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Natural gas is important for bringing manufacturing jobs to our region. This week, Lynnda and I attended the Gas & Oil Association of West Virginia's summer meeting. It was informative and educational. Great networking for us to connect with natural gas producers who can provide energy to manufacturers and other professional service providers like engineers, attorneys and contractors who we can connect to prospects, making their move to our region easier.
Both of West Virginia's U.S. senators, Congresswoman Carol Miller, U.S. Under secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit, members of the West Virginia House of Delegates and Senate and Gov. Patrick Morrisey all attended and spoke.
West Virginia currently produces 10% of the U.S.A.'s natural gas.
After the meeting, on Wednesday morning, I had several conference calls and a schedule to put together for a manufacturing company coming from Asia to look at sites at the end of the month. Lynnda was watching a video from an email she received on a new miracle weight loss process. As I worked, I couldn't help but listen. The people who put the video together were master peddlers. They knew all the pain points. People want to look better, feel better, have more energy, be healthier and even get off diabetic medications by losing weight.
The video producer knows people do not like diets and exercise. They want to lose weight fast even though it took years to gain. This video promised, "The pounds will just melt off. Eat whatever you want. No exercise needed. Just one pill a day." They vilified the medical and pharmaceutical industry, claiming, "Big Pharma does not want you to know about this incredible pill. Buy now at this special price. Only 84 bottles remain."
Fortunately, we have friends who are doctors. They can point out the scams or risks. Most quick and easy solutions are too good to be true. Some are frauds. Others have limited success. Some may be legitimate products doing what they say. The challenge is finding the truth. These sales tactics succeed because people are hoping for a quick fix to an important problem in their lives.
How can we tell the scams from legitimate companies selling a product that will solve our problem? The job of a good salesperson is to help people. The late Zig Ziegler, hall of fame speaker, author and sales expert, said, "You can have anything you want, if you first help enough people get what they want." Occasionally, I have been attracted by an online ad and started watching the video. Here are some thoughts you may find helpful to avoid scammers and peddlers who only want your money and do not care about you:
* Limit time on the site. Lynnda watched the weight loss video for 30 minutes. My limit is five.
* They trash talk traditional authority like doctors or their competitors.
* Scarcity. Telling you "Supply is limited" or "You need to buy right now" is a red flag.
* "Made with a special ingredient available from only one place on earth" is a red flag.
* Buy now, or the price goes up, with no time to do any research or check reviews is a red flag.
* Appeal to your emotions. People make decisions based on emotion and then try to justify it with logic.
At Shale Crescent USA, when we promote the advantages of our region, we make companies aware of the permanent competitive advantage of being on top of their energy and in the center of their customers. A factory is hard to move once built. No need to trash talk other regions. We have cheap abundant energy. They do not. We tell the truth. No need to pressure companies for a quick decision. Companies can take time, evaluate and choose the most economical location for them. Scarcity is not an issue. SCUSA has plenty of sites and energy. The goal is to build a long-term relationship based on trust. We want companies who come here to be successful and grow.
Using many of the same sales tactics as the internet scammers, the anti-fossil fuel groups try to convince people they can have cheap dependable energy and solve our environmental problems if we get off fossil fuels right now. Over 80% of the U.S.A.'s and the world's energy comes from fossil fuels.
In the coming months ahead of the November elections, we will hear a lot about affordability from both parties. I am all for affordability. I am also for truth. If a candidate talks about affordability and is not supporting natural gas and oil, it is a red flag.
Right now, there is not a practical replacement for fossil fuels. The European Union has tried to replace natural gas and oil with wind and solar. The results are disastrous. We see the results in our European travels, the work we do and Europeans we meet. Gasoline costs and electric rates have increased dramatically. The EU has successfully driven manufacturing and jobs to China, other Asian countries and the U.S.A., increasing global emissions. Mid-size European companies come to SCUSA’s SelectUSA booth with this message: "We care about the planet. We also care about making a profit so we can stay in business. That is why we want to come to the U.S.A. Can you help us?"
Closer to home, Virginia imports 36% of its electricity from West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. For nine days in January, when wind and solar contributed zero power to the PJM grid, Virginia imported over 40% of its electricity. Virginia has not built a power plant in years.
A friend of mine attended a recent open house on the Virginia Energy Plan and shared these consumer comments: "I recently relocated to Virginia from Atlanta, and I am surprised at how expensive Virginia's energy is. North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio have better energy rates." Another realized offshore wind increased her electric bill: "I do not support the Dominion offshore wind project, and the charge on my bill."
Some things are too good to be true. Seek the truth.
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Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com, is director of marketing for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a master’s in environmental engineering and more than 40 years of experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert, high school soccer coach, professional speaker and author of four books and many published articles.