Rand-Air’s Megawatt Masters: power product training for value-driven solutions

The training – referred to as ‘Megawatt Masters’ – comprises of a range of modules on different levels: basic knowledge through online training; in-depth regional virtual classroom sessions; and masters sessions, where an international network of experts consults as a team.

Rand-Air’s Western Cape Area Manager Cindy Ross was recently selected to attend the training. 

“The course was specifically designed to educate Atlas Copco Specialty Rental division’s sales teams worldwide, boosting their technical competence and knowledge of the company’s power products range, applications, and related market opportunities,” Ross explains.

“The training, therefore, empowers us to do real ‘value-selling’ of power products, helping our customers to more effectively address their operational challenges,” she adds.

Power prevalence

In light of the global trend towards sustainability and decarbonization, which has driven companies to search for fuel-efficient solutions, power products are rapidly gaining prevalence – and momentum – in many vertical industries across the world.  

“In terms of the rental industry, a comprehensive power fleet comprises more than just generators. Cables, distribution boards, and transformers are also part of our power portfolio sales solution – as are ancillary products such as batteries, load banks, and fuel tanks,” Ross points out.

Power competence

Ross adds that power competence is therefore the new way forward, and knowledge in this field is essential, as customers wanting generators – or indeed any electrically-driven equipment – require the right advice, based on high levels of knowledge and power-related expertise. This competence must be driven by the sales, service, and operations teams. 

 “Rand-Air, therefore, motivated for me to participate in the Megawatt Masters training, recognizing that we needed to upskill and improve the way in which we approach – and advise on – our customers’ power-related requirements,” Ross advises.

Power-sharing

The training kicked off online in April this year, with Ross aiming to share her newly-acquired power products knowledge: 

“The idea is for me to cascade and shares the power products knowledge I have gained with the rest of our team across the country,” Ross explains, adding: “Evidence has shown that a knowledgeable and skilled team are significantly more successful when selling power-related products.”  

Powerful reductions

New legislation and current market requirements are driving a national reduction in carbon emissions across the industry, along with improved energy efficiency and lower fuel consumption.  As part of Atlas Copco and bearing these stipulations in mind, Rand-Air’s operational and product drive is focused on being as green and sustainable as possible going forward, for the benefit of its customers and industry as a whole.

“As good corporate citizens, it is essential that we align ourselves with the global long-term vision for decarbonization,” Ross advises.

“However, we cannot just offer our clients a lower carbon-footprint product. We need to go further, and educate them about how they can save money by reducing their overall fuel consumption too.”

Powerful solutions and tools

Ross remarks that the Megawatt Masters training is exceptional because it teaches salespeople how to reinvent their approach to ‘solution-solving’ when selling to a customer. 

“You cannot just rent out a generator, without looking at the whole picture on a customer’s site. As salespeople, we need to come up with ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions and practice ‘predictive analysis’ – analyzing customers’ requirements in order to better predict these moving forward, which ultimately saves long-term costs.

By customizing solutions according to the customer’s needs, we aim to differentiate ourselves from the market and ultimately become a meaningful strategic partner for our customers.” 

The Megawatt Masters training includes analysis of power-related rental strategies, different applications, and scenarios; as well as the use of the online fuel consumption and sizing tool. This has been developed to help sales teams accurately calculate the exact specification requirements from customers’ operational sites.

“The calculation tool can for example be used to analyze and compare the fuel consumption of a generator based on the customer’s load profile. This is extremely helpful because it helps us to quickly and correctly assess the customer’s fuel demands for a specific project,” Ross explains.  

Powerful value

Participants from all over the world are taking part in the Megawatt Masters training.  When it has finished, all participants have to present a business plan, which will be shared across the Specialty Rental division globally. The idea would be that each business plan will assist in upskilling sales teams’ power products knowledge, going forward.

Ross says that she has gained enormous value from her participation in the Megawatt Masters training: 

“This has shown me a more effective way of approaching our customers and their power-related needs and inquiries. By obtaining an accurate load profile from a customer – through analyzing their power peaks and dips – looking at their fuel costs and generally questioning the output of their equipment, we are able to give our customers the best and most cost-effective solutions,” says Ross. 

“The Megawatt Masters training will therefore assist me going forward with more accurately aligning our solutions with our customers’ current and longer-term power requirements.

In terms of my own interaction and consultations with customers, I have a newfound confidence when it comes to advising them on any power-related project. This speaks to the value of the training,” she emphasizes.

Power disruptors

“The Megawatt Masters training has equipped me to find well-thought-out power product solutions for our customers. And, with the knowledge this training provides, as a company, we are well-positioned as positive ‘power disruptors’ – challenging our customers to think laterally and consider different potential solutions – with the aim of supplying their power requirements for many years to come,” Ross concludes.