Direct answer. Ask about the backup generators on commercial buildings in your town. That question gets you in front of property managers and generator service providers, grows a local network, and opens the door to commercial restoration work. Keep the relationships that matter on a few 3×5 cards—visits, handwritten notes, face-to-face interest—so the door you opened stays personal.
Part 1 — The Generator Question
What to ask
Ask who takes care of the generator.
Many commercial buildings have backup generators. When you notice one, ask about it. Will’s published scripts stay simple and practical—curiosity, a business-continuity reason, and a request for a reliable local contact.
In person — general inquiry:
“Hi there, my name is [Your Name]. I saw your generator outside and was curious who takes care of it. We’re working on a business continuity plan and need reliable contacts who service this area. Could you point me in the right direction?”
In person — personal connection:
“Hello, I’m [Your Name]. I’m working on a project about how buildings manage their backup power. I noticed your generator and was wondering who services it. We might need similar help and would love to get some recommendations.”
Phone — general inquiry:
“Hi, my name is [Your Name]. I noticed the generator outside your building and was curious who services it. We’re putting together a business continuity plan and need reliable contacts. Could you point me in the right direction?”
Phone — business continuity focus:
“Hi, I’m [Your Name], and I’m making a list of services for business continuity plans. I saw your generator and wanted to know who takes care of it. Is there someone I could talk to about this?”
Email subjects to use:
– Inquiry About Generator Services in Your Area
– Seeking Recommendations for Generator Services
You are not pitching a full restoration scope in the opener. You are asking who services the generator and who can point you to the right people.
Why it opens commercial doors
If you are running a restoration business and want to move from residential jobs toward bigger commercial work, it can feel tough. It does not have to be. One smart way to start is by asking about generators.
The goal is to get to know property managers and generator service providers. That is the commercial door. Here’s why the ask is useful:
- Find reliable local service providers — Get contacts who can quickly help you when needed.
- Build relationships with property managers — Make friends with the people who run big buildings.
- Grow your network — Meet more people, which can lead to more business.
- Keep generators in good shape — Make sure backup power is always ready.
- Have a trusted team — Build a group of helpers who can assist during emergencies.
Asking about generators establishes important relationships with property managers and service providers. It strengthens business continuity planning and positions you as a proactive, resourceful service provider—not as someone waiting for the phone to ring after a loss.
How to run it
Follow Will’s steps in order.
1. Be curious.
First, notice the generators around your town. Lots of commercial buildings have them. Those units are entry points. Asking the right questions helps you make new connections.
2. Use an in-person inquiry when you can see the unit.
When you see a generator, ask about it. Use one of the in-person scripts above. Keep it short. Ask who takes care of it and who can point you in the right direction.
3. Use the telephone when a call fits better.
Sometimes a phone call works best. Use the phone scripts. Same core ask: who services it, and who should you talk to for reliable contacts or business-continuity planning.
4. Use email when written outreach fits.
Send a clear inquiry with one of the published subject lines. Keep the body aligned with the same ask—generator service contacts and recommendations in that area.
5. Follow up and build relationships.
After initial contact, follow up regularly. That is how new relationships get built and maintained. Offer your services and show how your company can help, especially in keeping things running during emergencies.
What to do with what you learn
Turn every answer into relationship and readiness work—not a one-time note you forget.
Log the property manager.
When someone who runs the building engages, treat that as a relationship to keep—not a cold lead to blast later.
Log the generator service provider.
When you get a name for who services the unit, keep that contact as a reliable local resource you can call when needed.
Grow the network on purpose.
Each ask should add people: property managers, service providers, and others tied to how the building manages backup power. More of the right people can lead to more commercial restoration work.
Treat continuity as shared work.
Use what you learn to support business continuity thinking—reliable contacts, maintained backup power, and a trusted group who can assist during emergencies.
Follow up on a rhythm.
Initial contact is only the start. Regular follow-up is the method for keeping the relationship alive and for offering help when continuity and emergency readiness matter.
Switching toward commercial restoration work can significantly boost your business. Start by paying attention to those generators and taking the first step. You can do this.
Part 2 — The 3×5 Card
What goes on the card
Forget AI and automated emails for this system. The published method is a few physical 3×5 cards for clients and prospects.
On each card, keep only what helps you stay personal and grounded:
- Who they are (client or prospect)
- What matters enough to remember without a database
- Prompts for the next human contact—visit, note, or face-to-face check-in
If you cannot fit your clients and prospects on a few cards, you have too many. The rule is quality over quantity. The card is a focus tool, not a filing cabinet.
How it runs
Keep the stack short.
A few cards. Not a drawer. Not a second CRM. If the stack grows past what you can actually touch, cut it.
Visit in person.
Instead of mass marketing, bake some cookies and visit your top clients on a Saturday. That is the published move: personal presence over broadcast.
Write by hand.
Replace digital communication with handwritten notes. The point is not nostalgia. It is making it obvious that the person matters enough for a personal message.
Talk face to face.
Build the relationship in direct interaction. Ask how they are doing. Show genuine interest in their lives. This matches the Generator Question’s spirit—heard first, sold second—but on a repeating rhythm, not a one-time opener.
Manage the business off the same constraint.
Manage relationships with a few cards. If you cannot make enough from one card’s worth of clients, reconsider your pricing or business model. The system is supposed to pressure the economics toward fewer, better relationships—not toward a longer list you will ignore.
Why it beats a CRM for a small operator
For a small operator, the CRM fails when it becomes a place to store names you will never personally serve. The 3×5 card fails loudly and early: if they do not fit, you have too many.
That is the advantage. The card forces focus. It pushes Saturday visits and handwritten notes instead of automated email. It keeps management simple enough that the relationship stays trusted, personal, and grounded. Will’s published framing is old-school on purpose: personal connections and the value of each client, aimed at strong, lasting relationships—not a larger top-of-funnel.
A CRM can still exist elsewhere for files and jobs. The relationship brain for a small book should still fit in a few cards you can hold.
How the two fit together
The Generator Question opens commercial doors. The 3×5 card keeps those relationships personal.
Use the generator ask when you are in town noticing backup units, walking up to a building, calling, or emailing: who services this, who runs the property, who belongs on your local continuity list. Use the card when you are back at the desk deciding which property managers and service providers get regular follow-up, a Saturday visit, a handwritten note, or a face-to-face check-in.
Without the generator conversation, you stay stuck waiting for residential work to turn into commercial work by accident. Without the card, the names you collect from those conversations disappear into a list you will not personally serve. Together they are a complete loop: ask about the generator, meet the people behind it, write the right names on a short stack of cards, and keep showing up like a trusted local operator.
Questions
What is the Generator Question?
What is the Generator Question?
Ask who takes care of the backup generator on a commercial building—and who can point you to reliable local service contacts.
Why does asking about generators help a restoration company?
It builds relationships with property managers and generator service providers, grows your network, supports ready backup power, and helps you assemble trusted help for emergencies—paths into more commercial work.
How do you run the method day to day?
Notice generators around town, ask in person, by phone, or by email using the continuity-focused scripts, then follow up regularly and offer how you can help when things need to keep running.
What belongs on a 3×5 card?
Only clients and prospects you can actually serve personally—few enough to fit on a few cards—with cues for visits, handwritten notes, and direct check-ins.
How do the two methods work together?
The generator conversation opens doors with property managers and service providers; the 3×5 card keeps those relationships short-list personal so follow-up stays human.
Related reading
- The Agreement Is the Product: The 8 Provisions of a Commercial Emergency Services Agreement
- Ask What System They Run: The First Question of Every Emergency Plan
- The Commercial Restoration Sales Process: From First Contact to Signed MSA
- Selling Into Property Managers: The Trade That Controls Repeat Access