From sales and marketing to technical education, we sit down with Sevadis’ Sales Manager, Simon Crangle, Marketing Manager, Sultana Rahman and Zak Lee, Head of Technical, to discuss how installers can navigate the ever-evolving EV charging industry.
Q. Why is it important that electrical professionals get to grips with the benefits of EV charging and the way this knowledge can play a supporting role in selling a chargepoint installation service?
SC: We’re currently experiencing demand for EV charging point installations like never before (particularly within commercial settings) as more businesses take advantage of OZEV grant funding and also begin to understand the long-term opportunities that EV charging facilities bring.
However, some businesses are still at the stage of pondering whether the investment in EV charging points is necessary right now. Our answer will always be ‘yes’ and this is down to the amplification of electric vehicles now on UK roads.
Understanding what the advantages that EV charging points can present to businesses could be the reason why business owners change their perspective on the installation of EV charging points at their premises.
Benefits such as increased footfall; the ability to generate additional revenue and profit in the future; satisfied customers and employees as well as being recognised as a forward-thinking sustainable businesses are all key selling points when pitching to business owners.
For business owners to ‘buy into’ and to believe in the need for EV charging points as an additional service to their offering, being equipped with knowledge on the short and long-term benefits is pivotal.
A common question from business owners includes ‘will the charging points really generate additional revenue for my business?’ Although it’s easy for us to say ‘yes,’ business owners require answers that provide them with the confidence to invest in the chargepoint installations.
To gain that confidence, installers have the responsibility to understand why EV chargepoints provide their customers with ample opportunities.
For installers to gain this knowledge, it is our responsibility, as the EV chargepoint provider, to ensure they are equipped with the guidance and materials to support them in understanding why EV charging points are beneficial to their customers.
Q. How can installers who may be new to EV chargepoint installations make the most out of the ‘free’ marketing and outreach platforms that are out there?
SR: My first piece of advice, particularly for installers who want to branch out to commercial EV chargepoint installations, is to ensure that you as an individual and as a company are active on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for sales, awareness and general networking, which in turn can lead to business generation.
A recent study reported that 4 out of 5 users on LinkedIn are involved in the decision-making process – that’s a lot of decision makers that can influence whether a business implements the installation of EV chargepoints or not. Taking this statistic into consideration, having an active LinkedIn profile is a no-brainer for individual installers and installation companies.
I’m often asked by our approved installers ‘what type of content works well on LinkedIn?’ The answer varies and is dependent on what the installer is trying to achieve, but one thing I must say is that valuable content is key.
Whether it’s a case study; industry news; an article you’ve written yourself; a simple graphic explaining your services or even a meme, this content must provide value to your audience in order for them to engage.
We’re seeing more installers that use their creativity and authenticity on LinkedIn to sell their EV chargepoint installation services and it’s working – they are receiving engagement from their local connections to their wider connections which are consequently leading to initial conversations that lead to conversions.
Q. What are you doing to ensure installers are equipped with the technical knowledge to feel confident in installing EV charging points?
ZL: At Sevadis, myself and the team believe in providing installers with the technical support they need throughout their EV chargepoint installation journey, however getting to grips with the product is the first and foremost priority.
We offer our approved installers training sessions that are easily accessible, straightforward and engaging. This approach ensures that installers leave our training sessions not only feeling confident about the technicalities of the installations, but also feeling excited to work with us.
One of the key areas we’re focusing on is supporting training centres and colleges with their EV chargepoint installation courses, including delivering training sessions to students as well as providing the institutions with the materials for teaching and training their course attendees.
At Sevadis, we’ve made it our responsibility to make sure that prospective EV chargepoint installers are trained to the best standards and are left assured when using our products.
We’re now also attending college seminars to advise and to educate the next generation of EV chargepoint installers on the evolving electric vehicle industry, because let’s face it, the electric future will be in their hands.
To browse the full range of Sevadis EV chargepoint solutions , click here
