Best Practices for Marketing and Selling ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes

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• Best Practices for Marketing and Selling ENERGY
  STAR Qualified Homes

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Outline

• The Basics - What is ENERGY STAR and how does it
  fit into my sales process?
• Marketing best practices
• How to sell ENERGY STAR qualified homes
• Planning an ENERGY STAR event
• Resources to help you sell

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The Basics
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What is ENERGY STAR?

• ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the EPA and the
  DOE helping us all save money and protect the
  environment through energy efficient products and
  practices.

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Brand Advantage

• Brand Shorthand
• Truly Energy Efficient
• Credible
• Environmental Leadership

Recognized by gt70 of households
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What is the ENERGY STARNew Homes Program?

• Government-backed label
• At least 15-20 more efficient than local code
• Third-party verified
• Whole-home performance
• New way to build and sell homes
• Voluntary proof of your leadership

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Green Begins with Blue
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ENERGY STAR Criteria
Effective Insulation
Tight Construction and Ducts
High Performance Windows
Efficient equipment
Third-party verification
Lighting and Appliances
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How ENERGY STAR Adds Value


Features Effective
Insulation Adv. Windows Tight Construction
Ducts Efficient Equipment Lighting and
Appliances Third-party Verified
Additional Benefits Quieter More Comfortable No
Drafts Fewer Bugs/Pests Better IAQ Higher
Quality Less Maintenance Lower Ownership
Costs Better Investment

• Typical
• Price
• Location
• Facade
• Floor Plan
• Amenities

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What does ENERGY STAR add?

• You can use ENERGY STAR to prove your homes are
• High-performing
• Save money
• Help the environment
• Third-party verified

(quality) (affordability) (responsibility) (trustw
orthiness)
Differentiate yourself from other builder by
competing on more features
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Selling Quality
Properly installed features better protect
against cold, heat, drafts, moisture, pollution,
and noise ? improved comfort and durability And,
the home is tested and inspected to be sure!
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Only 10 of U.S. Homes Earn It
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Selling Affordability

• Designed as a system and tested to perform
• Lower energy costs - 400 is national average
  saved annually

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Selling Responsibility

• Environmental leadership
• Shared concern for the environment and the future

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Your Customers May Not Realize
US Energy Consumption by Sector
Source US Energy Information Administration
statistics
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Average Savings as a Result

• For every ENERGY STAR home built, you are
• Eliminating the emissions from 0.5 vehicles
• Saving 3,000 lbs of coal
• Planting 0.8 acres of trees or
• Saving the environment 5,800 pounds of CO2 per
  year.

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Selling Trustworthiness

• Third-party verified by a certified Home Energy
  Rater
• Government-backed label

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Recap

• Voluntary program to build energy-efficient homes

• Effective insulation
• High-performance windows
• Tight construction ducts
• Efficient equipment
• Lighting appliances
• Third-party verification

• Quieter
• More Comfortable
• Fewer Bugs Pests
• Better IAQ
• Lower Ownership Cost
• Better Investment
• More Responsible
• Trustworthy

• Compete on quality, affordability,
  responsibility, trustworthiness

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Marketing Best Practices
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Marketing Best Practices
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Marketing resources for partners

• Logos (including labels)
• Marketing Toolkit
• Brochures
• Fact Sheets
• Partner Locator
• Recognition
• Outreach Partnership
• Consumer web site

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Marketing best practices

• Marketing messages created
• Integrating ENERGY STAR into
• Marketing and advertising
• Point-of-sale materials
• Going beyond the sale

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Marketing Advertising

• If marketing is getting potential
• customers interested in your
• product

get them really interested.
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Integrate ENERGY STAR
1. Co-brand yourself with a nationally recognized
label.
Recognized by gt70 of households
So use it.
A lot.
2. Explain ENERGY STARs value to homebuyers.
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Talking/writing about ENERGY STAR

• Always write ENERGY STAR in all caps
• Always add in superscript the first time ENERGY
  STAR is mentioned on a document
• Homes are qualified not certified
• Program specifications are guidelines not
  standards
• XYZ Builder is a partner not endorsed by EPA
  or the government

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Print Ads
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Web Ads
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Community Signs
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Point-of-sale materials

• Two strategies
• 1. Continue to co-brand.
• 2. Show them what it means.

Remember People retain 10 of what they
hear and 90 of what they experience
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Point-of-sale signs plaques
QUALITY HOMES
energystar.gov/homes gt Marketing Resources gt
Plaques
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Point-of-sale brochures
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Point-of-sale tech. displays
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Point-of-sale ENERGY STAR center
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Beyond the sale After-sale meetings

• Engle Homes (Denver, CO)
• Reiterate features value
• Explain how to maximize performance savings
• Tips for additional savings
• Increase customer satisfaction
• Get leads and testimonials

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Beyond the sale HO manuals

• Homeowners manual
• Tells the whole story when buyer is ready
• How to maximize performance savings
• Tips to save more
• Buyers keep and use them
• Low cost way to own customer for life

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How to sell ENERGY STAR qualified homes
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How to sell ENERGY STAR qualified homes
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Talk about ENERGY STAR
0 discussion 0 benefit to you
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Steps in working with a customer

1. Introduce your company
2. Evaluate and understand each prospect
3. Fulfill needs
4. Demo home
5. Conduct financial analysis

Integrate ENERGY STAR throughout!
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1) Introduce your Company

• Discuss with prospective buyers
• Why you support ENERGY STAR homes
• How does this explain who you are
• Your companys commitment to sustainability

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2) Evaluate and understand each prospect

• What do you know about ENERGY STAR?
• Is there anything in your current home you would
  like to change?
• Why are you thinking about moving?
• Are you looking for a home that is
• More comfortable?
• Built with the latest technology?
• Affordable?
• Green?

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3) Fulfill Needs Provide Appropriate Features
and Benefits
When you say Weve got a 90 AFUE furnace, a
14 SEER air conditioner, R-15 stapleless batts,
R-8 duct wrap They hear numbers
Explain how these features add value
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3) Fulfill Needs Provide Appropriate Features
and Benefits

• Better Comfort
• Consistent Temperatures
• Reduce Fading
• Cooler
• Better Indoor Air
• Less Dust, Pollen, Bugs, etc.
• Improved Comfort and Quieter
• Durable
• Cooler
• Utility and Water Savings

• Effective Insulation
• Advanced Windows
• Tight Construction Ducts
• Efficient Equipment
• Lighting and Appliances

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4) Demo home

• Make it an experience!

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5) Conduct Financial Analysis

• Based on 2,000 additional financing, additional
  mortgage payment is 14 per month
• Use substantially less energy for heating,
  cooling, and water heating-delivering 35/mo
  savings
• Potential in positive cash flow the day they move
  in
• Plus more comfortable, quieter, and third-party
  tested
• If energy prices rise, their savings will only
  increase

Figures are for illustrative purposes only.
Assuming 30 years and 5.5 interest.
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Planning ENERGY STAR Events
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Step 3
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Host an ENERGY STAR muddy boots tour

• Invite top prospects to tour an ENERGY STAR home
  under construction.
• Explain how these homes compare to others in the
  area by pointing out energy-efficient features at
  pre-drywall.
• Encourage the home energy rater and top
  subcontractors to attend.
• Invite happy homeowners - testimonials

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Educate Top Real Estate Agents in the Area

• Invite top agents to learn about ENERGY STAR for
  Homes.
• Explain how ENERGY STAR can help their business
  and how their clients can benefit.
• Give each agent a related gift, such as an ENERGY
  STAR qualified CFL.

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Recap

• Tell your ENERGY STAR story
• Evaluate and understand each prospect
• Fulfill needs
• Demo home
• Conduct financial analysis

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Resources to Help You Sell
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Marketing resources for partners

• Logos (including labels)
• Marketing Toolkit
• Brochures
• Fact Sheets
• Partner Locator
• Recognition
• Outreach Partnership
• Consumer web site

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ENERGY STAR partner web site
Or just go to www.energystar.gov/homes
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ENERGY STAR partner web site
energystar.gov/homes
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ENERGY STAR Logos
energystar.gov/logos
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Brand Identity Guidelines
energystar.gov/logos
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Talking/writing about ENERGY STAR

• Always write ENERGY STAR in all caps
• Always add in superscript the first time ENERGY
  STAR is mentioned on a document
• Homes are qualified not certified
• Program specifications are guidelines not
  standards
• XYZ Builder is a partner not endorsed by EPA
  or the government

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Brand Identity Guidelines

• In addition to guidelines for using mark
  consistently, it also provided guidelines for
  imagery reinforce relevance and positioning

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ENERGY STAR label
Ask your rater
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Online Marketing Toolkit

• Create highly customized ENERGY STAR materials
• Demo at end of presentation

energystar.gov/mesa
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Brochures
energystar.gov/publications
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Features Fact Sheets
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Partner Locator
The ENERGY STAR Web site gets 10 million visitors
each year!
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Partner Locator Web Linking

• Requirements
• Display the ENERGY STAR logo on your site
• Reference or provide a reciprocal link to the
  ENERGY STAR site, and
• Include a brief description of your participation
  in ENERGY STAR.

Very few builders taking advantage of this!
homes_at_energystar.gov
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100 Commitment

• Opportunity for additional recognition on Partner
  Locator
• Can also be used in marketing materials
• Sign up during initial Partnership Agreement or
  at any later time via web site
• Requires annual recertification

new partners energystar.gov/homesPA current
partners energystar.gov/mesa
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Awards and Recognition
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Outreach Partnership

• EPA funding will be used to conduct a paid online
  search campaign concurrent with the campaign
  being implemented by the local partners.
• To find more information about EPA's Search
  Campaign
• go to www.energystar.gov/homes
• Click on Marketing Resources
• Click on Outreach Partnership

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Consumer Web Site
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Behind the Walls
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For More Information

• www.energystar.gov/homes
• hotline_at_energystar.gov
• 1-888-STAR-YES