In a world where we’re enhancing technology to aid in communications, business professionals must strive to employ it as a tool but not a replacement for building relationships. Technology can aid us in our conversations, but it should never replace human-to-human interaction.
Especially in the solar industry, relationship-building is critical to success. We’re challenged in today’s business landscape to develop a happy marriage between technology and real, authentic conversations to fulfill the needs of customers, vendors, and stakeholders. The relationships we nurture help to earn trust, which is essential to long-term sustainability.
When I started my job as a Business Development Manager for EnergyBin, I was instantly impressed with the complementarity of technology and business networking that the online platform has to offer.
EnergyBin isn’t just a database that provides real-time insights on solar hardware pricing and availability in the secondary market. It’s also a community of your industry peers.
Every time you log into your EnergyBin account, approach it as if you’re walking into a trade show. The companies who are members of EnergyBin share a common goal to extend the life of solar hardware through reuse and resale initiatives and seek to eliminate solar waste via recycling efforts. They are looking to trade (buy and sell) hardware as well as to partner with others for downstream secondary market solutions. You should walk into EnergyBin ready to introduce yourself, make connections, and build relationships.
In this article, I’ll provide practical tips for utilizing EnergyBin as your virtual trade show to make meaningful connections and grow your network. If you’d like one-on-one advice regarding how to leverage EnergyBin with respect to your business goals, contact us for a personalized consultation.
Define your networking goals
To make the most out of your EnergyBin membership, the first step you’ll want to do is define what you would like to achieve through your networking efforts. Here are some questions to consider:
- Who are the key solar companies in the secondary market that you’re looking to connect with?
- Are you looking for new vendors, buyers, service providers, or recycling companies?
- Are you seeking to expand your business in new markets?
- What types of players along the supply chain do you want to target?
- What product categories are you focused on?
Having well-defined goals will help to establish your overall EnergyBin strategy and direct your interactions with other members.
Use what’s in your tech toolbox
As an EnergyBin member, you have a variety of tools that you can leverage to garner the value that best serves your strategy.
Search for Companies, People, & Products
Use the platform to conduct searches on companies, people, and products. Access the Company Directory to search by name, city, state, region, business category, or keywords. You can also search by manufacturer name to find sellers who list inventory from a certain manufacturer.
To find people, switch to the Person tab. Search by using the provided filters. For example, if you want to find Project Managers in California, fill in the Title and State fields.
Product searches are the most popular form of daily searches per user on EnergyBin. Type in your relevant keywords or a specific part number to find hardware. Search results are ordered by date and time of upload with the most recent uploads showing first. Filter results by manufacturer, price, condition, location, etc.
Send Broadcasts & Upload Inventory
In addition to searching, be proactive by initiating opportunities for members to connect to you, such as sending Broadcasts and uploading inventory.
EnergyBin allows you to quickly send Want-to-Sell and Want-to-Buy Broadcast emails for single parts, full systems, or even your bill of materials. Sending Broadcasts is the best way to efficiently reach all companies on EnergyBin at the same time. You should send and view Broadcasts regularly, if not daily.
Sellers can make a bigger impact by uploading your inventory and then sending Want-to-Sell Broadcasts for double exposure. EnergyBin’s search capabilities are based on keyword accuracy. Results appear with the most recent listings on top. You may want to get in the habit of uploading your updated inventory list on a weekly basis to ensure your listings are not only accurate but also getting seen.
Take it one step further and set up an API between your internal management system and EnergyBin. Contact us to get started.
Respond to others’ posts
Keep your eyes open to others’ posts – Broadcasts and Inventory Listings – and offer your help, provide thoughtful insights, or introduce yourself for potential collaboration in the future.
For example, say you see an Inventory Listing for older 60-cell poly solar panels. You don’t currently have a need to buy them, but you have customers who may need them in the future.
So, you decide to send a personalized RFQ to introduce yourself and your company:
Hello Tom,
I’ve been supporting a few O&Ms for their replacement panel needs and have sold many of these older 60-cell poly panels. I don’t have a buying need today. However, I wanted to introduce myself for potential future needs.
Would you answer a few questions about your supply? What are the exact dimensions of these panels you’re stocking? I’m also curious about the frames. My customers aren’t interested in ZEP frames. Are the frames standard or ZEPs?
If you’d like to chat on the phone, I’d be happy to share more about my company and our standard vendor qualifications. You can also view my Company Profile on EnergyBin to learn more.
Thanks for your help,
Bill
What I like about this example is that it’s relevant to both parties and it’s personalized. Because the message is sent through the RFQ tool, the receiver (Tom) will see it as a direct response to his Inventory Listing. Furthermore, the sender (Bill) asks questions and offers to chat on the phone, which invites human-to-human interaction.
Complete your Company Profile
The final tool that supports meaningful connections on EnergyBin is your Company Profile. Your Profile is your opportunity to highlight your company, share innovative solutions, and showcase successful projects or anything that builds your credibility in the industry, such as certifications or licenses you hold.
Update your Company Profile with as much information as possible. Include your company biography, logo, trade associations, and certifications. I also recommend adding photos of your warehouse or significant projects you’ve built.
In the Ref tab, add 2-3 other members who agree to act as trade references. These references will come in handy when members are vetting you as a potential business partner.
Finally, add your team members and have them complete their Personal Profiles. Each user should upload their professional headshot photo and complete their contact information, as these fields will appear in Directory Search results.
Vet other members
You can also use EnergyBin to pre-screen other members. Every member on EnergyBin has met our member qualifications; it’s up to you to determine whether they meet your internal qualifications as a business partner.
Start by viewing their Company Profile where you can read about their business, review their terms and policies, find individual contact information, and see their credentials.
Next, check out their website and online reviews. If you see an industry peer who has given them a testimonial, reach out to them to ask about their first-hand experience. You can also contact their References on their Company Profile.
Then, call the company. Ask them your list of pre-qualifying questions. Additionally, contact your EnergyBin Account Manager to inquire about a member company. We’re happy to help facilitate new connections and point you in the right direction if you have questions about another company.
Leverage these tools on EnergyBin to provide value to your overall membership experience. Your company will benefit from regularly employing these tools. Go a step further and offer to help other members to uplift the community.
We’re all in this space together working to advance a robust and sustainable secondary market. If you see a Broadcast advertising a solar panel that someone in your network needs, offer to connect the seller with your colleague. If you have tech specs that would strengthen an inventory listing, share them with EnergyBin. Extend your help without expecting anything in return, and others will be more open to forming lasting relationships with you.
Don’t scam or spam
Whatever you do to enhance your relationships on EnergyBin, you should act in a way that earns the trust of other members and builds your credibility. The EnergyBin community is founded on transparency and integrity.
Don’t misrepresent yourself or your company. Companies found to be spreading false information about their business or products will be immediately removed.
Don’t list fraudulent or counterfeit products. For every product you upload or send a Broadcast, you must be authorized to represent said product.
Don’t falsify your listings. Quantity and price information must be accurate and honored. You must be able to ship what you list within 48 business hours.
Don’t spam members by posting irrelevant content or sending unsolicited emails. This is against our Terms of Service that every member agrees to when they first join EnergyBin.
Do what you say you’ll do
Following up is necessary to make meaningful connections. First, if you upload inventory or send a Broadcast, be prepared to respond to inquiries in a timely manner. I recommend assigning a dedicated team member to handle inventory management and correspondence. If that team member is out of the office, have a back-up person in place.
Second, keep a record of everyone you have a conversation with. If I were acting as an EnergyBin member, I’d send regular Broadcasts and track the RFQs and inquiries I receive from each Broadcast. I’d reach out to every inquiry within 1-2 business days even if I’ve already sold the part to another member. I’d take notes and maintain a record of everyone I communicated with, noting what was discussed. This documentation would allow me to track business and new connections coming from my EnergyBin membership.
Even if a conversation today doesn’t lead to a deal on the same day, I encourage you to be proactive. Relationship-building takes time, and there’s no better time to start than today.
Make authentic connections
To form real, authentic connections, it all boils down to treating others as you like to be treated. I’m guessing that no one wants to be polluted with impersonal emails and phone calls. Instead, seek to use technology to find and form meaningful and relevant connections. The tech tools within the EnergyBin platform help you accomplish this.
Over time, some of the connections you make on EnergyBin will blossom into long-term business relationships. Start by building a solid foundation – complete your Company Profile, loop in your team members, post Broadcasts and upload inventory regularly, respond in a timely manner, follow-up, and repeat.
More Resources
A Comprehensive Guide to Wholesale Solar Equipment Brokering
The Ultimate Guide to Buying Wholesale Solar Equipment
The Ultimate Guide to Selling Wholesale Solar Equipment