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, solar pruners?
Speaker: My name is Taylor Armstrong, and we are here to help you close more deals, generate more leads and referrals, and hopefully have a much better time in the solar industry.
Speaker: Thanks for making the Solar Pruner Podcast the first listen of every Tuesday and Friday, and hopefully every day, because we've got over 200 episodes now.
Speaker: So a lot of content you can go back and listen to.
Speaker: We're actually thinking of making a little guide for some of the top episodes because a lot of people are asking me, Taylor, you have a lot of episodes now.
Speaker: I just barely started listening to your podcast.
Speaker: What are the best ones to go listen to?
Speaker: So we're actually in the process of making a little guide.
Speaker: So let me know if you want access to that.
Speaker: It's going to be coming out soon.
Speaker: Probably do like the top five or ten must listen to episodes.
Speaker: But anyways, today we're going to be talking about why is it important that you prepare for your appointments if you prepare for your solar deals.
Speaker: When I first started in solar, I had so many appointments that I just burned through where I didn't know something, where I didn't know answers to a lot of questions, where I didn't know...
Speaker: exactly what the customer wanted, just a ton of mistakes made.
Speaker: And that's what we're all about is helping you guys prevent the same mistakes that I made or not make the same mistakes that I made when I was starting out.
Speaker: Hopefully you're much better about being prepared for appointments.
Speaker: Things have changed.
Speaker: There's so much more education now than when I started in the solar game in 2016.
Speaker: So many more ways to be educated.
Speaker: So many great courses, great people teaching, sharing on social media.
Speaker: So this is one of the biggest tips I would give if you're not already go interact on social media.
Speaker: There's some great Facebook groups.
Speaker: Solar objections is a great one.
Speaker: Solarpreneurs, although I will say we have not been the greatest about keeping the activity going on that.
Speaker: But go join our solopreneur group if you haven't already.
Speaker: But a lot of great interaction going on on Facebook and Facebook groups.
Speaker: And then just a lot of great people you can follow on Instagram and on Facebook, which if you don't know who to follow, just go follow the people that have been on the podcast.
Speaker: So before we get into the meat of the content today, just wanted to remind you, if you have not gotten your ticket yet to SolarCon, go grab it.
Speaker: Link is posted in the show notes.
Speaker: You can get the 25% discount.
Speaker: That will also be in the show notes, our code.
Speaker: And if you didn't hear in the previous episode, we are doing a little bonus for anyone who wants to purchase through our coupon code.
Speaker: And that is you will get exclusive one month access to SoulCity.
Speaker: $99 value.
Speaker: And we're hooking you up with a discount and free access for a month.
Speaker: So you can go try it out.
Speaker: See if it's beneficial.
Speaker: See if we can help you out on our coaching platform.
Speaker: Which if you don't know, you can record your presentations and get live feedback.
Speaker: One of the best features, I think, of the platform.
Speaker: And then on top of that, tax season is coming up soon.
Speaker: So if you do not have someone handling your taxes, super important.
Speaker: We make great industry.
Speaker: We make great money, rather great money in the industry, right?
Speaker: Great money selling solar.
Speaker: But what's the point of it if you cannot hang on to it?
Speaker: So that is why we have allowed, we have, well, we had the opportunity to have Pi Syndicate sponsor the podcast.
Speaker: If you don't know about Pi Syndicate, they are, in my opinion, the best in the business right now at handling the taxes and not only taxes, but also just helping you invest your money, direct it toward investments where you can not have to give it to Uncle Sam because I
Speaker: I want to hang on to my money.
Speaker: I don't want to give it all away.
Speaker: So go check out Pi Syndicate if you do not already have someone to help you with the taxes.
Speaker: And as usual, you know what I'm going to say.
Speaker: It's in the show notes.
Speaker: So go check it out and then get the exclusive solar printer treatment.
Speaker: Let them know you heard about them from solar printer podcast.
Speaker: They will give you the VIP treatment.
Speaker: So let's jump into why you should be prepared for your appointments.
Speaker: What's the point of being prepared?
Speaker: So something we have been talking a ton about in our team lately, with our team, is the five Ps.
Speaker: If you don't know what the five Ps are, it's this.
Speaker: Okay, great thing you can share in your meetings or you can just use this kind of your mantra as you're out there trying to sling some solar.
Speaker: And that's this proper preparation prevents poor performance.
Speaker: I'll say it one more time, a proper preparation prevents poor performance.
Speaker: So if you think about it, there is so much poor performance, but why does it happen?
Speaker: It happens because usually we're not prepared.
Speaker: And the previous episode, we talked a lot about how you can improve your presentation.
Speaker: So that is obviously part of being prepared.
Speaker: Practicing it, making sure you know your presentation forward and backward.
Speaker: But what about specifically as you're going in your solar appointments?
Speaker: So we're going to talk about two things, two ways you can be a little bit more prepared.
Speaker: Okay, so here's the first one.
Speaker: Number one, know your products and offerings.
Speaker: This includes lenders, the reviews of the companies you work with, of your installers, the technical info, all these things.
Speaker: Hey, and before we talk about this, something I forgot to mention, the reason I'm thinking so much about this preparation aspect, I'm actually doing a jiu-jitsu tournament this weekend.
Speaker: We're end of March, beginning of April here, depending on when you're listening to the podcast.
Speaker: I'm doing a jiu-jitsu tournament.
Speaker: If you want to come check it out, let me know.
Speaker: If you want to come see me do some jiu-jitsu here in San Diego.
Speaker: But I've been stressing a ton just like how am I prepared for this tournament.
Speaker: I've been doing jiu-jitsu now for about six months.
Speaker: My first tournament ever.
Speaker: And I did do some wrestling in high school.
Speaker: I did a year.
Speaker: My senior year, I went and wrestled.
Speaker: Obviously not ideal, just doing one year.
Speaker: But it is what it is.
Speaker: And now I'm doing some jiu-jitsu.
Speaker: This whole week, I've just been thinking about how can I get prepared.
Speaker: We've got so many things to think about.
Speaker: I have to make the weight.
Speaker: Right now I'm a little over 200, so I have to drop some weight this week.
Speaker: I love my cookies.
Speaker: I love my ice cream.
Speaker: Love all the carbs and things that are tasty.
Speaker: So it's tough.
Speaker: I have to cut out a lot of things that I love, and I try to not.
Speaker: eat a ton of that during the week obviously but I'm trying to be really conscientious of what I'm eating during the week and then also another thing I'm doing I'm watching videos of opponents I'm going and I'm looking up my opponents that are already in registered for the tournament trying to find them on YouTube I found a few of them I'm scouting them out and
Speaker: So just these little things that when you care about something, when you want to win, you think of all these ways how you can be more prepared.
Speaker: So that's the first thing.
Speaker: How seriously are you taking your solar game?
Speaker: Are you making a game, a competition?
Speaker: Because if you are, you want to win, right?
Speaker: Think back to any time you've competed or you've really wanted to win something.
Speaker: How prepared did you make yourself?
Speaker: And sometimes this happens to me all the time where I think, wow, I am like right now, even I'm preparing so much for this jujitsu tournament.
Speaker: But that same level, I forget to apply that same level of preparedness in my solar appointments, in my solar cells.
Speaker: So that was just a reminder for me.
Speaker: How serious are you taking this game?
Speaker: Because it's a game.
Speaker: What we're doing, it's just a game out there.
Speaker: It's trick-or-treating for free money.
Speaker: It's an Easter egg hunt for money behind doors.
Speaker: Are you treating like that?
Speaker: Because the people that are most successful in this, a lot of them I talk to, they don't even care about the money.
Speaker: They just care about being the best.
Speaker: They care about getting out there.
Speaker: They care about dominating.
Speaker: And they are ultra-competitive individuals.
Speaker: That's a trait that I would say almost all the top guys have in common in solar.
Speaker: So that's the first thing.
Speaker: Little tangent.
Speaker: Had to plug my jujitsu.
Speaker: Yeah, I'm no pro yet.
Speaker: White belt, but it is a really good workout if you want to try it.
Speaker: But back to the main point we're talking about.
Speaker: Number one is knowing your products and offerings.
Speaker: The reason I bring this up last year, if I can count back the deals I've lost, it's been mostly because, well, a lot of, I shouldn't say mostly, but a lot of these deals that I've lost, if I would have known my product better, if I would have known my offering, if I would have known the contract better, I think there's a good chance I probably would not have lost the majority of those deals.
Speaker: An example of this, I had a Brazilian family.
Speaker: This was about four or five months ago.
Speaker: I sold this really cool Brazilian family.
Speaker: They were super interested in solar, good to go.
Speaker: Almost a lay down sell, I would say.
Speaker: But the one thing they brought up during it is, Taylor, we're going to go look at our reviews.
Speaker: We are going to do some research, look at some reviews.
Speaker: But yeah, everything sounds good.
Speaker: And the mistake I made, I financed their system through Sunnova.
Speaker: And those that use Sunnova as a lender, you should know that you look them up online, they do not have the best reviews.
Speaker: And some people are turned off by this.
Speaker: So I guess if you don't have anyone to use besides Sunnova, I would consider getting some other finance options.
Speaker: Sunnova has great terms and everything, but the downside, they don't have great reviews.
Speaker: So looking back, what I should have done, I should have pivoted, used a different lender.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: I could have avoided a whole headache.
Speaker: They told me right there, they said, Taylor, we're going to look up some reviews and I did try to prep them.
Speaker: I said, Oh, so no way they don't have the greatest.
Speaker: Here's why.
Speaker: And that's another thing you want to beat people to their objections, right?
Speaker: You want to overcome the objection before they can bring it up.
Speaker: So I tried to do this a little bit, but it would have been better if I would have just, after they told me that used a different lender.
Speaker: Because sure enough, what happened, they went and looked up some Nova, saw the negative.
Speaker: They said, yeah, you know what?
Speaker: This sounds too negative.
Speaker: We're not going to do this.
Speaker: And then I tried to pivot, tried to use someone else, but too late.
Speaker: Trust was already a little bit lost.
Speaker: They, I don't know, they just went through some, I guess, buyer's fatigue.
Speaker: Didn't want to check it out anymore.
Speaker: So that's what I mean.
Speaker: Know your lender, know your installers.
Speaker: Hopefully you have multiple options that you can offer people, but you need to know what are the reviews like?
Speaker: What are some potential negatives that people could find?
Speaker: And then most importantly, what are their contracts like?
Speaker: This is something that I've learned from my friend and mentor Jake Hess over at Solar Academy.
Speaker: This is something that he talks about all the time is if you can know your contract,
Speaker: If you can know the ins and outs of what's actually in the contract, then it makes it easier to sell the customers.
Speaker: Most people are afraid of contracts, but the best salespeople know their contracts and they know that's really basically everything in the contract is the benefit and protect the customer.
Speaker: And if you can explain that to them and not try to sound shady, you're not trying to sound like you're rushing through the contract, but sound like an expert, then you will close more deals.
Speaker: So that's point number one.
Speaker: Make sure you know your products and offerings, the reviews, the lenders, your installers, the technical info as much as you can.
Speaker: And don't, you know, a word of caution with this.
Speaker: Don't try to shove way too much information down people's throats, especially for newer reps.
Speaker: Sometimes you go and learn all these things.
Speaker: But remember, you need to be keeping it simple.
Speaker: You need to know these things, but...
Speaker: At the same time, keep it simple.
Speaker: So when I say know your contracts, I'm not saying take half an hour, 40 minutes to go through every single detail of the contract.
Speaker: I'm just saying know it, sound confident in it.
Speaker: If people have a question about something, you should know exactly where it is in your contract and know the ins and outs.
Speaker: But at the same time, you got to be keeping it simple because you do not want to overwhelm your customers.
Speaker: Okay, and then the second point, just to wrap this up, is just know what type of customer they are.
Speaker: And I would say this is done more in the setting of the appointment.
Speaker: So if you are working with a set or closer program, maybe you have leads given to you, or if you're booking these appointments yourself, then try to set up the deal and know what you're looking at as much as you can before the appointment.
Speaker: If you're setting it for yourself, try to ask them those questions.
Speaker: Hey, who owns the home?
Speaker: Is it just you?
Speaker: Are you married?
Speaker: Who's going to make the decision?
Speaker: Maybe not who's going to make the decision, but find out who the decision makers are.
Speaker: Ask them who's on the actual title of home.
Speaker: Make sure you get both those people there.
Speaker: And then try to find out all the essential information before you even get to the appointment.
Speaker: Do they plan on using more energy?
Speaker: Is their credit decent?
Speaker: Do they plan on getting any electric vehicles, putting in pools, hot tubs, all those types of things?
Speaker: See if you can figure that out before you even get to the appointment.
Speaker: If I would have known this one thing to figure out, you know, kind of the estimated credit of the customer, I would have saved myself so much time starting out.
Speaker: How many, depending on the areas you're knocking, I would say, especially if you are knocking lower income areas, this is crucial.
Speaker: Just ask people, Hey, you guys haven't had any like bankruptcies, uh, credit, you have decent credit and everything, right?
Speaker: If you can figure this out beforehand, you're going to save yourself a lot of wasted time.
Speaker: And then also just, you know, set the expectations.
Speaker: Something my friend's company started implementing recently, they do these verification calls with their Sutter Closer program.
Speaker: So they have a whole team of setters and every single appointment they set, they require them to call in on a line, a verification call.
Speaker: And they pretty much go over in the majority of these questions.
Speaker: Hey, do you understand that we're coming back to present a solar option for the home?
Speaker: Hey, do you understand that you have to have decent credit?
Speaker: All these types of things.
Speaker: And then it's making these leads way more solid.
Speaker: When the person closing the appointment shows up,
Speaker: The close ratio has gone way up for them.
Speaker: So maybe that's something you can do too if you're running a setter closer model.
Speaker: But if not, just ask your people setting the appointment.
Speaker: Ask them to try and get these key pieces of information.
Speaker: When I go to a setter appointment and the setter doesn't know very much about the potential appointment, potential customer, that's always a red flag.
Speaker: It's always kind of a sign that it's not probably as solid.
Speaker: And you're not going to be able to get every single piece of information every time, but I think it's a great idea to attempt to get those pieces of info.
Speaker: So just two things that I've been thinking about to help people really have more solid appointments and prepare.
Speaker: And then before we go here, we have a very special episode coming up next time.
Speaker: It's going to be with Michelle.
Speaker: She is the SolarEdge Sales Education Manager for all of SolarEdge.
Speaker: And she actually goes over a ton of these ways we can be more prepared, specifically with a lot of the SolarEdge products and a lot of things that I was surprised, you know, that I had no idea about.
Speaker: For example, how many panels should you actually add if someone's getting an electric vehicle?
Speaker: And then a lot of specific things that if I would have known them, would have made a lot more money and would have had a lot more happy customers.
Speaker: So make sure you don't forget about the episode next week that's coming up.
Speaker: It's going to be again with Michelle.
Speaker: And share this with your teams.
Speaker: Share this with anyone that's struggling to be prepared as they go to their solar appointments.
Speaker: And we'll catch you all on the next one.
Speaker: Peace.
Speaker: Thanks.
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?
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Speaker: This is exclusively for solopreneur listeners, so be sure to go to SoulCity.co and join.
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