, now is the time to make sure our energy audits are the best they can possibly be. If we don’t, there will be a high price to pay.

When we talk about return on investment in the retrofit business, it’s usually because we’re talking to customers. Guiding them through the ROI of retrofit projects and explaining the most meaningful metrics is one of the best ways to get them on board with a project. Who could turn down the opportunity to save money and even increase their margins?

Great question. Because today, we’re going to talk about how you can see a great return when you invest in retrofit software.

As a retrofitter, you care about your productivity rates. They can mean the difference between a successful energy retrofit business and serious financial trouble.

Yet across almost every sector of the economy, experts are reporting that productivity is down. Try as you might, you’re likely also feeling the effects of this drag and starting to wonder what can be done. In an environment in which there are so many challenges, and all of them hitting at once, is there anything that can be done to improve — or at least maintain — your productivity rates?

Let’s take a closer look at those challenges, a few common mistakes, and the single best choice you can make to keep productivity high.

We recently sat down with Mark T. Jewell, author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Selling Energy: Inspiring Ideas That Get More Projects Approved!, to get his expert opinion on how contractors can increase their project close rates.

In Part 1 of our conversation, Mark highlighted the importance of understanding each prospect’s “why,” sharing success stories, and making sure to factor in all variables to show your lighting project’s true value. But Mark also raised questions about one of the most challenging aspects of closing a project:

“In a typical company with 100 employees, you’ll see an average of seven people who have to say ‘yes’ — or at least not say ‘no’ — to your lighting project. In most cases, the person you’re pitching to initially is not in a position to make a unilateral decision.”

One of the things that sets SnapCount apart is that we’re constantly making improvements based on conversations we have with our users. In all of that feedback, there’s one question we hear again and again: “How do I improve my close rate?”

Getting a prospect to say yes to a lighting project isn’t always as simple as demonstrating the energy savings they’ll enjoy with LEDs. In many cases, the person you’re pitching to isn’t even the final decision maker. How can you get the right information in front of the right people in order to close on more projects?

To help us answer these questions, we turned to Mark T. Jewell, author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Selling Energy: Inspiring Ideas That Get More Projects Approved. Mark is a much sought-after speaker, but he took time from his travels to share his wisdom with us. Here’s part one of our two-part conversation with Mark.

When you purchase lighting retrofit software, you can’t afford to lose time figuring out how it all works. You want to hit the ground running to start reaping the benefits the software is intended to offer.

At SnapCount, we’ve designed our onboarding process to ensure you can do just that. We have some experience, after all — with more than a quarter-million projects initiated to date, we understand your priorities (and the things that get in their way).

While there will always be a learning curve when it comes to learning a new piece of software, we’re here to help you succeed, starting with your first day of onboarding. Here’s what you can expect.

You already know SnapCount is the best available lighting and energy retrofit software, and you’ve begun using it to audit, propose, and implement retrofit projects far more efficiently.

The question is: How can you keep moving in the direction of even more cost-effectiveness?

One way is to refine your day-to-day use of SnapCount by progressively implementing some of the best practices identified by the SnapCount Customer Success team, as well as those employed by power users across North America. With many of these users reporting productivity gains of up to 70%, we’re excited to share these ideas with you to help you become even better.

If you’re ready to level up your SnapCount, here’s where to start.

Just a few years ago, electric vehicle (EV) sightings on the highway were about as rare as those of antique roadsters. Fast forward to today, and it seems like every tenth car is whirring along silently under the power of an electric motor.

EV technology is improving and becoming more affordable. Auto manufacturers are electrifying their lineups. And consumers fed up with high gas prices and pollution are increasingly attracted to clean electric vehicles.

It won’t be long before fossil fuel-powered vehicles are the rarity, which raises a question: Where will all these EVs recharge their batteries?