Today, the retrofit industry is enjoying some very strong tailwinds. Government mandates, decarbonization strategies, ESG goals, the Inflation Reduction Act: Everywhere you look, you’ll see trends that favor energy-saving retrofit projects.

Yet too many businesses struggle to capitalize on this momentum. Why? Because they’re so busy with what’s right in front of them, they never look up to see the larger macro trends at play. And if they do notice these trends, they may feel too busy to do much about them.

We want to help you think bigger. If you want to grow your retrofit business, here are some smart places to start.

Adopt Proven Techniques to Close More Retrofit Projects

Want to feel good about the future of the retrofit industry? Take a look at energy efficiency trends. You’ll see government investment, corporate demand, and a booming job market.

But that doesn’t mean contracts will be easy to win. In fact, you’re probably facing a lot of stiff competition. That’s why it’s important to look beyond your day-to-day operations, to get better at closing.

One of the best ways to get better is to study the methods of sales experts like Mark Jewell. After all, while trends come and go, people only change so much. So, there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when it comes to effective selling techniques. Instead, look to industry sales leaders and adopt their methods.

You can pair tried-and-true sales techniques with helpful tech tools, to be even more effective. For example, video sales are a great way to expand your reach with technology and grow beyond what you’re doing today. Incorporate them into your sales strategy to get the most out of your efforts.

Develop Partnerships to Grow Your Reach and Expand Your Capabilities

If you’re not developing partnerships across the energy-efficiency industry, you’re probably thinking too small. Partnerships are one of the most effective ways to grow your business without becoming overwhelmed.

One reason for this is that a good partner can supplement your skill set to allow you to expand your capabilities. These relationships can be mutually beneficial — you and your partners all bring your own set of skills to the table. Combined, you’re able to offer more services to your clients.

These relationships can even help you extend your reach in the market. As you cultivate your connections and build trust, your partners will reach out to you with new opportunities. With good partnerships, you’ll have more people in your corner helping you to think bigger.

Leverage Digital Marketing to Raise Your Profile

Another way to start thinking bigger is to embrace digital marketing. It’s a powerful way to create awareness around your retrofit business. Unlike traditional marketing, digital marketing is much easier to target at the people who need your services.

It’s also highly measurable. This allows you to determine what’s working and what isn’t, then refine your strategy over time. Even a small company can quickly grow their digital presence if they use their marketing metrics to guide what they do.

You can also scale up over time. Maybe you want to try a few Google ads, or start an email marketing campaign. Maybe you want to be more active on LinkedIn. There’s no wrong way to start, and establishing a good base will give you a foundation to keep building bigger.

Use Retrofit Software to Build Your Capacity & Professionalism

If you’re struggling to grow your retrofit business, it may be because you’ve reached the limits of what you can do with the capacity you have.

Adding more employees could help, but it would also mean a lot of training and overhead — and if you’re already at capacity, do you really have time for all that?

But that’s where retrofit software like SnapCount can help. SnapCount helps you conduct audits, create proposals, and implement projects up to 70% faster. Those streamlined efficiency gains give you more capacity for new projects while generating more revenue.

The reason SnapCount works is because it automatically implements efficiencies. It engrains industry best practices in a mechanized way. As long as you adopt and keep using the software, the system will automatically guide you along the best pathway toward success.

Another big reason it works? Your customers — and their expectations. Clients want to be able to trust you as a true professional … and nothing screams “novice” like hand-scribbled notes, proposals that have been cut-and-pasted into existence, or worst of all, mistakes that need to be fixed. On the other hand, many SnapCount users have impressed prospects with their project management expertise (and set themselves apart from competitors) by demonstrating the system during the sales cycle.

Lead Your Team To Think Bigger About Your Retrofit Business

As a business owner, you’re probably comfortable with taking risks and trying new things. Entrepreneurs understand that building a successful business always comes with a few growing pains.

Your team, though, may be more reluctant. If you’re building new partnerships or using a new tool like SnapCount, you might find your people resist embracing these changes. Given the tight labor market we’re in, it might seem wiser to avoid anything that could upset employees.

This is where your skills as a leader and a salesperson come into play. If you’ve identified a way to grow your business, streamline operations, or increase capacity, those aren’t just wins for you — they’re wins for your team.

As you move to implement changes, remember to frame it that way: Explain what’s in it for them, and frame it in terms of your higher purpose. Whether your goals are to promote energy efficiency, save trees, or make money, you’ll need to help connect the dots for your team. Show them how new tools and practices help the company achieve its mission.

You’ll be surprised how quickly they embrace your vision and start thinking bigger, too.