The solar salesperson has an especially important job, because he or she is the face of the installation company and therefore responsible for educating clients about how solar energy works and why it could work for them.
John Gerrard, general manager of Ozark Solar (No. 427 on the 2016 Top Solar Contractors list), uses what he learned previously selling insurance to train his solar sales team today.
“We always refer to ourselves as consultants, rather than sales people, because in a very real sense that’s what we are,” he said. “So much of our jobs involves educating the customer, especially in something as highly technical as solar. You don’t need a NABCEP certification to sell solar, but you do have to be able to answer the customer’s questions. You have to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what’s going on, in an honest response, to put people at ease enough to say ‘Yes, this makes sense.’”
Gerrard said the best thing his team can do is show the potential client recent reference letters or connect them with current customers who can explain their reasons for going solar. “I look for referrals when I’m seeking someone to do home improvement on my house,” he said. “I want to hear from others that the company is going to do a good job.”
Ozark Solar does little advertising. Instead, it relies to a great degree on references and repeat business (including upgrades and add-ons) from existing customers. Instead of waiting for these referrals to come around, Gerrard encourages his team to ask for them once a customer has gone solar.
“Once you close a customer’s business is the best time to get a referral,” he said. “They’re feeling good about the decision they made, and they’re already thinking of who they’re going to brag to that their electric bill is $20. So while they’re thinking about it, it makes sense to ask them if they have any family or friends in mind they’d recommend we contact to offer them the opportunity to make the same type of decision.”
If the customer’s referral does end up going solar, that previous customer receives a financial incentive of $200. “We feel it’s a fair amount to offer as a thank you,” Gerrard said. “We’re not trying to bribe people, but we do want to offer them a solid thank you because their referrals are so valuable to us—ten times better than something you find off the internet. You contact them and they know who you’re talking about, someone they respect who has already made the investment decision.”
Gerrard said these leads are much easier for his team to work with because someone they know and respect has already made the investment decision. “When they make a decision to invest with us too, it’s like manna from heaven!” he said. “They may have never called us and we may not have known about them otherwise.”
Existing customer referrals, both commercial and residential, accounted for more than 60% of Ozark’s new installations in 2015. “Quality installations and high-quality personnel in sales and service have driven our business into overdrive for 2016,” Gerrard said.
Leonard Sulkaj says
Of course you can be a consultant, you have the best product for the best of the humanity. You dont need to be a seller