If you sell a product or service to facility or operational managers, you need to learn about what problems keep them up at night. What is it they care about so your company can be a resource that helps solve the problem they are experiencing?
Here’s a quick breakdown of what facility managers care about:
For a facility manager, the facility itself must remain a safe and operational place at all times, so this pain point is by far the most important. They spend a great deal of time analyzing the severity of different issues throughout the building or plant, as well as drafting and executing on resolutions for those issues. Items can vary widely from corrective maintenance to labor and materials to preventative training and maintenance.
A building or facility absorbs the most energy use and also carries the biggest impact on the climate, so today’s facility manager is likely on the hunt to both lower energy costs as well as becoming more sustainable. They are often on the hunt for enterprise approaches that will help gain more control over things like energy, gas, and water.
Compliance and regulatory standards is of high priority because failure to comply can result in costly city, state, or federal fees and sanctions. Not to mention the safety concerns that can arise from not implementing required changes. These managers often carry the responsibility of maintaining company compliance programs to ensure they are staying ahead of necessary codes and regulations.
As time goes on, equipment, facility structures, and assets grow old, causing a pretty steady pattern of breakdowns, repairs and ultimately, replacements. Facilities managers are often tasked with the job of scheduling preventative maintenance as well as monitoring processes to ensure all equipment and structures are functioning properly. They also are likely the person alerted and brought in when these systems fail or require immediate attention.
The manager may also bear the responsibility of keeping up with the condition of the facility as well as what costs are associated with keeping it safe and operational. They also play a key role in assessing and reporting if a move to a different location is in the best interest of the organization. A facility manager also learns and executes if business changes occur that result in alterations of the layout or functions of the building.
Because of the variety of tasks a facility manager overseas, they are often highly concerned with operation and management (O&M) costs. Budget control and maintenance is a key element of the day-to-day of any facility manager, evaluating data and reports to identify areas where adjustments can be made to maximize efficiency. You’ll likely know a facility manager when you meet one, because they are on a constant hunt to improve the operational infrastructure while reducing the budget - which is their biggest challenge of all.
You're likely not selling only to facilities managers. Here's more information on how to sell to other building products end user buyer personas.