Are you ready to sell LEDs differently?

The term LEDs is synonymous with energy savings. They typical distributor either promotes LEDs as an energy savings initiative or quotes lighting projects that specify LEDs as the light / lamp source.

There is nothing wrong with either but, as LED adoption continues to accelerate, promoting it as an energy source becomes less of a differentiator.  LEDs, as a product category, become a commodity. Everyone knows the core benefit. The difference, as they say, will be in the details.

Part of those details will be specific features, and associated benefits, of new products. This presumes they are well communicated and that distributor salespeople and/or lighting specialists understand these ever changing differences.

The other part will be the business reasons why companies will consider LEDs or, perhaps more importantly, why to replace the LEDs that they installed.  You know, the ones that they were told were going to last 10-20 years?

As an industry, lighting manufacturers and distributors cannot afford no revenue from that “hole in the ceiling.”

That means there need to be new reasons to upgrade … and the ability by distributors to sell this rationale.

Some of the benefits will be self-evident:

• integration of WiFi and creation of “hotspots”
• integration of video and audio (incoming and outgoing)
• the ability to capture data and control environments

but these are the functional issues.

This recent interview by Randy Reid from The Edison Report is the next generation.  This is where benefit selling and understand customer core needs becomes critical. Where selling really occurs.

• In this video the panelists talk about research into circadian rhythms and wellness benefits of LEDs
• Reportedly there is comparable research relating to productivity, safety, security, learning / retention
• There can also be revenue generation benefits of LEDs.  Increased revenue for restaurants. Increased rents for office buldings. “Selling” digital signage space.
• and …

And we know about maintenance savings.

Selling LEDs Differently

The limit of identifying these benefits relate to lamp / lighting manufacturers conducting (or sponsoring) research; government and educational research and other entities investing in the benefits aspect.  And then, as an industry, we need to know that this research is available, we need to train our salespeople and then convert the information into targeted marketing initiatives.

The only way it occurs, however, is if companies invest in sales / lighting specialists. The days of a salespeople knowing everything … gone. Marketing should be your content and sales information sharer, paving the path for customers to understand their need and for solicitation of opportunities.

How is your company differentiating “your” lighting offering. And if you are not, get ready to lose some share! We know manufacturers sellign direct. Selling through telcos. Selling through IT VARs. And ESCOs are expanding their business (here’s info on a recent ESCO acquisition).

The alternative may result in Chris Brown’s illumigeddon.