How Can Energy Brokers Find New Business Customers?

Understanding how to find clients for an energy broker starts with identifying businesses that are likely to have meaningful commercial energy requirements and reaching the people responsible for managing those contracts.

Rather than approaching every UK business, energy brokers can build targeted new-business campaigns around factors such as:

• Industry
• Employee numbers
• Turnover
• Location
• Business premises
• Number of sites
• Likely energy consumption
• Decision-maker role
• Contract renewal timing

Potential channels for finding new commercial energy customers include targeted B2B data, cold email, telemarketing, LinkedIn, direct mail, referrals and inbound marketing.

The key is to combine accurate targeting with consistent prospecting and effective follow-up.

Define Your Ideal Energy Customer

Before generating leads, define the type of business you want to win.

Consider:

• Which industries you want to target
• Typical company size
• Number of business locations
• Type of premises
• Likely energy requirements
• Geographic coverage
• Potential contract value

For example, an energy broker might focus on multi-site businesses or organisations operating energy-intensive premises.

A clear ideal customer profile makes it easier to decide where your sales team should concentrate its time.

Identify Businesses with Significant Energy Requirements

Not every business represents the same opportunity for an energy broker.

A small office and a large manufacturing facility can have very different electricity and gas requirements.

Potentially attractive prospects can include businesses operating:

• Factories
• Warehouses
• Hotels
• Care homes
• Restaurants
• Retail premises
• Leisure facilities
• Offices
• Distribution centres
• Workshops
• Multiple sites

The exact businesses you target should reflect the type and scale of customers your brokerage is equipped to support.

Choose the Right Industries

Industry targeting can help energy brokers identify businesses more likely to have substantial or complex energy requirements.

Potential sectors include:

• Manufacturing
• Engineering
• Food production
• Hospitality
• Healthcare
• Care homes
• Retail
• Wholesale
• Warehousing
• Transport and logistics
• Leisure
• Property
• Education
• Construction
• Automotive

Some industries may naturally use more electricity or gas than others, while certain sectors contain large numbers of multi-site businesses.

Look at Your Existing Customers

Your current customer base can help identify where future opportunities may exist.

Analyse existing clients by:

• Industry
• Employee numbers
• Turnover
• Number of sites
• Contract value
• Energy requirements
• Length of relationship

Look for common characteristics among your strongest customers.

If your brokerage performs particularly well with manufacturers, hotels or care groups, similar businesses may provide a logical prospect audience.

Build Lookalike Prospect Audiences

Once you’ve identified the characteristics of strong customers, use them to find similar businesses.

For example, if your strongest customers are:

• Manufacturers
• 50 to 250 employees
• �5 million+ turnover
• Operating substantial commercial premises

you could build a prospect list of other UK manufacturers matching those characteristics.

This can provide a more focused starting point than simply targeting every UK business.

Use Company Size to Refine Targeting

Employee numbers can help identify businesses of an appropriate scale.

Potential bands include:

• 10 to 19 employees
• 20 to 49 employees
• 50 to 99 employees
• 100 to 249 employees
• 250+ employees

Employee numbers do not directly determine energy consumption, but they can provide a useful indicator of business scale when combined with other criteria.

Use Turnover as an Additional Filter

Turnover can also help energy brokers narrow their target market.

Potential bands might include:

• �1 million+ turnover
• �5 million+ turnover
• �10 million+ turnover
• �50 million+ turnover

Again, turnover does not directly tell you how much energy a company consumes.

However, combining turnover with industry, employee numbers and business type can help identify larger commercial prospects.

Consider Business Premises

The type of premises a business occupies can be particularly relevant to energy brokers.

Potentially attractive sites might include:

• Manufacturing facilities
• Warehouses
• Hotels
• Large offices
• Retail stores
• Restaurants
• Care facilities
• Leisure centres
• Workshops
• Distribution centres

A business operating energy-intensive premises may represent a stronger opportunity than one operating primarily through a small office.

Target Multi-Site Businesses

Businesses operating multiple locations can be particularly interesting prospects.

Potential examples include:

• Hotel groups
• Care home groups
• Retailers
• Restaurant groups
• Leisure operators
• Property companies
• Automotive groups
• Logistics companies

Multi-site organisations may have multiple energy contracts, different renewal dates and more complex procurement requirements.

This can create opportunities for brokers able to help manage commercial energy purchasing across several locations.

Identify the Right Decision-Makers

Finding the right company isn’t enough. You also need to identify the person responsible for energy purchasing.

Potential contacts include:

• Business Owners
• Managing Directors
• Finance Directors
• Financial Controllers
• Operations Directors
• Procurement Directors
• Procurement Managers
• Facilities Managers
• Estates Managers
• Energy Managers
• Sustainability Managers

The most relevant role will depend heavily on company size.

Match the Contact to Company Size

Within smaller businesses, energy purchasing may be handled by:

• Business Owner
• Managing Director
• Office Manager

Within medium-sized businesses, relevant contacts may include:

• Finance Director
• Financial Controller
• Operations Director
• Facilities Manager

And within larger organisations, responsibility may sit with:

• Procurement
• Facilities
• Estates
• Energy Management
• Sustainability
• Finance

Matching decision-maker targeting to company size can improve the quality of your prospecting.

Build a Targeted Energy Prospect List

Once you’ve defined your ideal customer, build a database of businesses matching those criteria.

Useful prospect information can include:

• Business name
• Contact name
• Job title
• Email
• Telephone number
• Postal address
• Website
• Industry
• Employee numbers
• Turnover
• Postcode

You can then segment the data according to the types of customers you want to approach.

Segment Your Prospect List

Avoid treating every prospect as the same.

Useful segments could include:

• Manufacturers with 100+ employees
• Hotels with multiple locations
• Care home operators
• Warehousing and distribution companies
• Large hospitality businesses
• Multi-site retailers
• Engineering businesses

You can then create separate campaigns for each audience.

Use Cold Email

Cold email can provide a scalable way for energy brokers to reach commercial decision-makers.

Instead of sending a generic introduction to thousands of businesses, create campaigns around individual prospect groups.

For example:

• Energy procurement for manufacturers
• Commercial energy for hotels
• Energy contracts for care groups
• Energy procurement for multi-site retailers

The closer the message reflects the recipient’s business, the easier it is to explain why you’re contacting them.

Keep Cold Emails Concise

Your initial email doesn’t need to explain every service your brokerage provides.

Focus on:

• Why you’re contacting the business.
• Why your service may be relevant.
• How you may be able to help.
• A simple next step.

The objective is to start a conversation rather than complete the entire sale within the first email.

Use Telemarketing

Telemarketing can be particularly valuable for energy broker lead generation because it allows sales teams to qualify businesses directly.

A call can help establish:

• Who manages energy contracts
• Whether the business uses an energy broker
• When existing contracts expire
• Whether multiple sites are involved
• Whether the business would consider alternative options
• When to make contact again

This information can make a basic business record considerably more valuable.

Identify Contract Renewal Dates

Timing is an important part of commercial energy prospecting.

A suitable business may have recently entered a new contract and therefore have little immediate reason to engage.

Where possible, identify:

• Electricity contract renewal
• Gas contract renewal
• Existing supplier arrangements
• Current broker relationship
• Next review date

This allows you to distinguish immediate opportunities from longer-term prospects.

Build a Renewal Pipeline

Once contract information is identified, record it within your CRM.

Prospects could be grouped into:

• Contract approaching renewal
• Renewal within six months
• Renewal within 12 months
• Longer-term opportunity
• Renewal date unknown

Your team can then prioritise outreach according to both customer suitability and timing.

Over time, this can create a valuable pipeline of future commercial energy opportunities.

Don’t Discard Prospects Because the Timing Is Wrong

A business that has recently renewed isn’t necessarily a poor prospect.

If it matches your ideal customer profile, it may simply need to be contacted at a more appropriate time.

Record:

• Decision-maker
• Renewal information
• Previous conversation
• Next contact date

The business can then remain within your future pipeline.

Use LinkedIn for Prospecting

LinkedIn can help energy brokers identify and reach decision-makers within target businesses.

It can be used to:

• Research target companies
• Find relevant contacts
• Connect with decision-makers
• Send messages
• Monitor company developments
• Build familiarity with prospects

This can be particularly useful for larger or higher-value target accounts.

Combine LinkedIn with Email

LinkedIn and cold email can support each other.

For example:

• Identify the target business.
• Identify the relevant decision-maker.
• Send an introductory email.
• Connect on LinkedIn.
• Follow up by email.
• Continue the conversation through the most appropriate channel.

Using several touchpoints can help increase familiarity with your brokerage.

Combine Email with Telemarketing

Email can introduce your business before a telephone call.

A simple multi-channel sequence could involve:

• Introductory email.
• Email follow-up.
• Telephone call.
• Identify contract renewal timing.
• Schedule future follow-up.

This gives the sales team a structured process rather than relying on isolated cold calls.

Use Direct Mail for Selected Prospects

Direct mail can provide another channel for approaching higher-value commercial energy prospects.

Potential communications include:

• Introductory letters
• Energy procurement information
• Contract review invitations
• Sector-specific information

Direct mail can then be supported with telephone, email or LinkedIn follow-up.

Create Industry-Specific Campaigns

Different industries use energy differently.

Rather than using the same proposition for every company, create campaigns around individual sectors.

For example:

Manufacturing

Potential messaging could relate to:

• Significant electricity consumption
• Gas requirements
• Production facilities
• Contract management
• Energy procurement

Hospitality

Potential prospects include:

• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Leisure venues

Messaging can reflect the energy demands associated with operating customer-facing premises.

Care Homes

Care facilities can operate around the clock and may have substantial heating, lighting and equipment requirements.

This provides a clearer basis for an industry-specific campaign.

Warehousing and Logistics

Potential prospects may operate:

• Warehouses
• Distribution centres
• Offices
• Multiple depots

Again, this creates a more specific proposition than generic business energy messaging.

Target Specific Decision-Makers

You can create campaigns around both industry and job role.

For example:

• Finance Directors at manufacturers
• Facilities Managers at hotel groups
• Procurement Managers at multi-site businesses
• Managing Directors at engineering companies
• Estates Managers at larger organisations

This can make prospecting significantly more focused.

Prioritise Your Best Accounts

Not every prospect needs the same level of sales effort.

Consider creating prospect tiers.

Tier 1

Businesses with:

• Strong industry fit
• Significant potential energy requirements
• Multiple sites
• Appropriate company size
• High potential contract value

These accounts might receive individual research, personalised outreach and telephone follow-up.

Tier 2

Good-fit businesses suitable for structured multi-channel campaigns.

Tier 3

Broader prospects suitable for more scalable outreach.

This allows the sales team to concentrate more time on potentially valuable accounts.

Look for Business Growth Signals

Changes within a company can sometimes indicate changing energy requirements.

Examples include:

• New premises
• Additional locations
• Business expansion
• New production facilities
• Acquisitions
• Increased employee numbers
• New warehouses

These changes do not automatically mean a business is looking for a new energy broker, but they can help identify accounts worth researching.

Build Referral Partnerships

Referrals can complement outbound lead generation.

Potential referral partners could include businesses already advising commercial clients, such as:

• Accountants
• Commercial property advisers
• Facilities management consultants
• Business consultants
• Commercial finance brokers
• Sustainability consultants

The most appropriate partnerships will depend on your target customer base.

Ask Existing Customers for Referrals

Satisfied customers may also be able to introduce your brokerage to other businesses.

Rather than relying entirely on referrals, treat them as one part of a broader lead generation strategy.

This allows you to benefit from introductions while continuing to build your own prospect pipeline.

Use SEO to Generate Inbound Leads

Outbound prospecting can be supported by inbound marketing.

Energy brokers can create website content around the questions and services their target customers search for.

Potential topics include:

• How businesses can compare commercial energy contracts
• Business electricity procurement
• Commercial gas procurement
• Energy procurement for manufacturers
• Energy contracts for multi-site businesses
• How commercial energy contracts work
• When businesses should review energy contracts

This can help attract businesses already researching their energy options.

Create Content for Your Target Industries

Sector-specific content can also support both SEO and outbound prospecting.

Examples include:

• Energy procurement for manufacturers
• Business energy for hotels
• Energy contracts for care homes
• Energy procurement for warehouses
• Commercial energy for multi-site retailers

This can help demonstrate that your brokerage understands the requirements of the businesses you’re targeting.

Track Every Suitable Prospect

Commercial energy prospecting can involve long lead times.

A CRM should record useful information such as:

• Company
• Decision-maker
• Industry
• Number of sites
• Current supplier
• Current broker
• Contract renewal date
• Previous conversations
• Next action

This helps ensure longer-term opportunities aren’t forgotten.

Measure Lead Quality

Avoid measuring lead generation purely by the number of enquiries or conversations created.

More useful measures can include:

• Suitable businesses identified
• Decision-makers reached
• Contract renewal dates identified
• Qualified opportunities
• Quotations
• Contracts won
• Customer value

This provides a better indication of whether your prospecting activity is producing commercially useful results.

Measure Results by Target Market

Compare different audiences.

For example:

• Manufacturing vs hospitality
• Single-site vs multi-site businesses
• Finance Directors vs Facilities Managers
• Smaller businesses vs larger organisations

You may discover that certain combinations consistently produce better opportunities.

Build a Consistent Prospecting Process

Finding new clients for an energy broker should ideally be an ongoing process rather than something that only happens when the pipeline becomes quiet.

A simple process could be:

• Define target industries.
• Identify suitable company sizes.
• Build prospect data.
• Identify decision-makers.
• Launch email and LinkedIn outreach.
• Follow up by telephone.
• Establish contract renewal timing.
• Add future opportunities to the CRM.
• Follow up at the appropriate time.
• Measure which audiences generate the strongest customers.

This creates a repeatable approach to new-business development.

You can learn more about our Lead Generation for Energy Brokers services.

Summary

Understanding how to find clients for an energy broker starts with identifying the types of businesses that represent the strongest commercial opportunities.

Industry, employee numbers, turnover, premises, number of sites and likely energy requirements can all help define your target market. You can then identify relevant Business Owners, Managing Directors, Finance Directors, Procurement Managers, Facilities Managers and other decision-makers.

Use targeted B2B data alongside cold email, telemarketing, LinkedIn and other channels to start conversations. Where possible, establish contract renewal dates and build a longer-term pipeline around businesses that may become opportunities in the future.

The result is a more structured approach to energy broker lead generation rather than relying entirely on referrals or waiting for businesses to make an enquiry.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can energy brokers find new clients?

Energy brokers can use targeted B2B data, cold email, telemarketing, LinkedIn, direct mail, SEO, referrals and partnerships to identify and approach potential commercial customers.

Which businesses should energy brokers target?

Potential markets include manufacturing, engineering, hospitality, care homes, logistics, warehousing, retail and other businesses with significant or multi-site energy requirements.

Who should energy brokers contact within a business?

Relevant contacts can include Business Owners, Managing Directors, Finance Directors, Financial Controllers, Procurement Managers, Facilities Managers, Estates Managers and Energy Managers.

How can energy brokers find higher-value prospects?

Industry, company size, turnover, type of premises and number of sites can help identify businesses that may have more substantial commercial energy requirements.

Why are energy contract renewal dates important?

Businesses may have limited reason to review their energy arrangements while they are committed to existing contracts. Knowing renewal timing helps brokers schedule prospecting activity more appropriately.

Can energy brokers use cold email to generate leads?

Yes. Cold email can be used to reach relevant commercial decision-makers when campaigns are built around clearly defined business audiences and appropriate messaging.

Should energy brokers use several lead generation channels?

A combination of email, telephone, LinkedIn and other appropriate channels can provide multiple opportunities to reach decision-makers and qualify potential customers.

Data & Lead Generation Services

RD Marketing provides bespoke B2B data lists and fully managed lead generation services to help businesses build pipeline and drive revenue growth. These include:

• Automated Email Campaigns
• LinkedIn Automation
• Industry Databases
• Job Role Databases
• Email Lists
• Telemarketing Data
• Direct Mail Data

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