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 up, SolarCreeners?
Speaker: Taylor Armstrong back with another episode.
Speaker: Hope you're doing well.
Speaker: Today we're going to dive into why you should be asking your homeowners thought-provoking questions, why you should be getting them to realize the benefits of solar, and what type of questions should you be asking your clients or the homeowners that you talk to.
Speaker: All that and much more in today's episode.
Speaker: Let's jump into it.
Speaker: It is almost to fall here.
Speaker: Those that have gone home for the summer, hope you had an awesome summer.
Speaker: But let's be honest, you should be doing solar all year round because it's the greatest industry to be in.
Speaker: There's no better thing you could be doing than helping save the planet, helping homeowners get away from the utility company.
Speaker: That's what we're all about here.
Speaker: And as usual, that's what this podcast is going to train you to do.
Speaker: It's get more deals, get more referrals, and get more results as you are out there starting your solar business or continuing your solar business or whatever step you are at along the journey.
Speaker: So before we jump into the topic today, I wanted to just remind you, go hop in the Solarpreneur Facebook group if you're not already.
Speaker: And then along with that, we had Solar Joe on, what was it, a couple weeks ago.
Speaker: He has, I think, probably the, I'll say the best Facebook group.
Speaker: Solarpreneur Facebook group isn't quite to the level, but we're going to get it there eventually.
Speaker: But go join both those Facebook groups.
Speaker: His is Solar Objections, and then Solarpreneur is the one where we're talking all things along with the podcast, and we are networking with the listeners today.
Speaker: And as usual, hoping to hear feedback from what you guys thought of the topics, of the episodes, of the guests we've had on, and suggestions for improvement, all that good stuff.
Speaker: But the reason I'm bringing that up is because last week I had a situation...
Speaker: where, and I'm still going through this actually, but I'm doing solar on a couple of townhomes here in California and these HOAs, I don't know what's going on, but it seems like they're getting tougher and tougher out here.
Speaker: The past, I don't know, year or so, year or two, I've done a few townhomes here and there, a few places with shared roof spaces and really hasn't been much of an issue.
Speaker: But last week, I've had some just accounts on hold, and I'm trying to figure out what to do for them.
Speaker: What happened is the HOAs basically came back and said, hey, unless you guys take out a million-dollar insurance policy, you can't have solar added on to these units.
Speaker: And what's funny is I talked to several people in both the communities, two different communities down here, and no one had to take out a separate policy.
Speaker: insurance policy.
Speaker: I'm like, what is going on?
Speaker: So we brought this up to the HOAs and they're like, oh, we're just, we're requiring it now.
Speaker: They basically just ignored it and wouldn't give us an answer why it was being required.
Speaker: So I don't know if they talked to their lawyers again or had some issues, who knows, but both of them just out of the blue started requiring this.
Speaker: And it's a huge hassle because the homeowners, they don't really want to take out a separate policy.
Speaker: And then one of them did get a quote
Speaker: and there's probably cheaper, you know, policies out there, but the quote, the one customer got, it was going to cost him an extra thousand bucks a year just for this million dollar insurance policy.
Speaker: And that's adding that on to, you know, what he's paying with the solar, he's paying a decent amount more than he's paying every month, which even with that, he still should go solar.
Speaker: But, um, he basically said, Taylor, we don't really want to like go through this asshole.
Speaker: We're going to have to pay more and
Speaker: And I have to get the separate insurance and tough to, you know, tough to get him back on board if he's going to have to go through this huge hassle and pay all this extra money.
Speaker: So anyways, the reason I'm saying all this is because I was pretty much stumped.
Speaker: The installer we were using, they're like, yeah, we can't even do this.
Speaker: And so I post a comment in both those Facebook groups, Solarpreneur and then Solar Objections.
Speaker: Just got some great feedback, some great comments from guys that haven't gone through similar situations.
Speaker: One was from Jake Hess, who's at Solar Academy.
Speaker: We're going to get him on the show here soon.
Speaker: But they just reminded me that here in California, you can't have a homeowner spend more than $1,000 on their solar project.
Speaker: like extra for anything the HOA requires.
Speaker: So it's not fully resolved yet.
Speaker: We're still going back and forth with HOA, but just from the great comments and the great feedback I got posting the Facebook groups, I think we're going to be able to push these accounts through now.
Speaker: because California, they can't make you spend more than a thousand dollars.
Speaker: And if the policy itself, they've already spent hundreds and hundreds just to like submit their HOA applications and everything.
Speaker: So if the separate insurance policy is going to cost a thousand, then come on, man, you can't make them do that.
Speaker: So that's where we're at.
Speaker: And once we figured that out, I honestly didn't know that.
Speaker: So, um, we're going back, back to the HOA with that, um,
Speaker: quiver with that arrow in our quiver and hopefully we can get these accounts pushed through.
Speaker: So just wanted to say that because if you ever are stuck on deals, if you ever need feedback from the community, that's what it's all about.
Speaker: We're all, I've just been super grateful to get good feedback, to get great people in the industry sharing what's helped them.
Speaker: And that's what you're going to get from these groups.
Speaker: So I wanted to invite you, if you're not part of these Facebook groups, part of these communities, go get in on them.
Speaker: Because there is some fantastic nuggets that are being shared.
Speaker: Some great tidbits of info.
Speaker: And actually going to bring up a few more things that I've learned from the groups.
Speaker: So go join them and then hit me up and hope to connect with you guys in there.
Speaker: I try to pop in there at least a couple times a week myself.
Speaker: So that being said, let's hop in today's topic and that is why you should be asking your customers good questions.
Speaker: And the reason I'm doing this topic today is because a few weeks back at the Noxstar event, did an episode, talked a little bit about some takeaways from it, but we are in Key West, Florida.
Speaker: And one of the topics that Danny Pesci, who was also on the podcast, go listen to his episode if you haven't already.
Speaker: His topic was why we should be asking better questions.
Speaker: And what he talked about to start it all off is just basically there's three ways you can convince someone to do something.
Speaker: And one is way more effective than the other two.
Speaker: And so I'm going to start with the least effective, and that is you telling your homeowner why solar is a good thing, just from your perspective.
Speaker: It's like, all right, Mr. Customer, this is going to save you a ton of money.
Speaker: This is going to help your home.
Speaker: This is going to benefit you long term.
Speaker: It's never going to increase your electricity rate.
Speaker: It's an awesome product.
Speaker: That's basically you telling them why they should do it, right?
Speaker: The least effective way to explain to them.
Speaker: And I think many of us are doing that right now.
Speaker: So take a look at your presentation.
Speaker: Are you explaining to your customers just from your perspective why your product is good, why your program is good?
Speaker: If not, then this episode is for you.
Speaker: Or if you are doing it, I should say this episode is for you.
Speaker: Because the next two ways, one is better than the other, but here's the next one, is you telling your customer from a different perspective.
Speaker: So what I mean by that
Speaker: is a lot of us have heard like Phil felt found to overcome objections, right?
Speaker: I totally understand Mr. Homeowner.
Speaker: You know what?
Speaker: Do you know your neighbor Frank across the street?
Speaker: Yeah, he actually had the same concern.
Speaker: And what he found that going solar, it was going to actually help him sell his home or whatever the objection is, right?
Speaker: So that's an example of you saying something from someone else's perspective.
Speaker: And this is a lot more effective than you just telling them.
Speaker: Because if they can hear it from someone else's perspective and in a story format, more importantly, then they're going to believe it more.
Speaker: It's going to activate that right side of the brain.
Speaker: You want them emotionally involved, right?
Speaker: So if you can bring up names, if you can bring up other people, it's getting them emotionally involved.
Speaker: People at the end of the day buy on emotion and justify their decision with logic.
Speaker: So this is the next best way and it's a really good way.
Speaker: And before hearing this, this is mostly what I was doing.
Speaker: I'll be honest.
Speaker: I was mostly explaining to in my presentations, I was trying to utilize just the different points from different people's perspective.
Speaker: So it's a great way to sell.
Speaker: It's a great way to make your presentation more effective.
Speaker: But here is the best way, and that's what we're going to talk about today.
Speaker: And that is you help the homeowner realize it themselves by the questions you ask them.
Speaker: So if you can ask them effective questions, hypothetical questions, and get them to realize the benefits themselves, this is the most effective way.
Speaker: It's better than even telling it from a different person's perspective.
Speaker: Hey, so what we're going to do in this show is give you a couple talking tracks, give you some examples that you can start using in your presentation today.
Speaker: So go through it.
Speaker: And I want to invite everyone that's listening, all my solopreneurs that are listening today, go through your presentation.
Speaker: More importantly, record it and really take a look.
Speaker: See if you're asking effective questions, because if you're not, you're
Speaker: guarantee your closing ratio is going to go up if you can start to utilize some of these questions.
Speaker: And homeowners are going to realize that it's just not smart to stay with the utility company if you can master these questions.
Speaker: Okay, so here's a few questions.
Speaker: Some of these are coming from Danny Pesci.
Speaker: So appreciate him.
Speaker: And hopefully he doesn't mind me sharing these.
Speaker: But here's a few examples of great
Speaker: questions that you can ask your homeowners today right now.
Speaker: So here's one.
Speaker: If you are trying to get the homeowner to realize that rates are increasing, how are you doing that?
Speaker: Maybe you're just showing them articles, which is great.
Speaker: Maybe you're telling stories, but if you can get them to realize logically it has to go up, that's the best way.
Speaker: So here's an example that Danny Pesce gave us.
Speaker: And he does that just asking him about the grid.
Speaker: So he says, Mr. Home Warner, do you know how old the grid is?
Speaker: The one that generates power to your house.
Speaker: And then usually they'll be like, oh, I don't know, probably really old.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, when you guys moved here 30 years ago, it was the same grid, right?
Speaker: So help them realize that it's old.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: And in most cases, the infrastructure for the grids, I mean, they're probably 100 years old, pretty old.
Speaker: So then you say anything that's 100 years old, do you know how much money it costs to maintain something that old?
Speaker: And then this is where you're directing them to the customer realizing that their rates have to go up.
Speaker: And then once they kind of realize that, I mean, if basically we're putting band-aids on the grid, right?
Speaker: The grid is just...
Speaker: being maintained it's a hundred years old and guess who's gonna pay for it we are so you're directing with those questions and then the last kind of question to hit the nail on the head with that one is who do you think is paying to maintain it the utility companies and the stockholders or the customers and
Speaker: And anyone that has logic, they're going to see the customers.
Speaker: And he gave a great example too of cars for anyone that is a big car fan.
Speaker: Maybe they have an old car sitting in their garage, old Cadillac or whatever.
Speaker: You can say, hey, how old is your car?
Speaker: I mean, it's what, 70, 60 years old now, old car.
Speaker: Is it pretty?
Speaker: Do you have to do quite a bit of maintenance on it?
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, it's old, right?
Speaker: A lot of maintenance to be done with it.
Speaker: So think of the infrastructure of the grid.
Speaker: SDG&E, that's our utility company, whatever your company is, they're basically putting band-aids on it because there's so much work that needs to be done.
Speaker: They have to put band-aids on it.
Speaker: They have to spend a ton to maintain it.
Speaker: And they're passing on those costs to us.
Speaker: Okay, and then so think if it's going to depend on your area too.
Speaker: Maybe in your area there's Texas, for example.
Speaker: I mean, all the freezing, right?
Speaker: The grid went down.
Speaker: Maybe there's something local going on where you can bring up, you can ask them questions about, and then they can realize for themselves that the rates have to go up.
Speaker: There's no other option.
Speaker: The rates are going to go up.
Speaker: Okay, so whatever your point is, think of all the points you're trying to make in your presentation and
Speaker: go write down, I would say two to three good questions for each different point you're trying to make in your presentation.
Speaker: Then start to use these as you're presenting to your homeowners.
Speaker: Hey, here's another one.
Speaker: Given the cost of inflation, do you see your bill in the future going up or down?
Speaker: Great question.
Speaker: I've been using that.
Speaker: And that's a good one to kind of gauge if they really think the rates are going up, right?
Speaker: So if they say no, I mean,
Speaker: Basically, no one is going to say no to that.
Speaker: Rates, cost of inflation, it's expensive.
Speaker: But it's a good way to gauge where they're at.
Speaker: Do they really believe that rates are going up?
Speaker: Do they really believe there's a big problem?
Speaker: Because if people do not see a problem with the utility rates or with what's happening in the utility infrastructure, if they don't see a problem, they're not going to want a solution.
Speaker: So that's the first thing you can do is make some questions to really see where they're at.
Speaker: Did they believe?
Speaker: Did they hate the utility company right now?
Speaker: Hopefully they do.
Speaker: Then your job isn't going to be quite as hard.
Speaker: But if they don't have a big problem with the utility company, you have to create that for them.
Speaker: Again, by using stories and again by using questions.
Speaker: Okay, and then just to go through a couple other talking points, I'm going to pull up.
Speaker: actually some that I see in the group.
Speaker: And this is why you should go join these Facebook groups because they have great content in there.
Speaker: They have some great points you can use in your presentations.
Speaker: So this one, actually my friend Solar Lily made kind of a list of questions in one of the Facebook groups.
Speaker: Here's another example.
Speaker: 20 years ago, how much was gas, Mr. Homeowner?
Speaker: Do you remember?
Speaker: Right, about $1.
Speaker: So if 20 years ago, I would have offered you a gas card with $0 down to have your gas fixed at $1 for the next 20 years, then you didn't have to pay for it once paid off, what would you have said?
Speaker: Probably it's okay.
Speaker: It's only $1 a gallon, right?
Speaker: Now what would you do for that card?
Speaker: So great question.
Speaker: She's leading the homeowner down the road, down the golden brick road.
Speaker: in helping them realize that that's what solar is.
Speaker: Okay, so once people agree to these things, that's essentially what solar is, future-proofing your home's energy bill against inflation, and the average 4% increases nationwide.
Speaker: Great talking point right there.
Speaker: So you can go see the group.
Speaker: There's a lot more examples, but bottom line, start using more questions.
Speaker: Another one that I thought of is just renting versus owning, right?
Speaker: If you're selling loans like most people in the industry, what's the main reason you guys bought your house?
Speaker: Do you think if renting was cheaper at the time, you guys still would have bought?
Speaker: What if the house was $300 a month cheaper to rent?
Speaker: Most people are going to say that they would still buy their home even if it was a lot cheaper to rent.
Speaker: Why?
Speaker: Why?
Speaker: Why are they saying that?
Speaker: If you get the homeowner to think why it's better to own versus rent...
Speaker: It's going to be so much easier to get them to believe to buy into the product of solar, especially for those of you that are in markets where there's not much savings with solar.
Speaker: You need to really drill this down into their head that it's so much better to own versus rent from the utility company.
Speaker: Another great guest we had on, Alex Smith, a couple episodes.
Speaker: I thought that was something genius that he does.
Speaker: He said one of the main things he does
Speaker: And his presentation is just go through that exercise with the homeowner and be like, hey, Mr. Homeowner, what if it was like 500 bucks cheaper to rent here?
Speaker: Would you do that?
Speaker: No?
Speaker: Okay, what about 600?
Speaker: No, what about 700?
Speaker: And then just take it down.
Speaker: Most people would pay a ridiculous amount more to own than to rent, right?
Speaker: So if you can help them see this, it's going to be so much easier.
Speaker: Hope this helped.
Speaker: But again, go and write down some questions you can start using.
Speaker: Let me know if you want to hear more episodes like this, if you want to hear more talking tracks.
Speaker: I got more, but don't want to sit here all day.
Speaker: We should probably do a live role play, bring in someone to go back and forth with the questions.
Speaker: Probably be a little bit easier, but go down and write your questions, your talking points, record yourselves, and then this is going to make it so much easier to get people to buy in to the vision of solar and what we're doing.
Speaker: Hope that helped.
Speaker: Go out and think what questions can you use today in your presentations.
Speaker: And then how can you make it better?
Speaker: How can you use the questions and the stories and from other people's perspectives?
Speaker: Those are the two best ones.
Speaker: Okay, so think question first, then think a story from another homeowner's perspective.
Speaker: And then worst case scenario, it's you telling them, try not to do that.
Speaker: That's the least effective way to sell your product.
Speaker: Hope that helped.
Speaker: Let us know what you thought.
Speaker: And you don't want to miss out on next episode because we're going to have the one, the only Rick Martinez on.
Speaker: If you're on Instagram, you have heard of this guy for sure.
Speaker: He's the no soliciting, bruh.
Speaker: He makes the coolest memes in the door to door industry.
Speaker: So go give him a follow, but don't miss out because he has a fire episode.
Speaker: He's going to be on for the next show we do.
Speaker: That's all we got today.
Speaker: Keep crushing.
Speaker: Close your deals this week and we'll see you on the next one.
Speaker: Hey Solarpreneurs, 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 soulciety.co and join.
Speaker: We'll see you on the inside.
