Which Decision-Makers Should Energy Brokers Contact?
Identifying the right energy broker decision makers can make a significant difference to the quality of your business development activity.
Responsibility for commercial electricity and gas contracts varies between organisations. In a small company, the Managing Director or Business Owner may make the decision. In a larger organisation, energy procurement could sit with Finance, Procurement, Facilities, Estates or a dedicated Energy team.
Potential contacts include:
- Business Owners
- Managing Directors
- Finance Directors
- Financial Controllers
- Operations Directors
- Procurement Directors
- Procurement Managers
- Facilities Directors
- Facilities Managers
- Estates Directors
- Estates Managers
- Energy Managers
- Sustainability Managers
The best contact depends on the size and structure of the business, its energy requirements and how purchasing responsibilities are divided internally.
Table of contents:
Start with the Type of Business You Are Targeting
Before choosing a decision-maker, consider the type of organisation you want to approach.
An energy broker targeting small manufacturers may need a very different contact strategy from one targeting national hotel groups.
Consider:
- Industry
- Employee numbers
- Turnover
- Number of locations
- Type of premises
- Likely energy consumption
- Complexity of energy requirements
These factors can help determine which job roles are most likely to be involved.
Business Owners
Business Owners can be particularly relevant within smaller companies.
They may have direct responsibility for:
- Supplier relationships
- Business costs
- Energy contracts
- Purchasing decisions
- Financial performance
Business Owners can therefore be useful contacts when targeting smaller independent businesses without dedicated Finance, Procurement or Facilities departments.
Potential target companies include:
- Independent manufacturers
- Engineering businesses
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Garages
- Small care providers
- Warehousing businesses
As organisations become larger, responsibility is more likely to move to another department.
Managing Directors
Managing Directors can also be important energy broker decision makers within SMEs.
They may have oversight of:
- Operating costs
- Supplier agreements
- Commercial contracts
- Business performance
- Major purchasing decisions
The Managing Director can be a useful starting point where the business is large enough to represent a worthwhile commercial energy opportunity but doesn’t have a specialist procurement function.
Finance Directors
Finance Directors are among the most relevant contacts for many commercial energy campaigns.
Energy contracts can represent a significant operating expense, making Finance an important stakeholder.
Finance Directors may be involved in:
- Energy budgets
- Contract approval
- Supplier selection
- Cost control
- Forecasting
- Commercial negotiations
They can be particularly relevant within medium-sized and larger businesses.
Financial Controllers
Financial Controllers may also have responsibility for energy expenditure.
Their involvement could include:
- Monitoring costs
- Managing budgets
- Reviewing supplier expenditure
- Supporting contract decisions
- Reporting on overheads
In some organisations, the Financial Controller may have more direct involvement with energy suppliers than the Finance Director.
This makes them a useful alternative contact where appropriate.
Operations Directors
Operations Directors can be particularly relevant within businesses where energy is closely connected to day-to-day operations.
Examples include:
- Manufacturing
- Engineering
- Warehousing
- Logistics
- Food production
- Hospitality
An Operations Director may understand:
- Production requirements
- Operating hours
- Site requirements
- Machinery usage
- Business continuity requirements
They may not always sign the final contract, but they can influence the buying process.
Procurement Directors
Larger organisations may have dedicated Procurement Directors responsible for major supplier relationships and contracts.
Energy procurement may form part of their responsibilities.
They could be involved in:
- Supplier selection
- Contract negotiation
- Tender processes
- Procurement strategy
- Commercial terms
- Supplier performance
These Procurement Directors can be particularly relevant when targeting larger or multi-site organisations.
Procurement Managers
Procurement Managers can have more hands-on involvement in sourcing and reviewing suppliers.
Depending on the company, they may manage:
- Energy tenders
- Supplier comparisons
- Contract renewals
- Procurement processes
- Supplier communication
They can therefore be valuable contacts for energy brokers targeting organisations with formal purchasing structures.
Facilities Directors
These Facilities Directors can be relevant where energy usage is closely connected to the operation of commercial premises.
They may oversee:
- Buildings
- Utilities
- Maintenance
- Heating
- Lighting
- Site operations
- Energy efficiency
Potential target organisations include:
- Hotels
- Healthcare providers
- Retail groups
- Leisure businesses
- Large offices
- Multi-site organisations
These Facilities teams can sometimes provide valuable insight into both energy consumption and existing arrangements.
Facilities Managers
Facilities Managers may have direct responsibility for utilities at individual sites or across several locations.
Their responsibilities can include:
- Energy usage
- Building services
- Utilities
- Maintenance
- Metering
- Heating and cooling
They may not always control final procurement decisions, but they can be influential stakeholders.
Estates Directors
Organisations with substantial property portfolios may have an Estates Director.
This can be particularly relevant within:
- Healthcare
- Education
- Hospitality
- Property
- Retail
- Care
- Leisure
These Estates Directors may oversee utilities across multiple buildings and therefore have significant involvement in energy strategy.
Estates Managers
Estates Managers can also be useful contacts where an organisation operates multiple or substantial premises.
They may understand:
- Site-level energy requirements
- Metering arrangements
- Building usage
- Utilities
- Energy efficiency
- Future property requirements
For some organisations, Estates can be a better starting point than Finance.
Energy Managers
Larger energy users may employ dedicated Energy Managers.
These can be particularly valuable contacts because commercial energy forms a direct part of their role.
Responsibilities may include:
- Energy procurement
- Energy consumption
- Contract management
- Metering
- Energy efficiency
- Supplier relationships
- Energy strategy
If an organisation has a dedicated Energy Manager, they are likely to be worth including in your prospecting.
Sustainability Managers
Sustainability Managers may increasingly have involvement in how organisations approach energy.
Their responsibilities can include:
- Energy efficiency
- Carbon reduction
- Renewable energy
- Sustainability targets
- Environmental reporting
They may not own the commercial energy contract directly, but they can influence procurement decisions.
For larger organisations, Sustainability may therefore be one part of a wider buying group.
Match the Contact to Company Size
Company size is one of the most useful ways to decide which energy broker decision makers to target.
Smaller Businesses
Relevant contacts may include:
- Business Owner
- Managing Director
Medium-Sized Businesses
Potential contacts include:
- Managing Director
- Finance Director
- Financial Controller
- Operations Director
- Facilities Manager
Larger Businesses
Potential contacts include:
- Finance Director
- Procurement Director
- Procurement Manager
- Facilities Director
- Estates Director
- Energy Manager
- Sustainability Manager
This can help avoid targeting job roles that are unlikely to exist within the organisation.
Match the Contact to the Industry
Industry can also influence who manages energy procurement.
Manufacturing
Potential contacts:
- Finance Director
- Operations Director
- Procurement Manager
- Energy Manager
Hotels
Potential contacts:
- Finance Director
- Procurement Manager
- Facilities Manager
- Estates Manager
Care Groups
Potential contacts:
- Finance Director
- Operations Director
- Procurement Manager
- Estates Manager
Retail Groups
Potential contacts:
- Finance Director
- Procurement Director
- Facilities Director
- Estates Director
Warehousing and Logistics
Potential contacts:
- Finance Director
- Operations Director
- Procurement Manager
- Facilities Manager
Understanding the structure of each industry can improve decision-maker targeting.
Consider Who Controls the Budget
The person responsible for day-to-day energy management isn’t necessarily the person who approves the contract.
For example, a Facilities Manager may manage energy usage while a Finance Director controls the budget.
A Procurement Manager may run the tender while a senior director approves the final agreement.
Understanding these differences can help you identify the wider buying group.
Consider Who Manages the Contract
Another useful question is who currently manages the company’s electricity and gas contracts.
This could be:
- Finance
- Procurement
- Facilities
- Operations
- Estates
- Energy Management
Identifying the department responsible can often be more useful than simply targeting the most senior person in the company.
Don’t Automatically Target the CEO
The most senior person isn’t always the best prospect.
Within a large organisation, the CEO may have little direct involvement in energy procurement.
A Procurement Manager, Finance Director or Energy Manager may be considerably more relevant.
The objective should be to identify the person closest to the buying decision rather than automatically targeting the highest-ranking executive.
Understand Influencers and Buyers
Commercial energy decisions can involve several people.
For example:
- Facilities Manager identifies requirements.
- Energy Manager evaluates consumption.
- Procurement Manager reviews suppliers.
- Finance Director considers financial implications.
- Director approves the agreement.
The exact process will vary between businesses.
For higher-value accounts, targeting several relevant contacts may therefore be appropriate.
Target Multiple Contacts Within Larger Accounts
When approaching a large manufacturer, hotel group or multi-site retailer, relying on one contact can limit your chances of starting a conversation.
Potential combinations include:
- Finance Director + Procurement Manager
- Procurement Director + Energy Manager
- Facilities Director + Finance Director
- Operations Director + Procurement Manager
- Estates Director + Sustainability Manager
This can help identify who actually owns the energy contract.
Use Company and Contact Criteria Together
A strong prospecting campaign combines business-level and contact-level targeting.
For example:
Campaign One
- Industry: Manufacturing
- Employees: 100+
- Contact: Finance Director
Campaign Two
- Industry: Hotels
- Business type: Multi-site
- Contact: Procurement Manager
Then campaign Three
- Industry: Warehousing
- Employees: 50+
- Contact: Operations Director
And campaign Four
- Industry: Care homes
- Business type: Multi-site group
- Contact: Estates Manager
This creates much more focused prospect audiences.
Build Separate Campaigns for Different Decision-Makers
Different job roles may respond to different messages.
Finance Directors
Messaging could focus on:
- Energy expenditure
- Budgeting
- Contract costs
- Commercial terms
Procurement Managers
Messaging could focus on:
- Supplier options
- Contract review
- Procurement processes
- Renewal planning
Facilities Managers
Messaging could focus on:
- Site requirements
- Utilities
- Consumption
- Operational considerations
Energy Managers
Messaging could focus on:
- Procurement
- Consumption
- Contract structure
- Energy strategy
Tailoring outreach around the recipient’s responsibilities can make the reason for contacting them clearer.
Use Telemarketing to Identify Responsibility
Telephone research can be particularly useful when the correct energy decision-maker isn’t obvious.
A call can help establish:
- Who manages electricity and gas contracts
- Which department is responsible
- Who approves contracts
- Whether an energy broker is already used
- When contracts renew
- When the business reviews its arrangements
This information can improve the quality of future outreach.
Identify Contract Renewal Timing
Once the correct contact has been identified, renewal timing becomes particularly important.
Where appropriate, establish:
- Electricity renewal date
- Gas renewal date
- Current supplier
- Existing broker
- Next review date
A relevant decision-maker combined with known renewal timing creates a much stronger prospect than a generic company record.
Build a Decision-Maker Database
Useful prospect information can include:
- Business name
- Contact name
- Job title
- Telephone number
- Postal address
- Website
- Industry
- Employee numbers
- Turnover
- Postcode
Your sales team can then add qualification information such as:
- Energy decision-maker confirmed
- Current supplier
- Existing broker
- Electricity renewal
- Gas renewal
- Number of sites
- Next contact date
This gradually creates a more valuable energy prospect database.
Use LinkedIn to Research Decision-Makers
LinkedIn can help brokers research the structure of target organisations.
It can be useful for identifying:
- Finance contacts
- Procurement teams
- Facilities teams
- Energy Managers
- Sustainability contacts
- Recent job changes
This can be particularly helpful for larger accounts where several people may be involved.
Look for Job Changes
A new Finance Director, Procurement Manager or Energy Manager may be worth identifying within an important target account.
New decision-makers may review existing suppliers or processes as they settle into their role.
A job change does not automatically create an immediate energy opportunity, but it can provide a useful reason to research the account again.
Use Cold Email to Reach Decision-Makers
Once the appropriate contacts have been identified, cold email can provide a scalable way to approach them.
Campaigns can be segmented by:
- Job role
- Industry
- Company size
- Number of sites
- Geographic area
For example, a campaign aimed at Finance Directors within manufacturing companies can use different messaging from one targeting Facilities Managers within hotel groups.
Combine Email, LinkedIn and Telephone Outreach
Energy brokers don’t need to rely on a single communication channel.
A prospecting sequence could include:
- Introductory email.
- LinkedIn connection.
- Email follow-up.
- Telephone call.
- Decision-maker confirmation.
- Renewal date qualification.
- Future follow-up.
The aim is to establish the correct contact and appropriate timing for a commercial conversation.
Measure Which Decision-Makers Perform Best
Track results by job role.
You may discover that:
- Managing Directors work well within smaller businesses
- Finance Directors generate stronger opportunities within SMEs
- Procurement Managers perform better within larger organisations
- Facilities contacts are particularly useful within property-heavy sectors
- Energy Managers provide the strongest route into large energy users
Use actual campaign performance to refine future targeting.
Analyse Results by Industry and Job Role
Don’t analyse decision-maker performance in isolation.
A Finance Director may perform particularly well within manufacturing but less effectively within another sector.
Likewise, a Facilities Manager may be particularly useful when targeting hotels, leisure operators or multi-site businesses.
Combining industry and job role can help identify your strongest prospect segments.
You can learn more about our Lead Generation for Energy Brokers services.
Summary
The most relevant energy broker decision makers depend on the size, structure and energy requirements of the business.
Business Owners and Managing Directors can be useful contacts within smaller companies, while Finance Directors, Operations Directors and Financial Controllers may become more relevant as businesses grow.
Within larger organisations, responsibility may sit with Procurement, Facilities, Estates or dedicated Energy teams.
Rather than automatically targeting the most senior executive, identify the person or department responsible for commercial energy contracts. For larger accounts, several stakeholders may be involved.
Combining the right business targeting with the right decision-maker data can help energy brokers create more focused and commercially useful prospecting campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for business energy contracts?
Responsibility varies by company. It may sit with the Business Owner, Managing Director, Finance Director, Procurement Manager, Facilities Manager, Estates Manager or Energy Manager.
Who should energy brokers contact in small businesses?
Business Owners and Managing Directors are often useful starting points because smaller companies may not have dedicated Procurement or Facilities teams.
Who should energy brokers contact in larger businesses?
Potential contacts include Finance Directors, Procurement Directors, Procurement Managers, Facilities Directors, Estates Directors and Energy Managers.
Are Finance Directors good contacts for energy brokers?
They can be, particularly where energy represents a significant operating cost and Finance is involved in approving commercial contracts.
Should energy brokers target Procurement Managers?
Procurement Managers can be highly relevant within organisations where energy contracts are managed through a formal purchasing or tender process.
Are Facilities Managers energy decision-makers?
Facilities Managers may manage utilities, consumption and building requirements. They may influence energy decisions even when final contract approval sits with Finance or Procurement.
Should energy brokers contact multiple people within the same business?
For larger or higher-value accounts, targeting several relevant stakeholders can help identify who manages the contract and who influences the final decision.
Data & Lead Generation Services
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- Automated Email Campaigns
- LinkedIn Automation
- Industry Databases
- Job Role Databases
- Email Lists
- Telemarketing Data
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