Ambit "Turning On The Spigot" For More C&I Sales, Including Service to Larger Customers, More Sophisticated Products

Ambit Energy is "turning on the spigot," for additional commercial and industrial sales, which will include expanding its service beyond small commercial customers, and utilizing a range of sales channels, executives told EnergyChoiceMatters.com.

As recently reported, Ambit has tapped retail energy market veteran David Visneau to lead the C&I growth, with Visneau being named Senior Vice President of Commercial Products and Sales.

When it launched, Ambit focused on the residential market to manage its growth as a start-up, and added small business sales in 2009. To date, Ambit's small C&I offerings have been limited to simple P-times-Q products, with no negotiation in price, and the company hasn't specialized in customized sales.

That approach has led to over 100,000 small commercial accounts, or about 10% of Ambit's meters, Ambit Chief Marketing Officer Chris Chambless told EnergyChoiceMatters.com. About 15% of Ambit's 2014 load of 12,000 MW was from small commercial customers.

With the need to build-out Ambit's proprietary technology, billing, and customer care platform to support its rapid mass market growth, Ambit's software is now ready to handle large C&I customers, and the product customization and sophistication that is required in that market.

Ambit will be "beefing up" its product portfolio to go after larger customers, which it hasn't done in the past, Chambless said.

Ambit currently uses a variety of sales channels for its small commercial efforts, including its independent sales consultants, in-house staff, and broker channels (largely inherited from its acquisition of the Commerce Energy ERCOT books in 2008), and Ambit is simply, "turning on the spigot," to allow these channels to bring in deals with larger customers, and providing these channels with new complex and customized products, Chambless said.

In particular, Ambit's independent consultants will serve as lead generators, as Chambless noted that these individuals have relationships with decision makers at large companies, but, to date, Ambit has not taken advantage of such relationships. After independent consultants provide an initial large commercial lead, Ambit's in-house staff will be charged with presenting the particulars of service to the large customer, including explaining more sophisticated products.

Ambit will also grow its in-house sales staff and ABC channels.

Ambit's commercial growth will include a focus on mid-merit and large commercial and industrial customers, including governmental and Fortune 500 companies which rely on formal RFPs to procure supply, Visneau told EnergyChoiceMatters.com.