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 and 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, solarpreneurs?
Speaker: My name is Taylor Armstrong.
Speaker: We are here with another podcast.
Speaker: And as usual, we're here to help you grow your solar business by closing more deals, generating more leads and referrals, and having a much better time in the solar industry.
Speaker: Hope you're doing awesome.
Speaker: We just had a great trick-or-treating weekend.
Speaker: Time I'm recording this, we just finished Halloween here.
Speaker: If you want to have a better time Halloween, take some kids out because it is a lot funner with kids trick-or-treating.
Speaker: But of course, the most fun trick-or-treating you can do is knocking doors for solar because what's better than getting that king-sized candy bar at the door?
Speaker: The next best thing is getting a solar customer that makes you fat stacks behind the door.
Speaker: Okay, tough to beat the king-sized candy bar, but everyone loves trick-or-treating for money too.
Speaker: That's what we do.
Speaker: So today's episode, I'm going to be talking about something that we haven't brought up for a little bit in the podcast, and that is how to find the lay down cells, how to find the people that have not been talked to, and how to really capitalize on it.
Speaker: So if you are someone that gets sick of knocking door after door, getting stuck in saturated areas, maybe you got dropped off, maybe you've been knocking for hours and are just running into rejection after rejection,
Speaker: I think there's going to be some nuggets in here for you to help you find those people that really are just the lay down cells.
Speaker: People that have not been talked to as much.
Speaker: Okay, so let's jump right into it.
Speaker: First of all, the reason we're talking about this, I actually met with a good friend of mine, went out to lunch the other day.
Speaker: And if he's listening to this, you know who you are.
Speaker: But we went out to lunch and this guy, he was pretty average...
Speaker: sells rep no offense if he's listening but pretty average rep we worked together at one of our previous companies um and um he he was selling but was never like a top producer he always just kind of wanted to do his own thing and take time off and wasn't selling a ton so i think he made i don't know 150 to 200 grand here in san diego which is um you know average money out here in san diego not terrible but definitely people doing a lot more too
Speaker: And so I talked to him.
Speaker: We're at lunch.
Speaker: I started asking him, I'm like, hey, man, how's it been going?
Speaker: I know you're just kind of doing your own thing.
Speaker: He was set up just kind of as a dealer through some power.
Speaker: So he tells me, he's like, Taylor, it's going awesome.
Speaker: Actually, this is the first year that I'm going to be clearing 400 grand in a year.
Speaker: And I'm actually closing more deals than I probably have at any time.
Speaker: And when he told me that, I'm like, whoa,
Speaker: 400 grand?
Speaker: You're making that out here in San Diego?
Speaker: He's like, yeah, just been working by myself and I've been able to close a lot of deals and just crush some goals.
Speaker: I'm like, dude, is this the same person we're talking to?
Speaker: When we were working together, and this was when we were on a team, right?
Speaker: So he had more motivation.
Speaker: He had kind of the team environment and he was making 150 to 200 grand.
Speaker: So I'm thinking to myself,
Speaker: Surely he's going to be producing less.
Speaker: He will have sold much less than we talked the last time because he's a one man show.
Speaker: I mean, how are you going to stay motivated?
Speaker: And anytime I've seen people go off on their own, it has its benefits.
Speaker: But most people that go off and trying to do their own thing and just sell by themselves without having that peloton, without having the team behind you, most people will drop in production, not sell as much.
Speaker: So I'm going to share with you some of the things he told me, what worked for him, and just some ideas I have around this.
Speaker: But the way he did this, and before I get into this, I was pretty hesitant to do a podcast on this because these are a lot of the strategies that I have used.
Speaker: And especially out here in San Diego, don't be stealing my deals.
Speaker: You can turn off the podcast if you're in San Diego.
Speaker: Just kidding.
Speaker: But these are great ways.
Speaker: And this is primarily how I have been knocking, how I have been getting my leads.
Speaker: Probably the past year is mostly by some of these tactics, these secret techniques we're going to talk about.
Speaker: So let's get into it.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: And the way my buddy did this and something that's worked for me, it's called off the beaten path knocking.
Speaker: And we've talked about this in the show.
Speaker: I know I've done an episode on episode on it in the past.
Speaker: But what my friend told me, the way he was able to double his income this year compared to last year, is he just focused 100% of his time on going to people that he thinks have not been talked to about solar.
Speaker: So he does not go to cookie cutter neighborhoods.
Speaker: He doesn't go to your typical place where you see, you know, reps, pest control reps getting dropped off, the van, the van full of people all on loan.
Speaker: And he doesn't go to those places.
Speaker: Where does he go?
Speaker: He goes to places in the boonies.
Speaker: He goes to places where it's dirt roads.
Speaker: He goes to places where you're only driving to.
Speaker: You are not walking door to door.
Speaker: These places he's going to.
Speaker: You only drive.
Speaker: And he's driving straight up the driveway talking to him.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: And so he tells me these things and I'm like, oh, it makes sense.
Speaker: And especially for solar, because you think about it, what are the typical homes?
Speaker: What do the homes look like that you drive to?
Speaker: They're typically bigger homes.
Speaker: A lot of them have pools,
Speaker: I guess I'm speaking for California out here.
Speaker: They're bigger properties.
Speaker: They're in hotter areas a lot of times.
Speaker: And they're using much more electricity typically.
Speaker: So the way that he was able to double his income is number one, he is getting more quality looks.
Speaker: He's going for the layups instead of the three-point shots.
Speaker: And then he is going for bigger systems, people that probably have not been talked to as much.
Speaker: Okay, so that's really it.
Speaker: And when he told me this, it made sense.
Speaker: He didn't even, I don't think, close too many more deals, but it's just that he was getting bigger systems and talking to more quality people.
Speaker: And so before we get into a little more strategy around this, just want to give a disclaimer.
Speaker: If you are a new rep or if you are new in solar, I would recommend that you do go to cookie cutter neighborhoods, that you do go knock those doors where they maybe are more saturated and
Speaker: To a degree, you know, if you're getting to a door and they're like, dude, you're the fifth solar guy this week, then yeah, of course, maybe go look for some different area that's a little less knocked up, right?
Speaker: But if you are newer, there's a lot to be said about just developing that skill of overcoming the objections, of increasing your skill sets, of putting in the hours, of getting past the learning curve.
Speaker: Because if you can do that...
Speaker: then how much better, how much easier is it going to be when you get to these bigger homes that maybe haven't been talked to as much?
Speaker: Now you're a pro, you know how to overcome every objection, you know what it's like knocking in the hood with all the other reps.
Speaker: So it's going to be that much easier to really get these leads and convert these into appointments.
Speaker: So that's the disclaimer.
Speaker: If you're new, I would probably not really do these strategies for now.
Speaker: Get past your learning curve and learn to be able to set appointments in saturated areas or in places where people maybe have more objections or maybe have been knocked on more.
Speaker: So that's my thought on it, but take what you want from it.
Speaker: And so one of my favorite books on door to door that we have brought up in the podcast, it is called More Door to Door Millionaire by my friend Lenny Gray.
Speaker: He has been on the podcast, a great book if you have not read it, but he has a whole section on this off the beaten path.
Speaker: If you have the book, it's on page 114.
Speaker: He talks about how when he was training his pest control reps back in the day,
Speaker: He, um, one time he was out in the neighborhood.
Speaker: They were in a, uh, area that had been knocked super heavily.
Speaker: Um, for the first hour, they couldn't even get 10 words out before the door was slammed because so many people had been by selling pest control.
Speaker: And then just like we've been talking about what he did is he went on a main road where the homes were spread out, um, way more traffic going by.
Speaker: So people weren't really walking.
Speaker: He went to these and he sold like four of the next, uh, homes on this busy street with the long driveways.
Speaker: And so what he says about it, the tactic is to simply knock doors that have likely been ignored by other door-to-door sales reps.
Speaker: Although homes off the beaten path don't generally come in bunches, they do offer the opportunity to talk with people who are approached less frequently.
Speaker: This can be a welcomed relief from knocking on the doors of potential customers who have been targeted consistently by other sales reps.
Speaker: This strategy is a quality over quantity play.
Speaker: Although sales reps will likely decrease their contacts per hour by knocking off the beaten path.
Speaker: They will likely increase the amount of people they qualify, and of course, potential customers who qualify are more likely to purchase what is being sold.
Speaker: Off the beaten path, homes can be found along major roads and highways, built on large lots, or even homes in the middle of farmlands.
Speaker: Wherever you find them, homes off the beaten path are likely to be occupied by prospects who are more willing to listen because they haven't had sales reps constantly knocking on their doors, as is the case in cookie-cutter neighborhoods.
Speaker: So there you have it.
Speaker: Really, he just gave you the blueprints.
Speaker: Hey, and so where can you find these off the beaten path homes?
Speaker: Because in solar, guess what?
Speaker: There's other opportunities to go off the beaten path.
Speaker: So I'm gonna share with you some homes that maybe you're not thinking of.
Speaker: Hey, so Lenny Gray, he just talked about long driveways, dirt roads.
Speaker: If you go out to these small towns, that's why I think it's good to throw in some blitzes because maybe you can go out and blitz for a week in an area that's an hour away in the middle of nowhere.
Speaker: guess what?
Speaker: Probably no one has been talked to, right?
Speaker: So that's definitely a strategy.
Speaker: Other beaten path solar cells that I have had have come in gated communities.
Speaker: Less people are going to knock in gated communities, condos and townhomes.
Speaker: And then here's a big one, add-on systems.
Speaker: How many people are knocking the doors of someone that already has solar?
Speaker: Not that many, right?
Speaker: If you go to someone that has solar, they probably are not getting knocked for solar,
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So this is a great opportunity.
Speaker: And I am speaking, you know, I'm speaking for San Diego here, which is where I'm at.
Speaker: There's tons of opportunities for add on systems, but maybe in a market that doesn't have very much solar yet.
Speaker: Even these markets, you can look for older systems.
Speaker: If you see older panels up on the roof,
Speaker: Great opportunity to go knock it.
Speaker: Even if it's not someone that has a true bill or that needs more panels up there, great opportunity to just ask them why they went slower, maybe grab a video testimonial with them and then ask them about the neighborhood.
Speaker: Say, hey, who's the most influential person in your neighborhood or who's someone that everyone knows in your neighborhood that everyone likes and really just scope out those influential people.
Speaker: Hey, so a couple ideas for you there are the, again, gated communities, condo townhomes, dirt roads.
Speaker: And then last one that I could think of off the top of my head are people that you can't seem to catch home.
Speaker: So what does that mean?
Speaker: Maybe you're in a neighborhood that you have re-knocked five, six times now, and there's people that haven't been home, or maybe they're only there a Saturday for like a two-hour window of time.
Speaker: I've had a lot of success just by targeting these people.
Speaker: So if someone if I've re-knocked a neighborhood or a home two, three times, maybe a kid answers the door and says, oh, my parents are only home at 930 Saturday morning, then guess where I'm going to be 930 Saturday morning?
Speaker: I'm going to be at that home because chances are.
Speaker: I've been back to that home three times.
Speaker: I have not talked to the homeowner.
Speaker: So chances are, if I can get in front of them at the time that they're the one time they're there during the week, then they're probably not.
Speaker: They probably will not have talked to many other solar reps.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So that's your strategies.
Speaker: That's how you find these lay down deals.
Speaker: And reminds me, if you have not listened to the episode with Ty Segan, he closed, I think it was, I don't know,
Speaker: 40 deals in the same, I forget, 40, 50 deals in the same neighborhood.
Speaker: Maybe it was more.
Speaker: But if you have not listened to Ty Segan's episode, go listen to that because he tells a story about how he literally waited out someone outside someone's house for like hours.
Speaker: I think he's falling off with people doing paperwork.
Speaker: He's like, okay, well, I've re-knocked this home like five times now.
Speaker: No one's been home.
Speaker: He waits outside this person's house for hours, just doing follow-ups, calling other customers.
Speaker: He finally sees them drive in.
Speaker: He goes and catches them right away, turns into a lay down cell.
Speaker: So don't underestimate the re-knocking.
Speaker: And I'm not saying that you should only target off the beaten path homes.
Speaker: Again, like Lenny Gray said, is a quality over quantity thing.
Speaker: You are going to get more quality looks.
Speaker: But if you are having success just going to regular neighborhoods, then stick with that.
Speaker: I think it's great to switch it up.
Speaker: Okay, I still do go to cookie cutter neighborhoods.
Speaker: I still do get dropped off from time to time.
Speaker: But it's super powerful to be able to alternate between these.
Speaker: Okay, maybe one day you're going off the beaten path homes.
Speaker: One day you're going cookie cutter neighborhood.
Speaker: One day you're going to new move-ins, which is another one.
Speaker: off the beaten path type look.
Speaker: Someone that just moved in the home, they're probably not looking or probably not getting hit up a ton.
Speaker: And then you're just kind of cycling between that.
Speaker: I think it's great to cycle, switch it up.
Speaker: For me, it kind of keeps me, gives me that fresh look at things, gives me new motivation if I can switch it up day after day.
Speaker: Hey, so that's my tip of the day.
Speaker: That's what has been working for me.
Speaker: And that's how I find success in saturated markets is I look for these off the beaten path homes.
Speaker: And that has worked for a lot of people I know.
Speaker: So yeah, let's hope not everyone in the world does this because maybe everyone will take my advice on this podcast.
Speaker: And then all of a sudden the off the beaten path homes become worse than going to the cookie cutter neighborhoods.
Speaker: Who knows?
Speaker: So don't everyone be driving to all these homes at once.
Speaker: But just keep that in mind.
Speaker: Be looking for homes where you think, hey, this guy probably hasn't been talked to as much.
Speaker: Okay, so send this to someone that is in a slump.
Speaker: This is a great way to get out of a slump.
Speaker: This is a great way to give yourself a fresh look and fresh approach and hit some softer doors.
Speaker: So try it.
Speaker: Let me know if this helps.
Speaker: And we will see you guys on the next podcast.
Speaker: Hey, solarpreneurs, are you sick and tired of spinning your wheels every month and not seeing your cells increase?
Speaker: Well, so was I. And the truth is, I was never able to improve it until I figured out what was going wrong.
Speaker: So that's why I'm excited to announce for a limited time, we are doing a free cells diagnostic.
Speaker: We'll break down your cells process.
Speaker: to figure out the holes in your business and see how we can help you improve.
Speaker: So at now, we have six bucks for this month.
Speaker: So book a call now.
Speaker: Don't miss out.
Speaker: What you're going to do is send an email to taylor at solarpreneurs.com.
Speaker: That's taylor at solarpreneurs with an s dot com.
Speaker: I'll send you out a calendar link and we will figure out the time that works best.
Speaker: So shoot that email and let's increase your sales.
Speaker: What's up, solopreneurs?
Speaker: Hope you enjoyed the episode.
Speaker: Before you run out and start selling more solar yourself, wanted to let you know about an exciting new cheat sheet we created specifically for you in mind.
Speaker: One of the top questions I get asked on Instagram, on Facebook, by our listeners is, Taylor, where should I start?
Speaker: What episodes should I listen to in the podcast?
Speaker: You got too many podcasts, man, because now we have over 200 episodes.
Speaker: So what we've done, we created the top 10 most downloaded, most listened to, and I would say widely accepted, most useful podcasts that we've done here on Solopreneur.
Speaker: We put them together all in one sheet.
Speaker: So you can go, you can hit the ground running, especially if you're new, you do not want to not have this sheet.
Speaker: So go download it right now.
Speaker: It's going to be at top10.solarpreneurs.com.
Speaker: Again, that's top10, the number 10,.solarpreneurs.com.
Speaker: Don't forget the S on solarpreneurs.
Speaker: We will have that in the show notes.
Speaker: Go download it right now.
Speaker: And especially if you have not listened to them, go listen to them and you can re-listen to them.
Speaker: That's going to show you how.
Speaker: So go download it and we'll see you on the other side.
