Being a REEM myself and engaged with over 20
clients from different type of facilities, various expectations from the market has made
it more challenging to me for REEMs to meet and exceed those expectations.
I would like to share what are the key factors and
tips for anyone who is interested to embark on energy
efficiency industry at the present environment especially in offering REEM services. The following 10 items are believe
to be crucial factors when offering and delivering REEM services to the current and future market in Malaysia.
You must have at least one or few areas in Energy Efficiency(EE) that
you believe that you are really strong at. That will be what you are going to
start to sell when you enter the market.
I do not believe that as a starter you would be able to convince the
market that you have all solutions for them while you do not have track records
yet to support your credentials. You must remember that you may not be the
first one to knock their doors to offer REEM services. It is not a good
type of reputation that you want to earn especially if that prospect had bad
experiences before with regard to REEM services.
When you talk about areas that you specialized in, you must be able to explain what you would like to
offer to them in more convincing way and that will trigger some trust in your
ability to deliver. You need to know what you
are exactly good at to convince them to
pay for your services.
I personally came across some
REEMs under their own company told their prospects that they are able to do
almost everything but finally disappeared when they realized that could not
deliver as per requested. Then this will also leave a bad image to other
players who genuinely provide total solutions for energy management in the
market.
To show your resourcefulness in the eyes of the clients of prospective
clients, a REEM must have a strong understanding about other topics in energy
efficiency too. For example, you may not a M&V expert but you should be
able to explain to them should they have enquiries related to verifying savings
for their energy saving projects by suggesting recognized method can be used.
Tips:
To support your credentials, relevant qualifications and competency
certificates will be useful to be highlighted to the market and prospective
clients;
Read or subscribe to energy efficiency related information and materials
either printed or online media to keep yourself updated on current development
of technologies, industry news and best practices. You can even download it for
free with free online registration;
Attend energy efficiency related programs such as training, seminars and
forums to keep yourself updated about the industry, current technologies and
practices and also to build or enhance
personal capacity in related subjects especially in the area of services that
being offered to the clients.
A very strong background, knowledge and experiences in all key
components and stages in EnMS implementation will give REEMs more confidence in
selling and delivering REEM services. This is due to all services that can be
offered by REEMs activities and elements in any energy management
system implementation of an organization.
Identifying the needs of the organization for affected installations for each stage of
EnMS development and implementation will enable REEMs to assist by offering relevant services which can be covered in the
scope of works under the services contract.
As a service provider in energy efficiency industry, clients may
insist to include some scope of works that may be beyond your areas of
specialization. For example, they may want to have the total solutions from
engineering and management components of energy at their facilities such as
integrated building automation system and energy metering system but your
expertise may only limited to other areas.
Bear in mind that energy efficiency is a multi-discipline field and
it would be impossible for anyone to become an expert in all of disciplines in
energy efficiency too. By having good contacts and professional relationship
with other experts that you know and with trusted credentials to work with, you
will not lose the possible opportunities with your prospective and existing
clients.
In other cases, while you are servicing within you current scope of
works, clients may have additional needs for solutions or really specific
services that they need you to resolve for them and do not mind you source it
from elsewhere.
That are among the reasons why the information on available other
energy efficiency experts and knowing them are also important for you to
start and sustain you REEM services in the market.
I am now entrusted to run one company in a group of companies which all
companies in the group are involved in energy efficiency related
businesses but as we move on, we still need to work with other experts as
strategic partners to meet the increasing demand of our existing and potential
clients.
Being a completely stand-alone REEM may good enough for you to enter the
market but as you move on, it will limit your options to meet increasing demands
of existing and future clients. In the same time, it may also limit your
company’s potential to expand to tap “bigger” works other than only REEM
services unless you are already comfortable on where you are now.
A REEM must be able to clearly define types
and scope of services to be delivered to his prospective clients to meet agreed
deliverables in the services contract.
The client must be made to understand each
scope and what type of outputs are expected from overall services to be
delivered with agreed conditions and deliverables.
After you have started to deliver you
services, all eyes will be on how you deliver especially among the key
personnel related to energy management at the installation. A well-defined
scope of works and agreed expectations on the deliverables throughout your
services contract will be a good reference for every party to work with you and
to monitor the progress.
This can be made available in few options.
For big companies, they may have all the supports need from within to ensure
services offered to be delivered. For newcomers or smaller companies there are
several options can be considered as follows:
- Focus on services that you are really good at and can be delivered using mainly your own expertise and existing resources;
- Establish good contacts with reliable and trusted partners through strategic collaborations or ventures to bid or propose bigger scopes and more than just compliance services where your own expertise and resources are lacking.
They are scenarios where the financial
strengths of a company could become the deciding factor to secure REEM services
contract especially when we need to compete for jobs with big or multinational
companies.
I personally came across such scenario when
there are conditions where minimum paid up capital was predetermined at certain
values and audited company’s account are a part of mandatory documents to be
attached to qualify us for the bidding or preliminary evaluation stage.
It would be very helpful to have your track records on important
or significant projects that are related to energy efficiency properly
documented and ready to be shared with the prospects if needed. Good and well
documented track records will give you more credentials to you especially when
you are new to convince them to engage your services.
Engineers or people with technical background
are often seen having their own set of characters and communicating in oral to
other people unless among the same field is not something that they are to be good at it.
The reality is, when you are in services
industry, one of the core requirements to sell your services and that makes
your ability to convince your prospects about your services. Obviously you will
need to tell them how good you are and why they should engage you and not other
REEMs.
REEMs are always expected to be resourceful
people as the most competent person to be asked about energy management at the
installation and therefore, the ability for REEMs to explain clearly on queries
for services that they are offering or being delivered is also important.
Strong and effective communication skills such as in oral presentation,
negotiation, persuasion and business interaction will distinguish a REEM from other REEMs.
Energy management is not all about technical
solutions and issues and REEMs must bear in mind that in the line of their
duties as a REEM within the organization or as an external party to the
installation, they have to communicate effectively with all levels of people.
The needs for the ability to communicate effectively will be more obvious in
discussions and/or meetings that REEMs will have to attend and participate.
In energy management activities, roles that
need to be played by REEMs to deliver their services will require them to
interact and to get cooperation from different levels and groups in the
organization as well. Normally, people need to be convinced and oral skills are
the best way to send your key messages and to get their supports and
cooperation.
For external REEM service provider, excellent
writing and oral skill will give extra strengths in preparing attractive business proposal and
to present it convincingly to your
targeted audience in business meetings or presentations.
Extra qualifications and competencies will
always add more value and credentials for REEM to increase their image and
reputation. These will make the prospects and existing clients to have more
faith on the strengths and background of the REEM especially qualifications and
competencies that can assist the clients to achieve better energy performances
from energy management activities.
Here I would like to share some
qualifications and competencies that will add value to REEMs and services to be
delivered at the installations:
- Professional and competency certificates in related fields such as the as professional engineer and competent engineers for electrical safety;
- Certified trainer by Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd to conduct trainings that are claimable by eligible companies under Human Resource Development Fund;
- Certified Lead Auditor and Registered Auditor with Certification Bodies for ISO50001 Standard;
- Certifications from other independent bodies such for Green Building Facilitator and M&V Specialist;
The company that REEMs are representing have
all related registration with relevant bodies such as Energy Commission for
electrical works and ESCO, Construction Industry Development Board, Ministry of
Finance and etc.
Other than using
conventional business strategies such as seeking appointment for business
presentation, participate in exhibitions and publishing brochures or pamphlets,
REEMs must be proactive in order for them to get noticed in the market among
other REEMs or industry players. The use of online media such as online
professional networking groups and social media should be explored and utilized
to target various segments of target groups for your services.
Other avenues to
make yourself visible in the market are to use skills that you possess to
participate in events such as seminars, forums and conferences as an expert or
panel speakers where you be noticed directly by the audience which will build
your good image and reputation.
If you are good
in writing, you can seek the opportunity become a guest writer or columnist in
your area of expertise or general issues on energy efficiency for relevant
publications such as professional and industry magazines and newsletters.
I do see that REEM services can open more and bigger doors o for other EE services to be offered to the clients and with this sharing, I do hope it could benefit fellow REEMs out there and will inspire others to come on to join us.
Further queries or more sharing on REEM services can be forwarded to me at zainiabdulwahab@yahoo.com
