Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to the Solarpreneur Podcast, where we teach you to take your solar business to the next level. My name is Taylor Armstrong. went from $50 in my bank account and struggling for groceries to closing 150 deals in the year and cracking the code on why sales reps fail.
Speaker: I teach you 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 solopreneur, you might ask? A solopreneur is a new breed of solopro that is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve mastery, and you are about to become one. Hey, what's going on, solopreneurs? We're back with another episode. Today, we're going talking about the importance of choosing your battles in solar. You're not going to sell them all, and the sooner you can realize which prospects are worth spending your time with, the better you're going to be. So welcome back to the show. My name is Taylor Armstrong. We're here to help you close more deals, generate more leads and referrals,
Speaker: and have a much better time in the solar industry. Now we are entering in the back half of the summer months. So I hope you are crushing the crushing it this summer. Hope you're surviving the heat where I'm selling out here in San Diego, California. We've been at around the 90 mark, which we're dying out here. That's pretty hot for us. Okay, but I know a lot of folks have been ah even hotter.
Speaker: So hope you're doing great. And I hope you're seeing some high bills wherever you're selling. Okay, and this podcast, you know, I was just thinking the other day, we had had a customer that ah had an add on system, he needed more panels.
Speaker: And as I was asking questions, it became pretty apparent that wasn't gonna be worth too much more of my time trying to convince them. So I'm just like, you know what? I see a lot of newer reps struggle with this where they push and push and push. They're spending way too much time with unqualified prospects or people that are just gonna be a you know a tough sell.
Speaker: And there's plenty of people, especially in California, but you know probably in almost every market, there's plenty of people that are qualified prospects that want what you're selling. And so if you're spending time with people that are just, you know, like not really qualified. you can see there's some stipulations like roof is really old, electric panel needs to be upgraded.
Speaker: Then it's going to make your job a little bit tougher. So you got to pick those battles. Okay, so I'm going to play a little bit of live footage from this particular customer. You're going to hear some questions I asked them. It was an add-on system. So these are things you should be asking customers that potentially need more panels. We're just going to walk through how I determined to not spend much more time with this guy.
Speaker: So let me pull up my trusty Asero app. You guys should be using Asero if you're not already. But Asero is the easiest app to record your presentations, get feedback from them, and then makes it great for using them in trainings. If you're like me, using them in podcasts.
Speaker: So we're going to go through some of the questions I asked this prospect, and just some fact finding on his previous system. And then I'll walk you through just kind of my decision making after that. Yeah.
Speaker: How long have you had your panels updated? Yeah, 2021.
Speaker: twenty
Speaker: yeah mean
Speaker: Yeah, 2020, that's probably before they changed the new year and stuff. Yeah, a bit a little bit before that. Okay. It still seems like it should be better, but... Yeah.
Speaker: Was that before you had the ADU? It was it was kind of went in at the same time. Okay. Yeah, because a lot of people have have that happen where they, you know, get an ADU or more people move in or something. and Yeah, we didn't have any ah either. Now we have two electrons.
Speaker: we didn't have any that of this we we have the Our rate plan is for the super electric, so it's really cheap from midnight to 6 a.m., so we only charge that, and then it's between 16 cents and...
Speaker: Okay, so you hear what kind of what happened, what his situation was. This is a customer that has panels already. He's getting another bill, but a lot of it is because he has two electric vehicles he just purchased.
Speaker: The way it works out here in San Diego, SDG&E, people have a rate plan where at midnight from 6 a.m. they get the electricity at a really inexpensive rate. It's like 13, 14 cents, which is ridiculously cheap for out here in California. And so what we do in those situations, we don't try to add up panels to offset that portion of the bill.
Speaker: We just try to offset their peak hours, meaning, you know, the hours after after midnight, or sorry, before midnight and then after 6am, because that's the power they're using that is getting billed at a much higher amount.
Speaker: So I explained that to the customer. And the cool thing about knowing these, there's things you need to know about your net metering, wherever you're selling, If you can know these little details, then you're going be perceived as an expert. Can't tell you how many appointments I've been in where a solar guy came and tried to offset their entire usage. And I explained to them this whole on-peak, off-peak electric vehicle deal.
Speaker: They're like, oh, wow. So I don't really need to add up power for all the time when I'm charging my EV. And I'm like, no. mean, it's going be much more cost effective not to. So make sure you know your in and outs like that.
Speaker: But at this point, we're just determining kind of his eligibility, right? Does he have a big enough bill, not counting his super off peak hours, that it makes sense to add more panels than makes sense to add the battery?
Speaker: And you know, you hear some of his responses. So let's jump to another section and we'll go through a few other questions I asked. And then the final question at the end, this is like pretty much the final determination to see if this is going to be worth our time or not. So let's see what he says. and Just to preface this, this was upset by one of our appointment setters, right? And so, you know, if you self generating your leads, self generating your appointments, then obviously you can try to as much as you can ask these questions beforehand, right, to make sure it's qualified, a qualified appointment and teach your setters to do the same.
Speaker: But you know, in some situations, and you know, maybe setter needs more training, maybe just talk to the wife of the household or something. Some situations, maybe you're not able to find out these details before.
Speaker: But let's go through a few more questions here and see what happens. A few other pounds, you guys buy them or? Yeah. Okay. Yeah.
Speaker: You do like a loan or pay cash for it? Yeah. Nice. Nice. Nice.
Speaker: I'm going to plug this in, but yeah, I mean, if it was something where they could get you the batteries, the panels, and, um you know, cover it, nothing out a pocket, and just replace what you're paying, you feel like that's something you guys would be pretty open to? I guess, assuming they could trade out. That would be finance or whatever. typically and they get some there's some state
Speaker: when it gets covered with the new program. ah There's a battery incentive called the SGAP. Helps with the battery. And then there's still some federal incentives that we get, just like commercial incentives they're doing.
Speaker: ah When you did it, if you guys bought it, you probably got like a tax credit, right? Yeah, there was a tax credit at that time. It was like 25 or 30 percent or something. yeah than thirty so now there's not any like residential tax credits like that anymore But there is still a commercial one that we get. So the way we're helping people on the new program is we get the commercial credits and then just apply it towards it. And then install it up there for you guys.
Speaker: The only difference would be is that in order to get the credits and bring, you know, like the cost down, for all of us, we claim the ownership for the first five years because they write off like depreciation on the system. and stuff i got
Speaker: two it's transferred to you after that. Yeah, that's the way they're making it work. But yeah, I mean, like that's why we're getting so many inquiries, though, is just because even this credit we're getting, it's kind of a matter of time. We don't know what they're changing about it. Trump's trying to get rid of a lot of... Yeah, want to put a giant fucking man in the middle of the house just to make him angry.
Speaker: Yeah, it's okay. So that's why we're getting so many inquiries, because people are just trying to get in while it's so make a more this yeah the batter is a little home. These things cost like 15 18 grand just for a battery.
Speaker: Yeah. So, you know, pretty expensive if you're not getting any. Yeah, i mean, I just, and I don't think it would be the right time since we have, I think we have to do the roof within the next 12 months anyways.
Speaker: And yeah, I mean, you were super nice yesterday, but just didn't explain anything. It's just like a Okay, so dragging on a little bit. Didn't intend to play quite that much, but wanted to make sure you heard the customer's response. Now that I listened back a little bit little bit more closely, you definitely hear the customers kind of dodging the question. He's just nodding his head, agree and agreeing with me.
Speaker: But yeah, asked him, hey, if we did this, um you guys would be pretty open to participating in a program like this if we could make this happen. And then you notice the customer doesn't really respond. He's just kind of like, yeah, yeah. And then finally at the end, he hits me with, oh, we're thinking of doing the new roof and this and that.
Speaker: And so, um yeah, really what you're trying to figure out here is, especially when it comes out on systems, I'm a little bit more strict on the qualification because an out on system, it's pretty clear cut what it is. Like they already know essentially what the solar programs are.
Speaker: And it's kind of just like a yes or no when it comes to add-on systems in my experience. Like, hey, do you want to add on the panels and eliminate this this your true up bill that you're getting?
Speaker: Or do you want to keep paying SDG&E? It's kind of like the option, right? And they really know how it works. So should be, you shouldn't have to go quite as much into solar and the programs because unless they bought the home with solar or something, they should know, right? So that's a question you should ask too. You know, make sure you know if they've purchased the home with solar.
Speaker: or if they were the ones that put the solar on. right But when it came down to it, there were just a lot of robux in this potential deal. right like The customer needed a new roof.
Speaker: And then on top of that, um his wife wasn't there. yeah and so all these questions I was asking them in the first five, 10 minutes I was there, because you don't want, especially when it's a one-layer,
Speaker: you really are pretty much just pushing to reschedule it. And that's it's like, you know, a really weird, rare situation where they say, oh, I'm the decision maker. If this makes sense, I'm doing it.
Speaker: But, you know, even then, it's just like so many times they're going pull up, they're going to bring up. The wife excuse or the spouse objection. So yeah, just it just comes down to picking your battles. And that's the name of this episode. Like how many battles do you want to face before you just move on in the next one? Like for me, if there's already two or three obstacles, like for example, if they have a lower bill, if they need a roof, then a main panel upgrade, and they're hitting me with objections on top of that, then I'm almost always just going to walk.
Speaker: So it's like if I already have to overcome that they have a lower bill, that they need a new roof, that ah the spouse isn't there, so much ground to cover that it's going to be a better time spent finding a more qualified prospect.
Speaker: So the point of this episode is, and what I hope that you guys can start thinking about, is just valuing your time and using your time with people that are more qualified.
Speaker: if you have someone that's just giving you endless excuses, then maybe it's time to move on. right As you get good at this job, you will know When can you overcome them? And when is it time to walk? You know, I see so many reps just try to hold on to these.
Speaker: You know, maybe it's like this eight, nine-year-old guy who's super, super friendly. And he's saying he wanted to check out solar. You know, you know, he needs to talk to his daughter. that ah is in the trust of the home.
Speaker: There's so many situations where you got to be smart and you got to realize, hey, this could be a waste of time. And I would say, especially if you're running a set or closer model, people that set appointments, they will try to hold on to these appointments as long as they can.
Speaker: Because, you know, it's not necessarily their time ah on the line. That's what I've noticed. Setters, they're a little less worried about lesser qualified prospects because it's the closer's time on the line, right?
Speaker: And so if they see a sliver of hope that this customer could close, then they're going to try to set that appointment. And so it comes down to also training your setters and helping them realize, hey, this might not be a good situation because, yeah, they're...
Speaker: You know, the roof's old, electric panel needs to be upgraded. upgraded so this is partly on me. And it's something that after after listening back, I'm like, okay, I need to do some additional trainings for my setters and make sure they see these things, make sure they realize when a roof is not looking good make sure they're actually looking electric panels thinking about the customer situations booking it with both both decision makers present so start thinking about those things and if at the end of your little discovery phase your little fact-finding phase if they're not giving you like clear signs that they're gonna close that they're gonna move forward in the next steps then don't be afraid to walk because your time is valuable and there's so many people out there that need
Speaker: your service that need your help. So I hope that helped you today. go out and respect your time. Go out and find qualified prospects, people that are going to take this serious with or treat it with the respect it deserves because that's how you're gonna make the most money. And that's how you're going to be most satisfied as you continue working in solar.
Speaker: thank you for listening and tuning into the next podcast. Shoot me a message if you have any guest suggestions and we'll see you on the next one. So some of you already know that I run my own door to door sales team here in San Diego. And as we are gearing up for the summer, I realized if we do the same thing we always did, we're going to get the same results.
Speaker: But if I want to increase my deal flow, I need to do something different to get an advantage. Then we discovered an app called Solar Scout, but it's not a door knocking app. It's a data platform that shows us who is likely to go solar in our market.
Speaker: It shows us who has previously applied for solar but later canceled the deal, who has moved in recently, and even how much electricity the homes are using in a given neighborhood. It's been working for a lot of teams across the country and now I'm on board too.
Speaker: I'm going to be one of the first to use SolarScout in San Diego so I decided to partner up. But I told them, hey, I'm going to talk about SolarScout on my show, you need to give my listeners a great deal. And they did.
Speaker: So go to solarscout.app forward slash Taylor and book a demo with them and you'll get 10% off your first month when you sign up. That's solarscout.app forward slash Taylor.
Speaker: Okay. Hey Solarpreneurs, quick question. 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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