Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to the Solarpreneur Podcast, where we teach you to take your solar business to the next level.
Speaker: My name is Taylor Armstrong.
Speaker: I went from $50 in my bank account and struggling for groceries to closing 150 deals in a year and cracking the code on why sales reps fail.
Speaker: I teach you how to avoid the mistakes I made and bring in the top solar dogs of the industry to let you in on the secrets of generating more leads, falling up like a pro, and closing more deals.
Speaker: What is a solarpreneur, you might ask?
Speaker: A solarpreneur is a new breed of solar pro that is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve mastery, and you are about to become one.
Speaker: Hey, what's going on, solopreneurs?
Speaker: We are back with another episode.
Speaker: We're going to be jamming on some referral processes, how to help you get more referrals this year when you're selling solar panels.
Speaker: Welcome back to the show.
Speaker: We are here to help you close more deals and generate more leads and referrals and have a much better time in the solar industry.
Speaker: And I hope you are enjoying the recent episodes.
Speaker: We've got some awesome guests and I've been having a great time.
Speaker: As usual, we are coming at you free and available on Apple, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you can find the podcast.
Speaker: And if you are watching the video version of this, you'll notice I got a little shiner, got a little Backeye.
Speaker: So in case you're wondering, watching the video version.
Speaker: I got mugged by someone on the doors.
Speaker: No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker: I go to these Jiu-Jitsu classes and just got nailed in the face.
Speaker: And usually it happens every couple weeks, but I got lucky this time.
Speaker: It's been a couple months since I've gotten a black eye.
Speaker: So happy about that.
Speaker: But anyways, that's what that's all about.
Speaker: Hey, and if you missed the recent...
Speaker: Big announcement we had, it is that we are having the first ever live Solarpreneur event.
Speaker: The date is set for April 17th, the day before SolarCon starts.
Speaker: And very simple way to come to the event.
Speaker: Two ways to get it.
Speaker: We're going to be publishing an event page pretty soon here.
Speaker: And you can buy a ticket.
Speaker: The second way is you can purchase a ticket to SolarCon.
Speaker: through our solopreneur link, which we will post in the show notes, the coupon code is just Taylor gets you I think an extra 15% off.
Speaker: If you use that coupon code, you're also going to get access to the events for free.
Speaker: So I hope to see you all at the event.
Speaker: We're just locking down the venue very soon.
Speaker: So I'm going to have an announcement on that.
Speaker: I'm so excited.
Speaker: It's going to be a really cool venue if everything goes as planned, but don't want to announce it quite yet in case things don't work out with the planned venue, but it's going to be awesome.
Speaker: All right, so let's jump into the podcast.
Speaker: And we are doing a little bit about referrals today.
Speaker: It's a topic that I'm just fascinated with.
Speaker: And I was just talking to one of one of the guys in our coaching program about this today.
Speaker: But the reason why just building out referrals fascinates me and, you know, trying to get more referral partners,
Speaker: is because if you're anything like me, like, I don't really want to be knocking on doors when I'm 60 years old.
Speaker: And no offense to old guys out there hustling, grinding, knocking doors.
Speaker: You have my respect.
Speaker: You got Michael O'Donnell that I, I know he still knocks a little bit and he's, uh, he's still young, but, um, I don't want to be knocking doors when I'm like 60, 70 years old.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: And hopefully like I
Speaker: I don't have to work at all, but either way, when I get up there, even, you know, forties, fifties, I don't really want to have to, uh, be required to go knock on doors to make the money.
Speaker: I want to have things built out to where I have a referral system in place, uh,
Speaker: I have referral partners and I'm sure I still will go knock doors, but I want to have it set up where I get so many leads just organically from these systems and processes that I knock doors because I want to, not because I have to.
Speaker: I always like, yeah, I do enjoy knocking doors here and there sometimes.
Speaker: I'm not going to say I love knocking doors all the time.
Speaker: I think people have got to be lying if you are just in love with knocking doors all the time, because let's be real, it can suck at times.
Speaker: But yeah, I think you should be in the position to not have to knock doors, to just get out there because you want to and to train.
Speaker: And that's my dream.
Speaker: I hope it can be your reality someday.
Speaker: So that's why we talk about building systems, processes,
Speaker: working with referral partners, setting up referral systems.
Speaker: And so this is a bit of a demo because next podcast, we're going to have someone that actually is living that reality.
Speaker: This guy, he doesn't knock doors anymore, but he has built out a really cool system for his referrals that he's going to break down step by step by step.
Speaker: And including he actually sold Kawhi Leonard's grandma and got like, I think 40, 50 referrals from her.
Speaker: So really cool story.
Speaker: You don't want to miss out on this guy.
Speaker: It's going to be dropping on the next episode.
Speaker: But just to preface a couple things that we, you know, mentioned a little bit in the show.
Speaker: coming up and just to dive a little bit deeper and give you guys wet the pallets.
Speaker: So you're licking at the chops ready to, um, to dive into this next episode is number one, we need to treat our referral partners more like setters and we need to treat the homeowners we work with like setters.
Speaker: What do I mean by that?
Speaker: If anyone has been a setter in solar, one of the most frustrating things, and I was actually reminded of this, I sent a deal I was going to be on vacation or I think I was headed maybe to door to door con one of the events.
Speaker: So I actually sent a lead to someone else on our team and I didn't get an update about what happened with this lead for, it was like, I think a week or so.
Speaker: And I had to send like five, six texts call, which I know I get it.
Speaker: People are busy, but I was reminded, man, it's extremely frustrating as a setter to not know what's going on with your appointments.
Speaker: You send someone an appointment, you don't hear back.
Speaker: So let that be the lesson.
Speaker: If you are closing and have setters, don't be like that.
Speaker: Make sure you give them updates right away.
Speaker: Make sure you're getting them paid on time.
Speaker: when they're expecting it.
Speaker: Because that can be one of the most frustrating things for anybody, but especially for setters.
Speaker: Because setters coming into solar, a lot of times they're relying on money coming in.
Speaker: Like a lot of setters are broke.
Speaker: And then they want to know what's happening with their deals.
Speaker: So make sure you're not like that.
Speaker: So how does that relate to referrals and referral partners?
Speaker: Well, you got to give...
Speaker: your refers you gotta give your partners an update on what's happening with the referrals they gave you is number one and then number two you gotta get them paid as quick as possible get them that money so they can taste it they can experience it just like setters coming in the industry I think it's
Speaker: some crazy stats.
Speaker: I actually did a podcast with Alex Hall.
Speaker: She talked about this.
Speaker: We can link to that.
Speaker: She's there.
Speaker: They're over it.
Speaker: Shut the fluff up.
Speaker: I think it is and do a lot in recruiting.
Speaker: But she told me a stat and I think it's something like reps are, I don't know, 60, 70, 80% more likely to stay in solar.
Speaker: if they can taste that money, if they can get paid quick, if they can get a deal within their first 15 days, I think it was, or 30 days.
Speaker: So same thing with your referral partners.
Speaker: How can you get them to have quick success and see that money as quick as possible?
Speaker: Because if they can see it, if they can actually have that money coming in their bank account, then it becomes real.
Speaker: And they're like, oh, wow.
Speaker: Taylor wasn't just telling me I was going to get paid for being a referral partner.
Speaker: He's actually delivering.
Speaker: This is real.
Speaker: Okay, maybe I'll work a little bit harder on contacting these other people I referred.
Speaker: Hey, so that's just an important principle.
Speaker: Make sure you do everything to give these people updates and to get them paid.
Speaker: Hey, and then just another couple things I've been thinking about lately is a mistake we're all responsible of in solar, especially if you've been in door to door, is we sell these deals.
Speaker: And then a lot of us, we don't even contact the customers after the fact.
Speaker: I've said many times before, but I came from pest control where you knock on a door, you get them to sign the year contract for pest service.
Speaker: then you don't talk to them ever again.
Speaker: So the mistake I made is I treated solar the exact same way for my first several years in the industry.
Speaker: And what I'm realizing now is that if we want people to refer business to us, we need to be in contact with them.
Speaker: So what does that look like?
Speaker: A process I'm setting up, a system I'm setting up is...
Speaker: After the install, after the customer gets permission to operate, I contact them after the first 30 days when they get their first bill.
Speaker: And then after three months, six months, and then a year mark, I'm doing a check-in with them.
Speaker: Why?
Speaker: Because, well, they need to know how solar is working.
Speaker: They need to see their statement from the utility.
Speaker: And they're probably going to have questions about that.
Speaker: So it's a good time to just check in to serve them.
Speaker: Help them understand what's going on now that they have solar up and producing.
Speaker: But number two, it's a great time to refresh their memory on your referral program.
Speaker: How many people are actually doing that?
Speaker: How many people are checking in with their customers after the fact?
Speaker: And you can automate this.
Speaker: I was talking with, again, the guy in our coaching group is, you can reach out to me, shoot me a DM, shoot me an email.
Speaker: If I can make an introduction, the CRM I use, you can send out voicemails to these customers.
Speaker: So it's like, a lot of these things, when I first heard this, I'm like, okay, it's going to take so much time to stay in touch with these customers.
Speaker: to follow up with them.
Speaker: Yeah, it'd be nice to talk to them, but it's just a lot of work.
Speaker: You have to be organized, first of all.
Speaker: But then if you can automate some of these things, what I'm setting up as a voicemail can go out to your customer three months down the road and say, hey, this is Taylor.
Speaker: Just checking in on the solar system.
Speaker: Give me a call back.
Speaker: You can have a text automatically go to them as well without lifting a finger.
Speaker: You just have to set it up one time.
Speaker: So take advantage of some of the tools we have.
Speaker: If you don't have a CRM, you can use a spreadsheet.
Speaker: But that's why I like using some of these cool features on the CRMs is you can set up autoresponders like that.
Speaker: You can set up automations in place.
Speaker: So you don't have to be doing all this for your customers.
Speaker: You can have it go out.
Speaker: You can have it text them.
Speaker: link to your calendar to book a call to review their bill to review their system production.
Speaker: And then they're reaching out to you even better.
Speaker: So just a couple thoughts I had as we're going into some referral talk.
Speaker: So again, make sure you're on the next episode.
Speaker: This guy breaks it down A to Z what he's done to get an extra 40 deals, 40 plus deals from pure referrals.
Speaker: So definitely a lot of things I'm going to be implementing.
Speaker: I hope you can do the same and I hope you can start to think more long-term, right?
Speaker: We're not in solar to make a quick buck.
Speaker: Hopefully we can be servant minded and we can be in solar for the long haul.
Speaker: And that's how we're going to do it is by working with other people and getting good referral partners.
Speaker: Hey, so check out next episode.
Speaker: We got Jonathan Wilson coming on.
Speaker: And then again, grab your ticket for SolarCon so you can also get access to our event coming up.
Speaker: I'm hoping I can have details ready for that in the next couple of days or the next podcast episode coming out.
Speaker: So make sure you tune in for that.
Speaker: I've got some exciting stuff coming up.
Speaker: Go crush it this weekend or whenever you're listening to this podcast and we'll see you on the next one.
Speaker: Peace.
Speaker: Hey, solopreneurs, quick question.
Speaker: What if you could surround yourself with the industry's top performing sales pros, marketers, and CEOs and learn from their experience and wisdom in less than 20 minutes a day.
Speaker: For the last three years, I've been placed in the fortunate position to interview dozens of elite level solar professionals and learn exactly what they do behind closed doors to build their solar careers to an all-star level.
Speaker: That's why I want to make a truly special announcement about the new learning community exclusively for solar professionals to learn, compete, and win with top performers in the industry.
Speaker: And it's called a Solcite.
Speaker: This learning community was designed from the ground up to level the playing field and give Solar Pros access to proven mentors who want to give back to this community and help you or your team to be held accountable by the industry's brightest minds for, are you ready for it, less than $3.45 a day.
Speaker: Currently, SoulCity is open, launched, and ready to be enrolled.
Speaker: So go to SoulCity.co to learn more and join the learning experience now.
Speaker: This is exclusively for solopreneur listeners, so be sure to go to SoulCity.co and join.
Speaker: We'll see you on the inside.
