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Members of the 6Sacademy are proud to be Independent Consultants with the finest and most respected retail energy supplier in the country; Ambit Energy

Why We Don’t Talk About Rates in Ambit Energy…

The first and most important reason we don’t talk about rates in Ambit Energy is because it’s simply not a part of our proven system.

Nowhere in any of the training done by the best and most successful in the business do they teach us how to talk about Ambit’s rates.

Why?

Because we don’t need to and, frankly, we don’t want to. More on that later.

Remember, our goal is not to reinvent the wheel. It’s to become a student, learn the proven system, put that system to work and show others how to do the same thing.

This business is about duplication.

Explaining the complexities of and fluctuations in rates is simply not duplicatable. Even if you can explain the grid and tiered pricing structures, on-peak and off-peak demand billing … you shouldn’t! For one, it’s too complicated. But more importantly, few if any on your team will be able to explain it the way you can and that completely sabotages their chances for success.

Ask yourself these questions:

If I’m going to allow myself to talk about rates, am I really following the proven system?

And if I’m not following the system, am I coachable?

And if I’m not coachable, am I limiting my chances for success in this business?

And does that also limit the chances for success of those I lead?

In truth, that’s probably all we really need to discuss in this article. If the best of the best have tens of thousands of customers in their organization and they don’t talk about rates, then why should we?

What makes us think we’re any different?

What makes us think we need to talk about rates?

I think the main reason is because when we’re just starting out we don’t have the skills to manage the questions and objections that we anticipate.

But we also feel like our prospects deserve answers and it’s our responsibility to give them the answers.

But when we learn how to manage expectations, properly frame the discussion and honestly deal with our prospects’ true concerns, then we take a large step forward in this business.

The truth is, we don’t need to talk about rates. But we should learn how to handle the inevitable questions about rates. And that’s really what this article is about.


What business are we in?

Perhaps the first thing to keep in mind is the type of business we’re in.

Are we in the energy business? No.

Ambit is in the energy business.

Are we in the sales business? No again.

While the industry is referred to both as Direct Selling and Network Marketing, nothing we do is related to selling in the financial sense. There are many direct selling opportunities out there that require people to educate, demonstrate, take orders, chase payments, deliver product and handle complaints and returns. How fortunate we are that we don’t have to deal with the vast majority of that.

So, if we’re not in the energy business and we’re not in sales, what business are we in?

We’re in the marketing business … or, if you prefer, we’re in the referral business.

We simply refer people to a smarter way to buy something they’re already buying every month … and we ask people to take a look at a part-time income opportunity that might or might not be right for them.

That’s really it.


Focus on the Favor

The topic of rates may come up as a result of the way we ask people to become our customer. And that’s the reason we focus on the favor.

Remember, we only need a few customers to hit our jumpstart bonuses, fifteen for free energy and twenty to unlock all levels of residual income.

We do not have to go out and gather dozens, hundreds or thousands of customers personally. That really gives us the distinct advantage of only needing to initially approaching those we’re naturally closest to. For our first handful of customers, we really want to approach those who are the most likely to do us a favor and just try our service.

I’ve heard more than one consultant tell me that they’re uncomfortable asking for favors. I can understand that to an extent but, if that’s you, let me recommend that you get over it … and I’m going to show you how.

First of all, people like doing favors for others and frequently a person who can’t or won’t ask for a favor is one who thrives on doing favors for others. But we also need to realize that almost everyone likes to do favors for other people. It makes them feel good to know that they can do something nice for someone else.

Why would we deprive someone of something that makes them feel good? Isn’t that selfish? Isn’t it, in a sense, an act of selflessness to allow someone else to do something nice for us?

So, allowing someone to do you the favor of trying your service is really a selfless act on your part that brings joy (and lower rates!) to others.

How’s that for fancy thinkin’?

Second, in a sense, we are really asking someone to let us do them a favor … we just don’t phrase it that way.

Who do you know who would do you a favor in a heartbeat?

Who do you care enough about that you would allow them the joy of doing you a favor?

I’ll be those are the same people that you’d be thrilled to do favors for. Am I right?

These are your first customers.

The key in the very beginning is to taste success by helping a small handful of people save money. The remainder of the customers you need to achieve free energy and unlock the full residual income will come over time.


The Savings are Documented

In the confidential section of the 6Sacademy.com website, we have many tools available exclusively for our team. One of those tools is a PDF chock full of savings statements that range from a little less than 8% to nearly 30%.

Leafing through a stack of these statements shows proof positive that Ambit’s savings are real and potentially substantial.

I tell people that as a customer I did about 6 minutes worth of work – 3 minutes filling out a web form and 3 minutes talking to Ambit’s verification system – and I saved enough over the course of the year to get my electricity supply in February for free.

Think about that … would you do six minutes of work to get free electricity one month out of the year? Of course you would. Who wouldn’t?

But it’s not just February this year … it’s every February. Then I tell them that, in truth, I did a little more work and now all of my months are free. I tell them that if they’re interested in seeing how I did it that I can show them how they can get all of their months for free, too!


This is a commitment-free zone

When you have something of value to bring to people you care about, why wouldn’t you ask them to give it a try? If you had the cure for the common cold, would you keep it to yourself and watch those you care about suffer needlessly or would you share that cure with them?

All we are doing is sharing with those we care about a way that we found to lessen the pain of high energy bills. That’s truly it!

But we are not asking anyone to commit to a lifetime with Ambit Energy. We’re asking them to simply try the service for a couple of months and see if it brings them value. If not, we’re more than happy to switch them back to their incumbent’s higher rates at any time.

The relationship we have with those we care about is worth far more than the few pennies a month in commission that we will earn from them as customers. If they’re not saving money they we don’t want them to stay with the service, right?


Why We Guarantee Savings

In many territories, it’s easy to compare Ambit’s published rates with the incumbent and other ESCOs. And, over time, it’s easy to establish a track record of savings. But even here, talking rates should be the very last resort. Again, focus on the favor. Share the savings statements that our team has collected from customers in NY. Talk about our Better Business Bureau rating and our JD Power awards in NY and CT.

And ask them to help you out and simply try the service.

But in territories like New York, Ambit doesn’t publish rates. The reason is that the market here is more volatile than it is in other states. We trade energy here on an exchange much like we trade stocks on Wall Street.

In NY, we can tell our prospective customer, “I can’t show you rates because Ambit doesn’t publish rates in NY. But I can do something better. I can give you a written guarantee of savings. No other energy supplier in the country guarantees savings.”

And that’s not just a piece of paper, either. That savings guarantee is filed with the state. That means that if any customer doesn’t save at least 2% (or 1% under the old plan) then Ambit could lose the ability to serve New York. That’s a huge incentive to live up to the savings guarantee, wouldn’t you say?

The least our new customers will save in NY is 2% (and at least 3% in DE, DC, IL, MD, NJ & PA) but it could be substantially more. Our team savings statements run from just under 8% to nearly 30%.

In any state with guaranteed savings we can tell our customers, “You know, I don’t pay much attention to rates now that I have a savings guarantee.”

Even better, tell them that your rate is as low as it gets … ZERO.


Going FREE

One thing we can ask our potential customers, particularly those who appear to be rate conscious, is: “How much do you want to save?”

That lets them think, correctly, that they have a choice in how much they save. They can save a little by becoming a customer. It could be that they’ll save even more. Or, they can think big and take rates completely out of the equation by earning free energy.

We can share with them that we have the only zero-rate energy service in the country. We’re happy to show them how we do it. And helping a customer get free energy means working their sphere of influence to put the opportunity in front of more people. So, helping a customer earn free energy could be very lucrative for you as a consultant down the road.

 

Wrapping it up

We are in the referral business.

We ask people for favors – we don’t sell them on Ambit Energy.

We show them real and substantial savings and, in a growing number of markets, we guarantee that they’ll save money.

We show them how they can save 100% on their energy supply.

And we make it clear that there’s no cost and no commitment to become an Ambit customer and help us build our part-time energy business.


Why we don’t need to talk about rates:

I’m going to risk being a little blunt here:

If the request of a favor from a friend and Ambit’s exclusive savings & benefits aren’t enough to motivate someone to simply try the service … then move on. It’s simply not worth your effort.

You can lead a horse to lower energy rates but you can’t make him save … or something like that.


I need to see the rates!

There are some potential customers that are going to hold on to this issue like a dog to a bone. There just not going to give it up.

I think you have two choices at this point:

1. Take it away

2. Dig in and win them over

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to take your offer back. If, after you’ve …

guaranteed them savings,

shown them a stack of savings statements,

shown them how they can get free energy

… and they’re still asking to see rates … then you may want to think twice about taking them on as a customer. This is the type of person that will drive you nuts. This is the type of customer that will call you for every little thing.

They’ll be unhappy when this months’ rate from Ambit is higher than last months’ rate (from either Ambit or the incumbent) even though this month’s rate is lower than the incumbent. In other words, the rate did go up but they are still saving money. Some people think Ambit’s rate should never go up and if it does, you’re going to hear about it.

They’ll be unhappy when this month’s savings isn’t as great as last month’s savings … even though last month was incredible.

And heaven help us if Ambit actually charges a little more one month than they would have paid to the incumbent! The past ten months of savings will mean nothing to them and you’re never going to hear the end of how Ambit charged them more.

Is this the type of customer you want?

There’s too much ripe, low-hanging, just waiting-to-be-picked fruit to spend any time going after the sour, unattractive fruit that’s hard to pick. Move on to those who want to be helped, are willing to keep an open mind for a few minutes and who won’t suck the life out of you every month.


This is not a reflection on your ability to “sell” Ambit or help people but it may be a reflection on their ability to recognize an opportunity to make a wise decision.


It’s okay to say, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can help you. You’re not the type of customer I’m after,” and leave it at that.


On the other hand …

Maybe you’re the type of person who won’t take no for an answer and you don’t mind the never-ending phone calls in the wee hours from a confused or upset customer.

In that case, go for it! Win them over … if you can!

What do you do if they’re not going to agree to becoming your customer unless you show them rates and you’re not willing to walk away until they are a customer?

First of all, you may be well-advised to go into this knowing that you’re going to lose time and money. You might win a customer (temporarily) but you’re going to be bruised and possibly bloody before it’s over.

Okay, so you’ve done everything we’ve talked about already. You’ve asked for the favor, you’ve shown the guarantee of savings, you shown the stack of statements and you’ve shown them how you’re getting (or working toward) free energy at your own home.

And they still want to see rates.

Ask them this question: “When you drive down the road, do you look in front of you or do you look only in the rearview mirror?”

Demanding to see historical rates will allow them to see where we’ve been but it says absolutely nothing about where we are going. The guarantee of savings is the map forward. The free energy program is a way to get there at warp speed. But demanding a month-by-month breakdown of past rates tells them absolutely nothing about what the rates will be next month.

You can also ask: “How much are you saving right now?”

If they are supplied by the incumbent then you know the answer. They’re saving nothing. And if they’re a customer of just about any other ESCO, then they’re very likely paying more than they would to the incumbent.

Ask them if their supplier (incumbent or not) guarantees that they’ll save money? Then, ask them why not?

Ask them if their supplier gives them their energy (or at least a portion of it) for free? Then, ask them why not?

Tell them you’re not only working toward free energy but a really nice vacation compliments of Ambit, too. They may think you’re crazy but ask them if their energy provider will be paying for their upcoming cruise or resort vacation.


The bottom line

If you’ve read this far then you’re a rare breed. And by now, you know without a doubt exactly why none of the successful people in Ambit waste any time talking about rates.

If you’re talking about rates, you are quite possibly crippling your business and setting your team up for failure.

So … cut it out!

Now, let’s go build a great business and achieve financial freedom together.


Todd

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