This week we had the privilege of meeting with a couple of great companies to talk about the future of energy.
(This image is from @gapingvoid. We love Hugh.)
1. The future is in the solutions. At KSV, we're often thinking about what the energy company of the future looks like. We're not sure we have the answer, but we know that it isn't close to what it is today. This is no longer a pipes and wires business alone. It's being led by disruption, innovation, products and solutions.
In one of our meetings this week we discussed the upcoming lighting cliff, and how everyone, but especially those responsible for commercial lighting programs, must begin preparing and getting innovative, fast. We'll need deeper solutions with greater savings, and customers who understand the benefits of deeper EE, so they'll trust in the advocates and prioritize the actions.
And of course, in order to do that...
2. The customer must be at the center of everything we do. Whether you are redefining what it means to be an energy company, acting as a trusted advisor to organizations and individuals on how to best use energy, or at a renewable company that is changing the world; the most important task in your job every day is to consider the customer experience you are creating and how you can make it easier, faster, and better to do business with you.
In our second meeting, we discussed the need to meet customers where they are, not where we want them to be. And then once we're there, we have to sell the problems we solve, not our products or (god forbid) our process.
Whether you're selling consultation and innovation, SaaS products, or the most beautiful wifi thermostat in the world you must be relevant to your customer. Their pain points, challenges, and frustrations are your opportunity.
And if they aren't yours, they will be your competitors.
3. Innovate or die. KSV has been in business for 40 years, and over those four decades everything about our business has changed (well, everything but the beer fridge. That's always been here and always will, hallelujah).
So often, we have conversations with clients who are struggling with what the change in their industry means for their own company. What we have learned, and what we heard this week loud and clear is that legacy, infrastructure, even industry is no excuse.
The best, most impressive companies (and these two we met with definitely fit this category) are innovating in ways that we are inspired by and they are doing it at mach speed. They aren't interested in recreating the wheel, building off successes they've already conquered. Someone else can chase that, and recreate the wheel that these guys built. Instead, they are forging new ground, looking for new products, new services. They are focused on innovation, on the next great idea, on changing what it means to work in the energy industry.
Energy is the future. And we feel confident these companies will be there to meet it.
Oh, and if you happen to work at one of these two companies, thank you. Thanks for great conversations and for inspiring us, and everyone else in the industry.
Our minds are already racing, and we can't wait to get to work.
Let's get started.
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Want a look inside the meetings we had?
Take a look at this video on Connected Consumers that drove part of the conversation.
Want even more? We'll send you the deck we used today, ripe with research and case studies. In fact, here is the table of contents:
