SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH NEW ENERGY EFFICIENCY(EE) INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Yesterday I received one visitor at my office. He is already above 50 years old, a very experienced guy who will retire soon from the private sector. He was one of the youngest country managers of Hewlett -Packard in Malaysia and now interested to embark on energy efficiency field to fill his early retirement plan from next year.

He knew my contact number from one of the PhD holders at UNITEN who I met in one seminar on EE policy early this year. He called me and then came to see (finally after I have to postpone it few times due to my working commitment) me upon recommendation from that person who is also his friend. His friend told him that he may be able to get more insights on opportunities and current market trends from me since I have been involved in EE for quite some time.

When I recall, I realize that I have entertained at least 5 other people this year alone before this guy. All of the came to see me personally to have some more information on EE market in Malaysia and its potentials.

When they contacted me on our first communication(normally via email messages) I told them they also could get some information that I have been sharing  in this blog, my LinkedIn posts under Malaysia Green Professionals Group and in the Slideshare portal where I uploaded some of my presentation slides related to EE development in Malaysia.

Most of them did that but then, all of them insisted to see me in person to hear and ask directly some questions to me. Some even have to wait and still came due to changes in my working appointments with my clients.

Other than that, have also received queries on the market information online through my LinkedIn networking from local and international contacts. Some were foreigners who are interested to set up a base or to move in as green or EE professionals and some asked me about what they should do and what it takes for them to become EE players.

Honestly I do not know how much my input and information will help them but they seem very happy and relieved after they talked to me or received my answers through my email replies. They also thanked and appreciated my willingness to share my experiences and knowledge on EE industry in Malaysia with them.

Actually I just shared with them anything that I am know and aware off about the current progress of EE industry Malaysia with my exposure in the public sector and now as an industry player myself. I know some of them may become my competitors but that does not really worry me at all since the cake is still very big and still more than enough for anyone to take their slice.

With Mr. Alex at my office yesterday, 18 July 2013. All the best my new friend!

The chat with Mr. Alex yesterday  has actually  triggered  to write  this entry  and to share some of my thoughts related to what we discussed and shared. I rejoined the industry last year and from sharing my thoughts with other, it's a learning process for me too.

With that I would like to share what are they key factors and tips for anyone who is interested to embark on EE industry at the present environment. The following items are things that I believe to be crucial to be considered based on my experiences with the market since 1997 as a practitioner, then as regulator and a policy maker and now as an industry player with a business to run in EE field.

1.  Specialization

• You must have at least one or few areas in EE that you believe that you are strong at. That will be what you are going to start to sell when you enter the market.

• I do not believe in, as a starter you will be able to convince the market that you have all the solution sfor them when you do not have track records yet to support your credentials. You also must remember that you will not be the first one to knock their doors to offer EE services or products and it would be not a good type of reputation that you want to earn especially if they had bad experiences before.

• When you talk about area that you specialized in, you will 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 really good at to convince them to pay  for your services!

• I personally saw and experiences  that  some companies did tell to their prospects that they were able to do almost everything but finally disappeared when they realized that could not deliver as per requested by the prospects. This will also leave a bad image to other players who genuinely provide total solutions in the market.

2. To know other experts/players in the market and their specialties

• As a service provider in EE, in some cases, clients insisted to include scopes that 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. 

• Bear in mind that EE is multi-discipline field and no way can anyone become an expert in  all of them. By having a good contact with other experts that you know   and whom you can trust their credentials to work with, you will not lose the opportunity with your prospective clients.

Some scopes in energy services require different expertise to deliver

• In other cases, while you are servicing within you current scopes, they may have different or additional solutions or really specific services such as measurements that they need you to resolve for them and do not mind you source it from elsewhere.

• That are among the reasons why the knowledge on available EE experts and knowing them also important for you to start with.

• I am now entrusted in running one company in a group of companies which all companies in the group are in EE business but as we move on, we still need to work with other experts or partners to meet the increasing demand of our existing and potential clients.

3. You are the best?

• Unless you really have the track records or official testimonials or recognition to support your claim, please avoid claiming that. Why? Malaysian market for EE services sector is not that big and words will spread very for statements or claims that sounded like to discredit or undermine other players. It may not be the best idea when others started to scrutinize you and started to compare your self-proclaimed  "the best" services or products with what are available in the market. If you do not live up to that level, it will start to damage your reputation in the market and among other players.

4. Projects reference or track records

•  It would be very helpful to have your track records on important or significant projects that are related to EE properly documented and ready to be shared with the prospects if needed. That my give you some credentials to you especially when you are new.

5. Using the proxy figures won't work for EE business

• In EE services or products deliverable, you job is not done the moment you secured the deal. It's all about our ability to deliver and prove to your clients that whatever you offered to them really works.

• If you have managed to sell EE products, if they could not enjoy savings as high as what you have promised, they will lose the trust in you and also have negative thoughts about that product and there EE products too.

• If you have secured an energy audit job but the reports and findings presented to your prospect do not meet certain standards in good practices and expectations, you are as good as over because the market will start to lose confidence in your company. Not to mention the effects to other ESCOs that really good but have to deal with the mess that you have created.

• In relation to the above, having proxy figures to be with you in the company just to convince your prospects may not be  the best idea if you are not able to deliver. In this market where players are not many, once you screw up like that, you are as good as gone together with your reputation and your proxy s well.

My experiences tell me that you need to convince them on what you can deliver rather  than who you brought with you  to help to  convince the prospect

• I mentioned this because, I dealt with many companies came with many proxy figures to convince us about their proposal when I was working  in the public sector. These proxy normally some people with  titles but we know that they are  not known or related to EE field at all and their presence were just trying to influence the decision to favour the company that they represented.

• I know that is the trend in Malaysia but I personally do not know how much  that will help them if they cannot really deliver well.

6. You are on your own?

• EE industry is not a comprehensively regulated industry. It means you cannot expect too much assistance or guidance from the government agencies. 

• Do not be too disappointed if you are asked to refer to multiple agencies to get answers to your questions on EE because that is the way how it is now.

• It is simply because of there is still now clear policy at the national level that can be referred as a common document with its objectives and target. We also do not have any comprehensive law that governing EE industry unlike environment, occupational health safety and energy supply industries.

• At present, different agencies are carrying out EE initiatives on their own ways with no one is responsible or accountable on EE performance at the national level.

• What we can do now is to find our own ways to survive in this industry using whatever avenue and opportunities available in the market. In the same time we can only keep continuing to raise or concerns and recommendations to the government to be more proactive in supporting us in development of the industry by urgently introducing a clear policy, its EE targets, comprehensive framework with single accountability to be referred by the market for implementation and support measures available for the industry to grow.

The above are some of the key elements that I strongly believe to be considered for anyone who is interested to start their career or business in EE industry.

WELCOME ON BOARD AND ALL THE BEST.

TOGETHER WE CAN KEEP VOICING OUR CONCERNS AND DEVELOP THIS INDUSTRY FOR US AND BENEFITS OF THE NATION.