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 fell.
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: What's going on, solopreneurs?
Speaker: Taylor Armstrong here, your host, back with another episode.
Speaker: We're coming up on Christmas at the time of this recording.
Speaker: So if you're listening to this when it's first coming out, Merry Christmas to you.
Speaker: Hopefully you have a great day of no selling solar.
Speaker: Okay, you can take a break on Christmas.
Speaker: But if you're listening to this after the fact...
Speaker: Happy New Year or happy summer.
Speaker: Whenever you're listening to this, hope you are having a prosperous year and are dominating.
Speaker: So today we're going to keep it a little bit interesting and forgot to do my usual.
Speaker: We're here to help you generate more leads, referrals and have a better time in the industry.
Speaker: So sorry, I forgot about that.
Speaker: But we're going to jump right into it.
Speaker: And first, before getting into the content, just need to say we are not going to have an episode on Friday, if you're listening to this when it comes out, because Friday is Christmas Eve.
Speaker: And I don't know about you, but I typically don't listen to a ton of podcasts on Christmas Eve.
Speaker: So we're going to take a day off and bring it to you the following Tuesday.
Speaker: So next Tuesday, we're releasing the interview with the one and only Michelle Lowry.
Speaker: She calls herself the queen of door-to-door.
Speaker: I think I'm getting that right.
Speaker: But fantastic episode we had with her.
Speaker: We're going to be previewing that a little bit today.
Speaker: Getting you excited for it.
Speaker: So for now, we're keeping it here.
Speaker: Hope you have a great holidays.
Speaker: So the topic of today is just really alternative legion.
Speaker: And it got me thinking, I am going to Utah for the holidays.
Speaker: I'm leaving on the 23rd of December.
Speaker: I'm going to be there for about a week, week and a half.
Speaker: And not going to be knocking on doors during that time.
Speaker: So how can you still be generating leads?
Speaker: And the reason I started thinking about this is because I heard from Michelle Lowry.
Speaker: She is in the Power organization, which if you haven't heard of Power...
Speaker: You love them, you hate them.
Speaker: There's a lot of people that hate power.
Speaker: It's basically a kind of a network marketing in solar.
Speaker: They get their recruits kind of have it be a downline, like the network marketing organizations.
Speaker: So a lot of pros to it.
Speaker: Some people hate that model.
Speaker: Hey, but I know there's guys crushing it, having a ton of success too.
Speaker: And what's really interesting about what they do is not a ton of them doorknock.
Speaker: And there's something to say some of them maybe don't see as much success as they could if they were doorknocking.
Speaker: For the listeners of the podcast, for our solopreneur peeps, you probably heard me talk more than anything about door knocking just because I think that's the single best way to go out there and get leads.
Speaker: You can start as a beginner day one, go out and set a same day appointment, knock on a door, make a $10,000 commission,
Speaker: depending on the market and depending on the system size, right?
Speaker: So door knocking is always going to be the bread and butter in my opinion here.
Speaker: But I think it's important to at least realize that there are other ways of lead gen out there.
Speaker: We've had a lot of episodes on, you know, alternative forms of lead gen.
Speaker: So you can go back and listen to the levels that go more in depth, pros and cons of both of them.
Speaker: But I'm just going to reiterate a few things that I think are really important and then just give you a sampling of some ideas.
Speaker: And we're going to go more in depth as well on Michelle Lowry's episode.
Speaker: She calls herself the queen of door-to-door.
Speaker: So she is in the power organization, still knocking a ton of doors.
Speaker: That's her bread and butter too.
Speaker: But she recognizes that there's a lot of other ways to get leads.
Speaker: And if you're not doing these things,
Speaker: I think you could be selling yourself short.
Speaker: So it's important to realize them.
Speaker: It's important to start opening yourself to the idea of generating other leads.
Speaker: But a word of caution to those that embark on the other forms of lead gen.
Speaker: Make sure it doesn't take the place of you going out and grinding, of hitting doors, of putting in work and effort.
Speaker: Because I've seen it way too many times in this industry.
Speaker: You guys say, I don't want to knock doors.
Speaker: How else can I get leads?
Speaker: I don't want to knock.
Speaker: I'm just going to focus on referrals.
Speaker: I'm going to focus on online marketing.
Speaker: I'm going to focus on going to BNIs, business networking.
Speaker: And guess what?
Speaker: They see, you know, that's more of like a long-term game.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Because they're getting slow leads coming in that way.
Speaker: Where if they focused, you know, most of their effort on hitting the doors and then also did those things on the side, they would see way more success because they're waiting.
Speaker: They're playing the long game and they're not willing to go out there.
Speaker: So just whatever you do, do not let these things replace your bread and butter, which I think should be door knocking.
Speaker: Whatever you're doing to get most of your leads, don't abandon ship and just dump all your eggs in other baskets.
Speaker: I think you should have a primary form of lead gen, which for me is door knocking.
Speaker: And then the rest should be supplemental, right?
Speaker: So here's what we're going to talk about today.
Speaker: Two things.
Speaker: And the first, just previewing a little bit about Michelle Lowry's episode next week, we go more in depth on this, but she talks about how she does lunch and learns for real estate agents.
Speaker: And then also they've got some roofers that they work with.
Speaker: They get tons of leads out in Dallas, Texas, where she's working just from working with these roofers and doing lunch and learns with real estate agents.
Speaker: Okay, and I will admit I have not done this myself.
Speaker: It's something that I'm going to try.
Speaker: But maybe you call up a real estate organization offer to put on a lunch and learn.
Speaker: And Michelle, she's going to tell you how she goes about doing this in the next episode.
Speaker: So, you know, don't take my word for it.
Speaker: I've never actually done it.
Speaker: Okay, but...
Speaker: I thought that was a unique way.
Speaker: And then also working with roofing organizations, particularly roofers that don't do solar already.
Speaker: Guess what?
Speaker: These people have a huge source of solar leads because they're on the roofs of your potential customers.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So I thought that was genius.
Speaker: If you can use, utilize their network, utilize their customer base and work out some sort of agreement, some sort of partnership, you
Speaker: that could be a lead source that just blows up for you.
Speaker: Okay, so again, listen to the next episode.
Speaker: She's going to talk much more on that.
Speaker: Okay, but two things just to kind of preview that.
Speaker: Okay, but the number one source of leads that I forget about sometimes being in this industry for almost six years now, and I see experienced people forget about this too, because this is primarily something that you do when you're first starting out, but I think it's important also is
Speaker: No matter how long you've been doing solar, you need to remember this one thing, and that is utilizing your power base.
Speaker: Hopefully you know what a power base is, but that is the people that are closest to you, your inner circle of contacts.
Speaker: So that's your friends.
Speaker: That's your family.
Speaker: That's your people you go to church with.
Speaker: That's your guys on your basketball team that you go play, you know, your rec league, whatever.
Speaker: That's your gym buddies.
Speaker: That's your, in my case, jujitsu people that I do jujitsu with.
Speaker: It's utilizing all those people because not only can they be a great source of solar leads, a lot of these people are homeowners.
Speaker: But the other thing that I'm realizing, they can be great recruits, especially if you're playing on, let's say, a rec league or if you're going to, you know, fighting jujitsu like myself.
Speaker: I'm already seeing that there's potential recruits from these.
Speaker: Matter of fact, I've got one coming in here soon.
Speaker: Just need to find a time to meet with them.
Speaker: So don't underestimate the power, pun intended, of your power base.
Speaker: And if you haven't, if you're starting out, if you have not done this, this is the number one thing that I coach our new reps to do.
Speaker: Go take out your pen and paper.
Speaker: Take out your contacts on your phone.
Speaker: Write down all the people who own homes.
Speaker: Write down all your buddies that parents own homes that could potentially go solar.
Speaker: Get it out on a piece of paper.
Speaker: And then that is how you start working your power base.
Speaker: Your first sales should be your family members.
Speaker: And if you have not sold your family, you need to check yourself.
Speaker: Do you actually believe in your product?
Speaker: I actually had an experience last week with a buddy of mine in solar.
Speaker: And if he's listening to this, sorry to call you out, but you got to sell to your friends and family.
Speaker: I was hanging out with one of my buddies and he is also in solar.
Speaker: And we were at one of his, it was his brother-in-law's house and they don't have solar.
Speaker: So I get talking to him.
Speaker: I'm like, Hey, you guys got solar yet?
Speaker: And he goes, Oh, we, uh,
Speaker: No, we don't.
Speaker: We've been here about a year and a half.
Speaker: And I was actually going to check it out.
Speaker: But then my brother-in-law, who is my friend that sells solar, told us to just get on a discount program for electricity first and just do that.
Speaker: And if it still gets really bad, then we can maybe look into solar.
Speaker: So at that point, he's telling me that he suggested him to not get solar, to first get on, look at some discount programs.
Speaker: And then maybe do it.
Speaker: And we're talking about we're in Southern California where the discount programs are still usually like, I don't know, 25, 30% cheaper than you could get solar for.
Speaker: And that's still selling high.
Speaker: So at this point, I'm like, dude, are you kidding?
Speaker: Obviously, I'm not going to call him out in the family gathering with everyone.
Speaker: But in my head, I was like, are you kidding me, man?
Speaker: Like, you got your brother-in-law and he does not have solar in one of the most expensive states for electricity?
Speaker: You got to be kidding me.
Speaker: So I was surprised.
Speaker: But just goes to show if you have family members, do not be embarrassed to sell them your product.
Speaker: If you are embarrassed or if you are not pushing your family, friends, co-workers, whatever, if you're not pushing everyone you know to get on your product, are you really sold in your offering?
Speaker: Probably not.
Speaker: Hey, probably not.
Speaker: If you're not pushing them, so check yourself.
Speaker: If you have not made your power list, if you have not sold all your family and friends and potential people that you know that could have your product,
Speaker: Go and do this today.
Speaker: Most powerful sales you can get.
Speaker: And I see new guys come in all the time.
Speaker: This is where I was at a disadvantage because I grew up in Utah.
Speaker: We recruit people out here in California.
Speaker: Some of these new recruits come in.
Speaker: They're coming in with 10 sales under their belt in their first month.
Speaker: How do they do it?
Speaker: They sold their family and friends.
Speaker: So I was jealous of all those people.
Speaker: They got super easy, quick sales just because they knew people out here and I didn't.
Speaker: So huge advantage if you know people in your market, but also think outside your market.
Speaker: My first sale or one of my first sales were my parents in Utah.
Speaker: So just because you don't have family in your market is
Speaker: Well, guess what?
Speaker: There's companies outside of your market that are doing solar.
Speaker: So even if you don't work with installers in those particular states, hit me up.
Speaker: I can connect you with people that work in basically every state.
Speaker: Not every state, but I would say at least probably half the states.
Speaker: I can figure out a way to help you get glass on the roof of your family and friends.
Speaker: Hit me up if you don't know how.
Speaker: It's a little bit of a rant, but I just got thinking, especially as you are going to your holiday parties here, coming up on Christmas, you're going to be hanging out with family.
Speaker: You don't have to sell solar, but make sure people know what you do.
Speaker: Does your family even know that you sell solar?
Speaker: Have you told them about your product?
Speaker: Did they know that you don't have to pay thousands of dollars out of your pocket to have panels put on the roof?
Speaker: They might not even know that.
Speaker: So your job when you're going to your holiday parties, when you're going to these family gatherings, at least make sure people know, right?
Speaker: At least explain to them, give them some education at the very least.
Speaker: And you don't have to be like annoying about it.
Speaker: We're not doing MLM network marketing where you have to be that annoying guy that like sends all your friends and family information.
Speaker: messages on Facebook, right?
Speaker: Where it's obvious you're going to pitch them something, but you can be casual about it.
Speaker: Say, Hey, how's work going?
Speaker: What do you do?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Oh, I'm doing solar.
Speaker: It's cool.
Speaker: If you guys ever like looked into it for your house, it doesn't have to be an awkward conversation.
Speaker: And you're not going to push them, obviously, if they express no interest, then whatever.
Speaker: But they should at least know what you're doing.
Speaker: And you should be the first one they hit up if they are going to go solar.
Speaker: The worst feeling in the world will be seeing Aunt Susie have panels added on her roof by some rando company.
Speaker: out in North Dakota because you didn't tell her that you were doing solar.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So make sure they know that make sure you don't let those ones slip through the cracks.
Speaker: And then the last little story I have with this is, you know, go to church or something too.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: I've gotten, uh, I think two or three cells this year just from people from my church and
Speaker: Okay, so give good reason to go to church.
Speaker: So all you sinners out there, get yourself to church.
Speaker: Guess what?
Speaker: In addition to hopefully being a better person, maybe you'll get some extra sales this year by going to church.
Speaker: So use that.
Speaker: And another point with that, I mean, make sure people at your church know what you're doing.
Speaker: Hey, you can bring it up casually.
Speaker: We'll be sitting in Sunday school and I'll bring up a comment about door-to-door sales because that's all I do.
Speaker: It's my life.
Speaker: I sell solar.
Speaker: So any like principle, even if I'm talking about the gospel, the scriptures, whatever, a lot of times it's going to come from like the story of, you know, me out there selling solar.
Speaker: So you're not, you know, that's not the purpose of church.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: So, I mean, I guess don't get greedy with it.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: But people can know at your church that you're doing solar.
Speaker: And even in competitions, I think I've told this story before.
Speaker: If your company has sales competitions or whatever, use that as an excuse.
Speaker: Go hit up the people at your church or maybe the people that you don't know as well, but are more acquaintance types.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Hit them up.
Speaker: That's a good reason.
Speaker: Hey, I'm in a competition.
Speaker: I know we haven't talked much at church, but we're just doing this competition in our company to see how many people we can get information about solar.
Speaker: Have you guys ever looked into it?
Speaker: drop by their house.
Speaker: One of a huge, well, a huge sales organization that actually one of my buddies used to sell for living scriptures.
Speaker: Maybe you heard of them.
Speaker: These are like church videos about Jesus, like cartoons, right?
Speaker: And these videos are marketed to members of the LDS church, right?
Speaker: Church of Jesus Christ.
Speaker: And what are they doing?
Speaker: They're just working their power base essentially, right?
Speaker: Because if you come by, if you're a member of that church, you say, hey, we're doing living scripture videos.
Speaker: You heard of them.
Speaker: You're already a member.
Speaker: Well, if you're selling those things, you're probably a member of that church already.
Speaker: You have a connection.
Speaker: And then really it's a warmer lead.
Speaker: So in a way, they're just working the power base.
Speaker: So remember, always build those connections, especially during the holidays.
Speaker: Make sure your friends and family, your neighbors know.
Speaker: That's another thing I can't believe.
Speaker: I'll go into neighborhoods all the time where I will sell, not all the time,
Speaker: But there's been a handful of times where I have sold people solar where they've literally told me that their neighbor worked for a solar company or sold solar, whatever.
Speaker: So it blows my mind if you are in a neighborhood and you have not told your neighbors about what you're doing.
Speaker: Make sure you do that too.
Speaker: That would be another terrible feeling to see your next door neighbor go solar with another company knowing you could have helped them out.
Speaker: So do not let those people slip through the cracks.
Speaker: My rant is over.
Speaker: Have a good Christmas party.
Speaker: Have a good time in the holidays.
Speaker: And we will see you again next Tuesday.
Speaker: Don't miss out with Michelle Lowry's episode.
Speaker: Super powerful on alternative legion, on how she manages her time with a family, being a mom, and just being a super powerful female door knocker in the solar industry.
Speaker: So check it out.
Speaker: Happy holidays.
Speaker: And we'll see you on the next one.
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.
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