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 solopreneur, you might ask?
Speaker: 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.
Speaker: All right, what's up, everybody?
Speaker: We are here in the home studio, and I got someone we've been planning this podcast for a little while now.
Speaker: This guy is crushing tons and tons of deals.
Speaker: Got his golden door last year, first year in solar, right?
Speaker: Yeah, first full year in solar, yeah.
Speaker: First full year in solar and pulls a golden door.
Speaker: So pretty impressive.
Speaker: I'm excited to talk and jam.
Speaker: His name's Josh Herring.
Speaker: Thanks for coming on the podcast with us today, Josh.
Speaker: I appreciate the invite.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And coming to our home studio even.
Speaker: So got kids in the background.
Speaker: Had to come say hi to the kids and get shot by Nerf guns and all that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I love it.
Speaker: Appreciate you putting up with it.
Speaker: Oh, I love it.
Speaker: I like it.
Speaker: It's the vibe I like.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: You're from Utah, right?
Speaker: So yeah.
Speaker: Oh yeah.
Speaker: Well, yeah.
Speaker: My family, yeah, there's seven boys and two girls.
Speaker: So yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, I'm very used to the chaos.
Speaker: I got 10 or 11 nephews now.
Speaker: 11 nephews, okay.
Speaker: So, yeah.
Speaker: Good.
Speaker: Glad you're prepared then.
Speaker: Yeah, no worries.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So, yeah, we're going to talk about really what it takes to hit a golden door in your first year in solar.
Speaker: And he does some pretty impressive things with blitzes, comes from pest control.
Speaker: So, yeah, do you want to give our listeners and I guess your company, your dealers, JD Marketing, right?
Speaker: JD Marketing.
Speaker: Doesn't even have the word solar in it.
Speaker: How about that for Pat and Interrupt?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So do your guys go to the door saying, hey, I'm with JD Marketing.
Speaker: I'm with JD Marketing.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: No, it's kind of a unique situation because when I started the dealer, I was actually anti starting my own deal.
Speaker: I wanted to stay with the company I was with previously, but just with all the changes last year and with a lot of the companies going bankrupt and taking down some of the smaller companies, it was...
Speaker: It's just how everything linked up.
Speaker: But in order to secure some of those better partnerships, I needed to show that I had a business that had been profitable for five plus years.
Speaker: And so my personal LLC, JD Marketing, was all I had to show.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Well, hey, got to get it done somehow.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Got to get those low red lines, right?
Speaker: Works.
Speaker: It works.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Maybe I'll DBA it at some point, but...
Speaker: But these guys, I mean, yeah, we, the guys that I have are, they're, they're all studs.
Speaker: Like they're all, they're all studs.
Speaker: And so they, they're, it doesn't matter what name's on your chest.
Speaker: Um, well, cool.
Speaker: So yeah, for our listeners, do you want to give us maybe like a little bit of your background, how you ended up being, getting into solar?
Speaker: I know you came from pest control.
Speaker: You were doing great at that from what I've heard.
Speaker: So yeah, what made, what made you switch to solar?
Speaker: How'd you end up in solar?
Speaker: And yeah, what's been your journey so far?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So I started out in pest control.
Speaker: I did my first, first half summer when I was 18 years old, right after high school, went down to Houston, Texas and got thrown out on the doors.
Speaker: Didn't know what I was doing back then, but halfway through the summer I left on my mission.
Speaker: So I went on the mission.
Speaker: I told you earlier, I'd,
Speaker: got sent home after six months and got back into sales.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: So ever since then, it's just been pest control every summer.
Speaker: Um, did that all the way up until 20 summer of 2022.
Speaker: But, uh, we had started the pest control franchise with the company out in Oklahoma, sold out 2022, but in 2021, um, um,
Speaker: It's my second year in Oklahoma running the company there.
Speaker: And I was sick of Oklahoma.
Speaker: My business partner, Logan.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Logan the Fab.
Speaker: Shout out to Logan.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Logan the Fab was out in solar making way more money than I was.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So after, I think it was like July of 2021 that I flew out, crashed with Logan and his wife for a week and I went and shadowed him and I saw kind of how solar worked and I was sold immediately.
Speaker: I was like, oh man, this is, I could do this.
Speaker: You're like, are you kidding me?
Speaker: I can only, I can just sit in air conditions homes and.
Speaker: Oh yeah.
Speaker: I have to go to Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma.
Speaker: And sit in the sun all day.
Speaker: And yeah, so it was, I was sold.
Speaker: So that whole, I ended up moving out to California a month later, two months later, I moved out to California full time.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: And glued myself to Logan, probably annoyed him with how all the questions and, and everything, but yeah.
Speaker: He ended up training me, taught me the ways, and that's kind of how I ended up doing solar.
Speaker: I still had to go out for another summer the following summer, but that was my last summer doing pest.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: And since about August of 2022, I've been doing solar full-time.
Speaker: Okay, that's awesome.
Speaker: So was it, I don't know, do you feel like it was way different coming from pest control, like a big adjustment for you?
Speaker: Or was it pretty much just like, okay, it's just door to door, same stuff, pretty easy?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I would say it's different.
Speaker: It's definitely different in the sense that in pest control, when you're knocking doors, you're trying to burn through conversations as quick as possible.
Speaker: I don't want to be there with a homeowner more than 10, 15 minutes.
Speaker: It's like, okay, we got bugs.
Speaker: Let's get you signed up on the next door because I got to throw down six, seven, eight deals a day in pest to make my money.
Speaker: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker: Versus solar...
Speaker: But solar is kind of a much more relaxed pace where it's not so I'm just burned through as many doors as I possibly can.
Speaker: It's like I'm trying to create, build value, actually qualify people versus in past everyone qualifies.
Speaker: You got a house, you got a pulse, you got a credit card.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Renter, no big deal.
Speaker: Doesn't matter.
Speaker: You'll get the renter's discount.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's what I told everybody.
Speaker: So different for sure, but I think elements are the same.
Speaker: Like I feel like what I've noticed being in sales in general for so long is it's all the same.
Speaker: You know, like as far as the actual sales process, it's all the same.
Speaker: And I think the pest control background of just being in sales generally,
Speaker: Definitely helped getting into solar.
Speaker: So, and there's elements of both, you know, like, because pest controller is a lot of, you know, you're building urgency in a short amount of time and solar, it's all about creating the urgency versus, you know, spreading these deals out over months.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, that's true.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So I came from pest control too.
Speaker: I don't know if I told you that.
Speaker: I didn't know that.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: I did two summers of pest control before, um, did one summer and then did a mission, came back, did another summer and then similar things.
Speaker: Just one of the guys from my mission told me that, you know, he made all this money.
Speaker: He wasn't like knocking doors 10 hours a day.
Speaker: Like I was, I'm like, all right, we'll go try it out.
Speaker: And yeah, like got hooked pretty quick.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But yeah, like, so you're, I know you were like a company owner, right?
Speaker: A pest control.
Speaker: You had your own company though.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I was a minority, minority owner.
Speaker: So I was kind of the grunt.
Speaker: So I did all the, all the work that no one else wanted to do.
Speaker: I think that Logan made you do.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Logan didn't want to do any of that work.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Especially once he got into solar.
Speaker: He's probably making you do everything.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I was like, okay, you're making so much more money than I am and I'm making way less money and I'm doing all the crappy Oklahoma work.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But yeah, so like you being an owner, so has the money been way better in solar too?
Speaker: You switching over and... Oh, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: Pest control.
Speaker: We could talk about pest control the whole podcast.
Speaker: I really have nothing against pest control.
Speaker: And in fact, I think it's a great industry.
Speaker: But the way that certain things are ran, it's...
Speaker: Yeah, I was pretty naive.
Speaker: I was glad that I was so young because I think I was 22 turning 23 when I became an owner over there.
Speaker: But I was young, hungry, and so I don't want to say I was blatantly taken advantage of, but for sure.
Speaker: I was so naive that I didn't go through any contracts, anything.
Speaker: It was like, oh, I'm going to be an owner.
Speaker: Like, sign me up.
Speaker: I'm going to be an owner at 23 years old of a company.
Speaker: Like, that's awesome.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And then looking back, I'm like, oh, like I would have made more money if I had not gone the ownership route and just ran a normal marketing deal in a different market.
Speaker: But solar money for sure, even running a marketing deal in another market with a big team –
Speaker: I'll say the same thing I said on the Sam Tark, Tiger podcast.
Speaker: What really, if I could, if I like came to you, Taylor, and was like, hey, Taylor, I'll give you a golden door in pest control or a golden door in solar.
Speaker: Golden door in pest means you did about $650,000 in revenue.
Speaker: You're going to have attrition and you're probably making whatever they're making these days, 70, 80%.
Speaker: Who knows?
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Whatever they're getting of the pest control cells, which means you probably after attrition and everything are getting about 300,000, three to 350, right?
Speaker: If you're just hitting that golden door mark versus like golden door and solar, it's like the minimum is you got to do a meg.
Speaker: Well, there's a megawatt and then a bunch of different things that play into it.
Speaker: But golden door and solar typically means high six figures to some dudes making, you know, 2 million plus.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So yeah.
Speaker: If I were to give you both options and, and the pets and the solar one, you don't have to leave afterward.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You don't have to leave for the summer.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You don't have to uproot, leave all your friends, your family, your wife, you know, you get to stay in your market and get your solar golden door.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That was a no brainer.
Speaker: Just a no brainer.
Speaker: And I really have nothing against pest control.
Speaker: I just, it's funny because I just sent my brother to a pest control company to go sell for the summer.
Speaker: Really?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: He'd come out with me a couple of blitzes.
Speaker: He just got off his mission and I sent him to the grit.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: I don't get paid by the grit or anything, but I feel like for a young kid,
Speaker: Pest control, I'm glad I had that base, that background getting into because you did it.
Speaker: It's a grueling grind.
Speaker: But you develop some skills, a certain skill set when you're out there.
Speaker: And if you can be successful at that, it's like, all right, dude, go plug in at the grit where they're going to work you like a dog.
Speaker: Surround yourself with the best.
Speaker: I'm a big advocate of like –
Speaker: who you're around you become.
Speaker: And so if you go surround yourself with ballers, you will become a baller.
Speaker: It's true.
Speaker: Yeah, it's just – well, it's going to happen.
Speaker: Yeah, so you're like – they'll train you.
Speaker: Then when you know how to work, come work with me.
Speaker: Well, solar, it's so easy to be lazy and make great money.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And so I felt like – and for my own brother, it's like I wouldn't want him to have like a disservice to be done to him working with me because I'm –
Speaker: I'm at a different place in my life and career, sales career now versus when I was out on the doors where it's like, dude, it's better to you go plug in with a group of killer dudes who are going to go out and work their asses off and then develop this skill set of how to work hard and how to sell.
Speaker: Because once you have that foundation, then you go transfer it into like a higher ticket item.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker: My brother, he came out and did solar too, but it's funny because he was actually getting recruited by all his buddies doing pest control.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I was kind of like, yeah, you go do that.
Speaker: Cause I was kind of thinking the same thing in the back of my head.
Speaker: Like, oh, maybe I should, he should go do pest first, then come do solar after.
Speaker: um then he eventually ended up just coming straight to solar yeah which was fine but um he only lasted like a year in solar oh man he did good like i don't know he wasn't golden door or anything like that but i mean yeah he made six figures his first year and like you know did pretty well but the back of my head i'm like man maybe i should have sent him to uh pest first and then maybe he would have come at it and like taken more advantage of the opportunity and yeah
Speaker: Made more because I think for him, he's just like, yeah, I made six figures, but I still knocking doors.
Speaker: I want to like have the family life back in Utah and everything.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And so it's like, you know, I was like, dude, you stay out here.
Speaker: And like, but I think you just got caught up there.
Speaker: I made pretty good money, but not like enough for it to be life changing or justify like, you know, being away from family and friends and stuff in Utah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So it's not for everyone.
Speaker: It's not for everyone.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: But I mean, yeah, I just think there's opportunity everywhere and in anything.
Speaker: And if you do have that foundation where you can work hard, you can talk to people, you know how to sell, you could go talk yourself into most any job.
Speaker: For sure.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So, no, I think huge events.
Speaker: So anyone listening that's in pest control, like, yeah, go work with the grit or something and then hit me or hit Josh up and we'll give you the real money-making opportunity after that.
Speaker: Hit Taylor up.
Speaker: He'll hook you up.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I know you're running with your guys.
Speaker: Hit me up.
Speaker: I just don't.
Speaker: I genuinely, if I had...
Speaker: I think that the reason I've been successful in my sales career and in people's homes is I really tried to look out for people's best interests.
Speaker: And if I felt like I actually had an operation in place where like, yeah, a fresh dude could come plug in and just dominate, then I would say, hit me up.
Speaker: But like, I know like you do have an operation in place where people can plug into.
Speaker: I don't really, just to be honest.
Speaker: I don't have like a plug-and-play op.
Speaker: So, yeah, I would prefer people to like be taken care of.
Speaker: That's the whole reason I started the dealer was like I wanted my guys to get paid.
Speaker: I knew that if I was the one in control of that, like I would –
Speaker: You know, I would die before I let them all get screwed over.
Speaker: Yeah, it's more pressure.
Speaker: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker: But yeah, and it's not for everyone.
Speaker: Like, I know we were talking before we started recording how it's like you've got your kind of core group of guys.
Speaker: You guys crush it, make a bunch of money.
Speaker: And it's easy to just be like, you know, like, yeah, we're all making good money.
Speaker: like why bring in other guys and um i know you're the people you do have they're like oh i just want to do my thing i don't have to worry about training other guys and new reps dealing with all that so yeah i what's it been have you thought about like building it did you once you started your dealer was always like okay we're just gonna keep it tight knit and everything or what made you decide to just kind of keep it like that instead of trying to like do all these indeed recruits and pulling new reps and stuff like that what was your thinking behind how you have it structured right now
Speaker: Um, the guys I have right now are, um, they're good dudes and they're studs.
Speaker: Like there's, they're studs and they're independent and we've got it pretty dialed in what we're doing to, to the point where like my time is, my time is valuable to me.
Speaker: Um, it used to be cause I used to recruit and lead huge teams, you know, in past cause that's where the money was.
Speaker: I, I,
Speaker: Like to go where the money is going.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And right now the plan when I started the dealer was just to keep it tight knit.
Speaker: That's, that's been the plan from the start because I know like keeping it tight knit, I can hopefully create a good experience for all my guys.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And so there's not a ton of turnover because there's in this business, there's no loyalty.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: There is no loyalty in this business where if you train a guy up and they become a baller closer, they take half your team and dip.
Speaker: Same with pest control.
Speaker: You could have 50 dudes in March and then they go get –
Speaker: 80% commission offers from Hawks and they're gone.
Speaker: And that's your income.
Speaker: That's your whole income.
Speaker: Whereas solar, your income is really in what you sell.
Speaker: And so I'm not as stressed about recruiting as I was in pest control because I know that I'm still in the streets.
Speaker: I'm still in the streets, in-houses, closing deals.
Speaker: And that's where my time is...
Speaker: best spent is closing deals because I don't see any other job that pays better.
Speaker: Yeah, I know.
Speaker: Yeah, it's funny.
Speaker: I have a buddy that's coming out.
Speaker: He actually owned his own pest control company and all that, and he's done a few blitzes with us.
Speaker: But every time he comes into the blitz, he's like...
Speaker: He's like, in pest control, we get everything.
Speaker: They pay for, like, all my transportation hour.
Speaker: They pay for all my food.
Speaker: They pay for my Airbnb.
Speaker: Like, why are you guys?
Speaker: And we cover, like, a couple things for them.
Speaker: But he's like, why don't you guys cover everything and, like, give me some special deal and all that.
Speaker: I'm like, dude, well, we're making way more than all the pest control guys.
Speaker: Like, I guess we can cover more stuff and then have you make less on the deals and everything.
Speaker: But it's just funny, like, some guys getting that pest control mindset.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: They think everything should be covered and all that.
Speaker: I'm like, okay, would you rather have everything covered or do you want us to pay you a pest control rep and cover everything?
Speaker: Pay you less.
Speaker: Pay you less or just go out and hustle and make what you're worth?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So yeah, I think it's a mindset shift for people because yeah, we're really like, even just your reps and everything, we're all essentially like our own business owners at the end of the day.
Speaker: Like we have to be the ones getting the sales to install.
Speaker: We have to be the ones clearing, clearing holds on accounts, managing it.
Speaker: So I don't know, for me, it's, I just think of it more, maybe it's like, I don't know, like a career type thing, like,
Speaker: real estate type thing.
Speaker: You got to do the work and really like you're the business owner in this.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Well, you're making real estate commissions more.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You're making real estate commissions just to the higher volume.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I'm sure there's real estate guys that do better, but yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Maybe the selling, you've seen that selling Sunset Show on Netflix.
Speaker: People selling like the $30 million homes and stuff like that.
Speaker: Getting a couple percent.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: I haven't made that much on a solar deal, but yeah, no, there's definitely guys.
Speaker: I've had guys from past come out and they, it's almost like they're offended that I'm not, that I'm not like, please come work with me, you know, please.
Speaker: Because in pest control, it's like, dude, I'm taking a dinner.
Speaker: I'm taking a Topgolf, like whining and dining you to come out and sell pest control this summer.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: Versus in solar, it's like, dude, yeah, you want to come out?
Speaker: Come out.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like, I don't know.
Speaker: I'm not planning your flight.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: It's like, yeah, come out.
Speaker: But like, we're not bowing down and rubbing people's feet.
Speaker: Dude, come out, work, have a good time, make some money, make a lot of money and...
Speaker: Yeah, that's kind of like what I... The vibe I try to create with my guys where it's like, dude, you guys are not bound to me.
Speaker: You're not... As long as you want to be with me, I love working with the guys I have.
Speaker: Again, they're all studs.
Speaker: And I feel like we have an understanding where it's like, you guys know I'm going to take care of you.
Speaker: And I'm putting in a lot of work to make sure everything is smooth and everything is flowing, project management and all that.
Speaker: And so I...
Speaker: I think we have an understanding where it's like, I mean, they're going to get taken care of.
Speaker: And so there's loyalty created there versus if it was just like, dude, everybody come sell, come sell.
Speaker: You're going to have 80% of the reps quit, 20% stay.
Speaker: And to me, that's headache that I would prefer not to handle over the – it's all headache.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: It's all headache, but you kind of get to pick the headache that you want to manage.
Speaker: And I would rather not manage the high turnover, the emotional reps, the ones coming in demanding deals or just crazy, crazy deals where it's like, dude, like, yeah, you got to.
Speaker: different company go to a different company if you want to get if you're hunting a super low red line go go somewhere else man but typically those guys are hunting you at low red lines aren't worth your time anyways yeah seriously yeah that's good well cool man i want to transition so yeah everyone wants to know like what it takes to hit a golden door so how many your first year in solar how many deals did you hit your golden door well i sold
Speaker: I think I sold to 38.
Speaker: I lost, I installed one 88, but I lost, I actually had two companies, EPCs I was using go bankrupt.
Speaker: So infinity was just the second.
Speaker: So I had a bunch of jobs with one company earlier in the year that, uh, when that company folded, I took those jobs, the ones that weren't installed yet and shifted them to, uh, infinity.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: So,
Speaker: And then Infinity went bankrupt.
Speaker: And so there's a lot of, there's some fall off in between where I think there's still some homeowners that are yet to be installed because then they went from Infinity to another IP.
Speaker: And it was just, I lost a lot of deals there, but still was able to install 188 deals.
Speaker: Man.
Speaker: Especially with all that, that's pretty, so 230 sold 188.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: 238 and usually I have a much better sales to install ratio I just felt like yeah I was I wasn't terrible but still I try to keep it above 90% wow no well that's still incredible like most people even if they have a really solid installer that's you know that from what I hear that's really good ratios or like in my experience I'd be happy with those ratios yeah
Speaker: So, yeah, especially going through bankrupt installers and all that.
Speaker: That's that's freaking awesome.
Speaker: Well, that's cool.
Speaker: And so, yeah, for people that are wondering, yeah, like, I don't know, just from maybe like and I want to dive a little bit more into like how you retain so many of your deals because I think that's a good, important thing to talk about, too.
Speaker: But yeah, like what's what would you say is maybe the biggest like what does it take?
Speaker: What's like the schedule?
Speaker: How many deals were you?
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: Average are you getting in stuff like that?
Speaker: What's kind of like maybe some of the higher level stuff that like what does it take to hit that many deals in a year?
Speaker: Would you say?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Broad perspective.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I worked an interesting schedule.
Speaker: The first three months was that NEM rush.
Speaker: So I did work balls to the wall in that first – NEM too, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, end of January to March 15th, which is about the latest my EPCs would still say that they could get people into –
Speaker: Into NEM2.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And so, yeah, those months I was working like seven days a week.
Speaker: I was like working sunup to sundown, just going to hand.
Speaker: But I mean I did from end of January to March 15th, I did I think 104 deals.
Speaker: And so I had one 10-day stretch where I broke my record.
Speaker: I did 23 deals in 10 days.
Speaker: I did 10 in two.
Speaker: I had two five spots back-to-back.
Speaker: Holy cow.
Speaker: And I broke it.
Speaker: The next 10 days, I actually did 28 in 10 days, the following 10 days.
Speaker: And so I did, I think that month, I did –
Speaker: Almost 50 that month.
Speaker: I know guys that did better than that.
Speaker: But to me, I was hustling.
Speaker: I was hustling to get that.
Speaker: And then after that, March 15th, I probably took like a month and a half, two months off.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I still had some like trickle through deals that I sold with batteries.
Speaker: The ones that came after that people that, you know, had referrals or random deals here and there.
Speaker: So I was, I still closed in those two months I took off just organically.
Speaker: I still had probably like, you know, six to eight deals each of those months, just kind of organic deals.
Speaker: And then I picked it up again.
Speaker: I started, I ran a blitz in, I think from like August to the end of the year.
Speaker: July to the end of the year is when I really – I kind of dialed it back in.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Dialed it back in and started working again.
Speaker: But I've become a big fan of the Blitz model.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: So I actually work more than the 10 days a month.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: But at least for my core group, the way that we have it set up is there's 10 days where it's like these are the 10 days that we're working.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Everyone is going to hunker down and work because there are some guys that –
Speaker: that don't want to work more than the 10.
Speaker: That's fine.
Speaker: Cause you can make great money on the 10 days.
Speaker: But I also have other guys that are like, they want to come out more than the 10 days and they do.
Speaker: And so I'll work, I'll work the whole month still.
Speaker: I still work the whole month, but there is that 10 day bliss where it's like, we're sprinting doing as many as we can on those 10 day blitzes.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: But for last year, um,
Speaker: The part of the reason I took the time off too, because I really wanted to study up on batteries, study up on batteries, see exactly how any M3.0 looked and to see what I had to adjust.
Speaker: Because before that, I knew nothing about batteries.
Speaker: I never sold them.
Speaker: Don't really get paid on them.
Speaker: It's like, oh, you want a battery?
Speaker: No, you don't need a battery.
Speaker: No one buys a battery.
Speaker: It's just money down the drain.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And now it's every single system.
Speaker: Everything comes with the batteries.
Speaker: So I really wanted to – because I wasn't worried about an M3.
Speaker: I went balls to the wall because I recognized it was the easiest urgency build ever.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So, and so I was like, oh, I could make a ton of money in this timeframe because we actually have a hard deadline.
Speaker: You don't have to actually fake, fake urgency.
Speaker: I got a real urgency deadline.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But then, yeah, take, but then I wasn't super worried about it changing because I knew like I'd adapt.
Speaker: Like the most...
Speaker: What I learned in past control and managing teams is the best reps are the most adaptable reps where they're the guys that when change comes, like they can roll with it.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And that a lot of friends in solar, I'm sure you did too, that dipped after April.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And then now they're coming back.
Speaker: They're like, wait, you're still selling?
Speaker: You're still making money in this?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like, yeah.
Speaker: So I mean, I got friends that dipped in February and it's like, oh, solar is dead.
Speaker: And it's like before the deadline, before the deadline.
Speaker: And then, yeah, they're kind of like, wait, you can still sell.
Speaker: It's like, it's like, man,
Speaker: I also believe that you shouldn't judge or cast or form an opinion yourself until you've actually experienced something.
Speaker: And so like when people have prejudices against something and they've never experienced it, it's like, why?
Speaker: It's like, you don't know.
Speaker: Like, oh, you can still sell an M3?
Speaker: Yes, you can.
Speaker: Like if you had just stayed out here, you probably would have figured that out yourself.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: True.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: Yeah, that's, yeah, I definitely pushed hard.
Speaker: But yeah, that was, I definitely left, you know, some gas in the tank and in that, you know, like three month time span.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So that's one of my regrets is that I would have pushed harder and everything.
Speaker: So I guess that's a lesson for people that are coming up with some of those deadlines is like definitely take advantage because.
Speaker: Yeah, I closed a lot of deals, but I see, you know, like talking to you and I have so many buddies that they made like, you know, like six figures plus.
Speaker: And yeah, like, you know, like multiple six figures just in those three months and got like over 100.
Speaker: Yeah, one of my buddies, he made more money in the three months of that deadline than he made the rest of the year.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like quite a bit more.
Speaker: A lot of guys did that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think he made like a couple hundred grand the first three months.
Speaker: Then he made like, you know, like 50, 75 grand the rest of the year.
Speaker: There's more, there's more opportunity coming because the reality is, is the M 3.0 probably won't be around that long either.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And so when NEM2 got passed, people were leaving.
Speaker: Oh, solar's dead.
Speaker: And then look what happened.
Speaker: And so same thing with NEM3.
Speaker: And so I was like, cool, people leaving the state, it'll clear up some of the competition.
Speaker: And then people will come back.
Speaker: Because once, obviously, you can still sell on NEM3.
Speaker: Really, the only thing that changed was it got a little more expensive.
Speaker: So some of those lower bills are disqualified.
Speaker: But it's...
Speaker: It's the same thing.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But stay out of California.
Speaker: Stay out of California.
Speaker: California sucks now.
Speaker: California is the worst.
Speaker: But what you were saying about those other markets that like NEMS ending, like go balls to the wall, like take advantage.
Speaker: If they're giving you an easy urgency build, you know, like I know there's a couple of states right now that are about to can NEM.
Speaker: It's like you guys out there should be.
Speaker: doubling down.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You know?
Speaker: And it's still like, again, it's still fantastic right now.
Speaker: Like, solar's great.
Speaker: Really, like, my volume hasn't changed much since NEM3.
Speaker: But it was...
Speaker: It was objectively easier to sell in them too when you're just slicing people's bills in half.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And like, you know, get definitely so higher because it's like, hey, like either do it now or it's your last opportunity.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, it definitely was easier.
Speaker: Well, so speaking of that, I know you had your team, your guys come out.
Speaker: So for people that are running these blitzes, how do you get your guys?
Speaker: I know you have some really experienced dudes you run with.
Speaker: But I don't know, for people running blitzes, how do you get your guys bought in?
Speaker: And how did you get them to be like, all right, guys, this is like...
Speaker: You know, we're going all out right now, leaving everything on the table.
Speaker: How did you get them to kind of run with that?
Speaker: Any tips you'd have on getting guys to buy in more?
Speaker: I had guys that didn't buy in.
Speaker: Some of my own guys that didn't, that they were taking time off in that three-month time.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Which is okay.
Speaker: Like, I don't – again, like everyone has their own definition of success.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I don't hold it against anybody.
Speaker: If they don't want to go work seven days a week, like I don't blame you.
Speaker: I don't blame you.
Speaker: For me though, I am – I mean I'm not married.
Speaker: I don't have kids.
Speaker: And so I don't have other obligations.
Speaker: And so it's like what else would I be doing if not working seven days a week in these time frames?
Speaker: But for my guys, success looks different for everybody.
Speaker: And so I got some guys that like to – on the blitzes, they like to be out early.
Speaker: and knock late.
Speaker: I got some guys that like to go out late and knock those later hours.
Speaker: And for me on my end, because I know them, like they're experienced guys, I'm not going to micromanage them.
Speaker: I'm going to say, you should be doing this and this and this for success.
Speaker: Because as long as they're getting results, which they are, then I'm not going to change it.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You guys, we're all adults and I view us kind of all as...
Speaker: on the same playing field.
Speaker: And we're all there for the same reason to hustle and make money.
Speaker: And I do work.
Speaker: You can ask my girlfriend.
Speaker: I work a lot.
Speaker: I work a lot, a lot.
Speaker: And so like a- That's a good girlfriend.
Speaker: Letting you work all those hours.
Speaker: She is.
Speaker: Yeah, she is.
Speaker: She has some perks.
Speaker: She gets some perks because of it.
Speaker: But I do work.
Speaker: I work a lot.
Speaker: And what I've – what it's kind of opened my eyes running with the dealer side as well was –
Speaker: I mean, I'm making more money than I was before running the dealer, obviously.
Speaker: But there's a trade-off where it's like I'm putting in a ton more hours.
Speaker: I was putting in a lot of hours before and now I'm working even more hours.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Because – and I've kind of opened my eyes to seeing that like money flows where like value is being provided.
Speaker: And so like the more value you provide, like the more money that's going to flow.
Speaker: And so guys –
Speaker: Guys that rub me the wrong way are the guys that expect to get things for nothing.
Speaker: You know, complaining about – what's that quote?
Speaker: Like don't complain about the results you didn't get from the work you didn't do.
Speaker: I like that.
Speaker: And those guys that come in expecting the world or a guy being like, dude, I had a terrible blitz.
Speaker: And it's like, man, like –
Speaker: What were you doing?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: What were you doing on the blitz?
Speaker: You know, it's like, and there's obviously external factors that, that play in, but I, I really, I really believe that if you were actually like hustling and controlling the things you can control and staying balanced, you,
Speaker: Because, like I said earlier, the most effective rep is the most adaptable rep and the most balanced rep.
Speaker: So, like, emotionally.
Speaker: Because solar is a roller coaster, an emotional roller coaster, where you've got a deal you just closed.
Speaker: I'm going to make $15,000 on this deal, and then it cancels.
Speaker: You know, it's like a... The worst.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Especially for guys that...
Speaker: relying on that money.
Speaker: Early on in my sales career, it did hurt.
Speaker: When I had these deals canceled, it was like I'm calling them, being like, what do I got to do to fix this?
Speaker: Nowadays, I've...
Speaker: It's much different where it's like, I'm going to do everything I can to get the deal.
Speaker: But if it doesn't, I'm going to go replace it with two more.
Speaker: So some of you already know that I run my own door-to-door sales team here in San Diego.
Speaker: 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.
Speaker: Then we discovered an app called SolarScout.
Speaker: But it's not a door knocking app.
Speaker: 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.
Speaker: 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.
Speaker: But I told them, hey, I'm going to talk about SolarScout on my show.
Speaker: You need to give my listeners a great deal.
Speaker: 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.
Speaker: That's solarscout.app forward slash Taylor.
Speaker: Okay, back to the show.
Speaker: That's a good mindset to have.
Speaker: But yeah, I like that.
Speaker: I think too, it's just like giving guys the flexibility.
Speaker: But as you've probably seen, there's some guys that like have all these big goals.
Speaker: And say all this stuff.
Speaker: And then like the work they put in doesn't reflect what their goal is and all that.
Speaker: So it's like, hey, well, you can do whatever you want.
Speaker: But if you want to hit this number, if you want to like make this money, then maybe you should think about working more than just like the two or three hours in the evening.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You have to pay the piper.
Speaker: You have to pay the piper.
Speaker: And this is what, this is kind of the reason I sent my brother to the grit.
Speaker: Because I told my little brother, I was like, dude, you have to pay the piper.
Speaker: It's like, you cannot.
Speaker: Yes, yes, you 100%.
Speaker: You can get to the point one day, I'm sure, where you just have money coming in and you're not actively spending hours and hours and hours earning it.
Speaker: But like at some level, at some point, you have to pay the piper where like you put in the work and
Speaker: And you – I mean we get burned solar.
Speaker: It's a high-risk, high-reward industry.
Speaker: But you have to pay the piper where if you have these high goals, like your effort level has to match those high goals.
Speaker: It can't be like I'm going to make a million dollars in solar this year and I'm going to put in $100,000 worth of effort.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And a lot of guys feel like because the money is so good that they can do that.
Speaker: Yeah, I know.
Speaker: And then they get, you know, like three big deals on the month and then I go on sets and then they don't have like, you know, the vision to go past that.
Speaker: I think a lot of guys they see.
Speaker: So.
Speaker: It's, it's, I kind of view it as it's not my money until it's in the bank account.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's good.
Speaker: That's how I've got to emotionally handle it.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: If you don't, it's, yeah, I just had one that was supposed to go in last Saturday actually.
Speaker: And then they show up to put the panels on.
Speaker: They're like getting out of their trucks.
Speaker: And then, you know, find out that they had, it was like a Mexican family that has the like room in their garage or whatever.
Speaker: It's not permitted.
Speaker: And so they, the installer starts telling them, Hey, you might like run an issue with that.
Speaker: And they're like, Oh, don't put it up then.
Speaker: Then don't install it.
Speaker: It's like, you know, electrical go into the room or would it, uh,
Speaker: Yeah, it was just like, I don't know, I'm trying to figure it out.
Speaker: Still some workarounds.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I mean, yeah, I've heard that they don't like, I guess that's a topic for another podcast.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: I think that sometimes they'll like inspect it.
Speaker: And I guess it's a chance that it'll get called out and find and all that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But yeah, they just like spooked the homeowner and then... You might be able to... I know this is a different podcast topic, but I don't know what the situation is with that one, but I run into like people have got patios that aren't permitted, chargers that aren't permitted.
Speaker: Usually I just have an electrician go out, I pay them three, four hundred bucks, cap the electrical, remove it all from that area because it's the electrical that's the issue typically.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: And then usually it passes inspection and then I'll reinstall it.
Speaker: Oh, okay.
Speaker: That's smart.
Speaker: I don't know if you've done that before, but it happens all the time with like chargers.
Speaker: Again, that room might be different.
Speaker: So.
Speaker: Okay, I'll have to look into it.
Speaker: Bonus tip right there.
Speaker: Bonus tip.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I've got a guy on speed dial.
Speaker: It's like as soon as I get something that's like, hey, the city won't issue a permit because of this electric car charger.
Speaker: It's not permitted.
Speaker: It's like, hey, go.
Speaker: I just tell them it's not going to be there at time of inspection.
Speaker: And then when the inspection is scheduled, I have the dude show up the day before, uninstall it, reinstall it the day after.
Speaker: And they pass inspection.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: I'll have to grab this guy's number after.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Jose on speed dial.
Speaker: Jose on speed dial.
Speaker: Let's go.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Cool.
Speaker: Well, yeah.
Speaker: And then, so I want to talk before we're out of time here, Josh, I want to talk about two things.
Speaker: Number one, you have a really high, like close the install rate.
Speaker: Like we talked about, especially if some of these installers hadn't like, you know, gone bonkers out of business and all that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So I'm talking about that and then we can get in maybe like some specific closing tips from, you know, golden door winner like yourself.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think it would be good.
Speaker: So yeah, what's some advice you'd have?
Speaker: What does it take to like... Because so many people, I know, especially even just looking at my team, it's like probably 50% sometimes is like these guys are signing so many deals, only 50%, sometimes even less are making it to actually get installed.
Speaker: So yeah, what do you guys do?
Speaker: What are some specific tips you would have to help these deals convert at a higher ratio?
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, it's all in the...
Speaker: It's all in the clothes.
Speaker: It's not still working.
Speaker: Oh, there you go.
Speaker: Okay, good.
Speaker: Yeah, no, it's all in the way that you set expectations, I feel.
Speaker: And I feel like with all my homeowners, I am...
Speaker: I'm setting really low expectations, really low expectations.
Speaker: Whereas like promising your homeowner, they're never going to see a bill, promise their homeowner, it's going to be installed in two weeks, three weeks or whatever.
Speaker: You know, promising the moon, it never goes well.
Speaker: And as soon as the first thing happens that doesn't align with your promises, they're going to get spooked and cancel.
Speaker: It's like all my homeowners, I tell them to expect way longer timelines than it's actually going to take.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: I use a lot of pullbacks where it's like, yeah, this is dependent on the site survey.
Speaker: We're basically doing the site survey to disqualify you.
Speaker: So as long as everything checks out, we should be set.
Speaker: But if we find anything, we're going to come back to you and ask you how you want to proceed.
Speaker: And there's different programs we had that will help like compensate if you need like a main electrical upgrade.
Speaker: If you need some roof work, we can work with you on it.
Speaker: But this is kind of all contingent on the site survey.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: But before I even get to that point, I'm just building a ton of value in myself as an asset.
Speaker: Whereas I want them to feel like I'm the pro.
Speaker: They might have met with 20 other companies before me, but I'm the sales nerd.
Speaker: I'm the nerd.
Speaker: I have the solar encyclopedia.
Speaker: Yeah, I'm the solar nerd.
Speaker: I go to the conventions.
Speaker: I like to stay on the cutting edge of...
Speaker: Of everything solar.
Speaker: You listen, you tell me, listen, this will open your podcast.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: So I became an expert.
Speaker: But yeah, I want them to feel like, and I also know like probably a big tip to closers especially is like know the contract, like the back of your hand.
Speaker: It's like, go read.
Speaker: It's boring.
Speaker: It's boring.
Speaker: But like, go read the contract.
Speaker: Like if a homeowner asked me like, what are my buyout options?
Speaker: I'm like, oh, section nine to 10.
Speaker: Like, let's go look at it.
Speaker: That's awesome.
Speaker: You know, where it's like everything I say and with my homeowners before I leave, I walk them through the contract.
Speaker: Even if you get the homeowners that just zip through the docusign.
Speaker: You're like, whoa.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I'll stop them because usually they're signing up on their phone or something like that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I'll pull it back up on my computer and I'll walk them through.
Speaker: Hey, I told you that it was capped at 2.9% or 3.9%.
Speaker: I told you that you had buyout options in this year.
Speaker: I told you this.
Speaker: And this is where it says it in the contract.
Speaker: And so people really feel like, oh, like this guy cares that I feel 100% comfortable.
Speaker: And so – and then I stay in contact with my homeowners where it's like I've – even after they're installed, like I've went to – I've been to some birthday parties.
Speaker: So like if you're setting the right expectations and you're actually a pro, um, early on in, in the, my solar career, like I fumbled so many deals, you know, sitting in appointments that I shouldn't have been sitting in.
Speaker: That's cause I didn't know what I was doing.
Speaker: Um, and I, I don't blame them for not signing up.
Speaker: So, um, yeah.
Speaker: There's a lot with solar.
Speaker: Have you heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect?
Speaker: Uh-uh.
Speaker: What is that?
Speaker: A friend of mine was telling me about this.
Speaker: It's what it means.
Speaker: So Dunning-Kruger effect...
Speaker: Is when you first learn about something, your confidence is high because you didn't – it went from zero to 100, your knowledge, right?
Speaker: But then you learn more about something and then you realize how much you don't know and so your confidence drops.
Speaker: And so the world, supposedly, the world is led by a bunch of –
Speaker: overconfident, incompetent people.
Speaker: So you know how there's like you have like a rookie rep who like learns knowledge and he starts giving everybody tips.
Speaker: Or the dude who just gets into the gym is like just starts working out and he starts giving everyone fitness tips.
Speaker: You know, that's the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Speaker: And I had that in solar where like I first learned about it.
Speaker: I was like, easiest thing ever to sell.
Speaker: I'm going to go close everybody.
Speaker: And I get into appointments and I'm like, oh shoot.
Speaker: Like...
Speaker: Once I started learning more.
Speaker: That's good.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's funny.
Speaker: That's so I do like some jujitsu and stuff for my workouts.
Speaker: And yeah, they talk about that all the time in jujitsu to like you get white belt and then the white, the belt after white is blue belt.
Speaker: So they always talk about how people become blue belts and think they're like jujitsu masters and all that.
Speaker: And they're the best in the world.
Speaker: But then the belt after that is purple.
Speaker: And then the joke is that once guys get their purple belt, they realize how much they still suck and don't know about jujitsu.
Speaker: But yeah, I think it's true.
Speaker: It's like in anything you do in any industry.
Speaker: Oh, it's true for them.
Speaker: And we're all guilty of it.
Speaker: And I don't – it's not necessarily – I'm not like talking trash on those people because we all do it.
Speaker: But I think that it's a really good principle to – especially once you do learn about a subject because it's the people that know the most that start to question themselves the most.
Speaker: I mean I've –
Speaker: I have my days.
Speaker: But it's like if you've really studied and you know your stuff, you should have confidence.
Speaker: Just as much confidence as the kid at the very beginning who just barely learned.
Speaker: You should have that confidence.
Speaker: And if you really know your stuff, your homeowners are going to feel that.
Speaker: um where they trust you to kind of get into the finish line yeah that's good but i love that what you're saying about the contract and it's funny everyone i think pretty much everyone i bring on that has really high conversion ratios they talk about that too like they know the contract really well they like go through section by section with the homeowner um they don't let them skip through that stuff and i'm guilty of it still all the time because you know how you probably when you first started to it's like oh they're just clicking through it sweet i got the deal but i got the deal
Speaker: I'm like, sweet, I can get to the next one.
Speaker: That works out perfect.
Speaker: I don't know what they're doing.
Speaker: In 20 minutes, I'm going to make it to it on time.
Speaker: You're like just seeing them click through and all that.
Speaker: But then it's like, you know, five days, three days later, you get a call.
Speaker: I'm like, hey, I was looking through the contract and I found this.
Speaker: We didn't even talk about this.
Speaker: What's this?
Speaker: You know what?
Speaker: I think I'm just going to put it on hold now.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's like, you know, that's happened to me a lot of times too, where it's like if I would have went through it.
Speaker: So I think what happens is if people feel a lot of these people just click through it in their heads, they're thinking, oh, I'll just click through it because I'm going to go through and like read through everything after.
Speaker: But if you go through it with them and like they feel like they understand it, then most of these people are just like, OK, like Josh, he went through it really in depth with me.
Speaker: um you know what i'm busy i want to go out to dinner with my wife whatever like i think i understand that i'm not going to open it back up again because they feel that they understood it like why do they need to go through it again yeah that makes sense and it can be uncomfortable because it's a long it can be some long contracts yeah yeah but it does help people feel more comfortable and therefore they're going to trust you more
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, that's so good.
Speaker: And then you talked about too, just kind of like communicating with them after.
Speaker: So do you have like a system in place?
Speaker: I don't know if you have like a day that you're giving them updates every time or what does that look like with communicating after you sign them up?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So the EPCs I use, I don't have like project management where they don't get in contact.
Speaker: Every customer I have, I put them in a group chat with them and their spouse.
Speaker: And then I have a girl who helps me with project management.
Speaker: So I throw them in group chats and then throughout the project, you know, I'll, I'll check in or I'll get them an update where it's like, it's like, Hey, we just got your final design.
Speaker: Take a look.
Speaker: Like, what do you think?
Speaker: And there's little things like that, staying, staying in touch once it's installed.
Speaker: Every now and then I like to swing by.
Speaker: I mean, I do a lot of homes.
Speaker: I don't smell everybody.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But if I'm in the neighborhood, I'll drop by someone that I did a year ago and I'll check in.
Speaker: Hey, how's it going?
Speaker: Like I'll take a picture of their bill and I'll take it to the next home.
Speaker: Cause it's a, if you ever want any type of longevity and,
Speaker: in a solar, the best way to do it is honestly, like honestly, and like build a reputation that you have the homeowner's best interest in mind.
Speaker: Um, because if you're going at this of just dollar signs, it's like, Oh my gosh, I'm gonna make $20,000 on this deal.
Speaker: I'm going to say whatever I got to say to get them to sign.
Speaker: I want them to be installed next week.
Speaker: You know, like you're not going to have, you're going to have to change your number because you're going to create some, some enemies.
Speaker: And I mean, more of karma.
Speaker: I believe in karma.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: Yeah, no, so true.
Speaker: So hopefully, yeah, hopefully, if you're not, if you're being shady, then you'll probably learn pretty quick that it's not fun to be getting calls from homeowners when they didn't understand something.
Speaker: And, you know, yeah, especially at the NEM2, like, you know, or NEM3 now, it's like,
Speaker: I run into people that still were told by guys that they didn't need a battery or that they only needed one.
Speaker: Like Enphase, they have the 5P batteries now.
Speaker: The small batteries, yeah.
Speaker: With a little 5P.
Speaker: And I ran into one the other day.
Speaker: They signed in, got super low price.
Speaker: And sure enough, they had like one tiny battery with it.
Speaker: I'm like, okay.
Speaker: Some of that.
Speaker: Do you feel like, I feel like some of that should be on the EPC where it's like, if you see a job come in.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's a 10 kilowatt with a 5P or the 3 kilowatt.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's like...
Speaker: Like go back to the homeowner and be like, yeah, like this is not going to get rid of your bill.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's a good point.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But yeah.
Speaker: So no, really important that guys sell ethically for sure.
Speaker: And cause yeah, I don't, I don't know.
Speaker: I don't know how it's possible to like stay in the industry and like not feel terrible and be getting endless calls from pissed off customers.
Speaker: So yeah.
Speaker: Well, you've been doing this a long time.
Speaker: Eight years.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Eight years.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: You know this long, yeah, eight years now.
Speaker: So it's a testament that you must be doing something, right?
Speaker: Yeah, well, I've done my share of, you know, doing.
Speaker: Yeah, unfortunately, whether it was stuff that I didn't know, like I always tell the story that when I first got into Solora, I was telling people that they would always have power, even during power outages and stuff without a battery.
Speaker: Because it made sense in my head.
Speaker: And actually, my manager at the time told me that too.
Speaker: So I was telling everybody that and then had to learn the hard way that that wasn't correct when the power went out.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Oops.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So it causes stress, causes headaches.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Well, you get, again, back to the pest control.
Speaker: You get some like the pest control guys that are really used to just plug in deals through.
Speaker: And they'll come out and they'll, whatever they got to say, slam these deals in.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: screwing over screwing these people over left and right and like uh if you view it like a pest control sale it's really easy to do but this isn't a year contract that they can cancel halfway through this is a 25 year construction project that's fixed to their house and if if i wouldn't if i wouldn't give my mother the system like i'm not going to give it to the homeowner and uh
Speaker: Some guys get lost in the sauce.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Get lost in the dollar signs.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: But they'll be out of solar in a year.
Speaker: I know.
Speaker: But then, yeah, I mean, these people, they leave trails of destruction sometimes because I'm sure you've ran into lots of people on the doors or in deals that are just like so worried that they're going to get burned like their neighbor was or whatever.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: The horror stories.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So scared to go solar.
Speaker: Yeah, because a lot of it is just correcting misconceptions about solar and educating people.
Speaker: That's like my biggest thing.
Speaker: This is probably why I do have so much confidence in the house is because like solar cells itself.
Speaker: And if someone really understands solar, like, yeah, someone really understands.
Speaker: Is that still working?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So if someone like a homeowner really understands solar, it sells itself.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And so all you really need to be in the home is an educator.
Speaker: So it's like, I'm just going into the home.
Speaker: I'm going to sit with you and I'm going to educate you on how solar works.
Speaker: And it's a no brainer.
Speaker: And at the end of it, as long as you pre-framed it right, built the urgency, like they're going to go solar with you.
Speaker: Because especially in California, I can't speak much to some of these other states that I don't have as much experience in.
Speaker: But in California...
Speaker: The only people that don't have solar are the ones that don't understand it, don't qualify.
Speaker: So as long as they understand it, they're going to go solar.
Speaker: And if you're their guy through that process and you can position yourself as the guy, they're going to trust you to take them to the finish line.
Speaker: Yeah, so true.
Speaker: Love that.
Speaker: So Josh, before we wrap up here, I wanted to ask you guys love hearing like, you know, specific clients and maybe like, from a guy that's a master closer like yourself.
Speaker: I want to hear what are some things that help you in the deal to close?
Speaker: So you talked about like urgency, talked about building trust.
Speaker: So maybe we can talk about that first.
Speaker: Like, what are some ways you built some
Speaker: emergency in the deal.
Speaker: What, I don't know if you have some things that help with the trust.
Speaker: I guess we talked about that a little bit, but yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Maybe a couple of things that help you in the clothes as we wrap up here.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I wouldn't, I wouldn't say I have like a hard, I think like a line I say in every clothes that works every time, you know, not, not, not like that, but no, there, there are, but as far as like the energy, I want to like communicate with the homeowner.
Speaker: um it's like you're you're doing this like it's a very it's very assumptive process that i go through but by the end like i'm not asking them if they're if they're in or they're out it's like we're just going through yeah let's see if you qualify we're just going through to the end and they're looking at each other like are we doing this like yeah you're doing this like you understand it it makes sense you're doing it but like i do i kind of follow that same if you know michael o'donnell's process logan the fez process where it's like you make a friend you kill the bill
Speaker: That's kind of like the staple in every appointment where it's, she spent a little bit of time building some rapport and then you're going to spend a lot of time killing the bill, which is easy to do in California.
Speaker: So you break down the rate increases, all of it for people that's going to build trust, killing the bill and build a stressor where like the utility is a runaway train and the
Speaker: There's no other option.
Speaker: There's no other option.
Speaker: You can't switch it like Verizon to T-Mobile.
Speaker: But then once you actually get to, I guess, as far as like the whole thing, I kind of tell like stories throughout the whole process where it's NEM3 is going to go away.
Speaker: NEM2 went away.
Speaker: NEM1 went away.
Speaker: NEM3 will go away.
Speaker: The people that go solar now are going to be the ones that are better off.
Speaker: You're better off going solar now.
Speaker: then you are a month from now, two months from now, a year from now.
Speaker: You should have gone solar a year ago.
Speaker: You should have gone solar five years ago.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You know?
Speaker: So that's – I kind of tell that to everybody.
Speaker: But lines – I do have like a –
Speaker: A couple things that I'll do as a last resort.
Speaker: So if I get to the end and it's assumptive, I feel like, okay, they get it.
Speaker: They have a grasp on it.
Speaker: And you have those people that are just like, we want to think about it.
Speaker: When there's – you know that they know, this makes sense.
Speaker: And it's just kind of them being stubborn.
Speaker: I never want to give away something for nothing.
Speaker: And so it's kind of where I learned in pest control.
Speaker: Whereas if I start at $150 a quarter, I'm not just going to say, well, what about $109?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Why didn't you give me that deal in the first place?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So you never want to give away something for nothing.
Speaker: And so I'll look at the date.
Speaker: I'll be like –
Speaker: Well, let me see what promotions we got going on.
Speaker: I'll tell you what, you're my fourth stop today.
Speaker: I know you guys like this, it makes sense and I've walked you through the whole process.
Speaker: Just because I know this makes sense, there's an incentive ending today for my team.
Speaker: If I just give one more deal, I'll hit that bonus tier.
Speaker: I know I'm only asking you this because I know it makes sense and there's no pressure at all.
Speaker: But if you do help me out, what I'll do, I'll put you as a referral on the last job I just did before I came over and that'll get you 500 to a thousand bucks, whatever it is that I'm willing to send on the deal.
Speaker: And nine times out of 10,
Speaker: It depends on the demographic you're selling.
Speaker: But nine times out of 10, they're like, okay, fine.
Speaker: Like, we'll do it.
Speaker: You know, if you've built the rapport and they trust you and it actually makes sense, nine times out of 10, they're like, okay, fine.
Speaker: Like, we'll help you out.
Speaker: I even have people be like, did you get the bonus?
Speaker: I'm like, yes.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: Yes, I did.
Speaker: And I'll make sure like they get paid.
Speaker: So different things like that, because some people do need the extra little shove to get over the end.
Speaker: But I want it to be more of a...
Speaker: I'm doing this for you if you do this for me and we're both going to win.
Speaker: Like, thank you.
Speaker: Cause people are inclined to give when they've received.
Speaker: And so like people and people want to help people.
Speaker: So if you can kind of create that vibe in there, there's a really good video that I watched when I was like 19 years old.
Speaker: I still remember it's called the psychology of psychology of selling.
Speaker: It's a YouTube video.
Speaker: Man, I'll have to give it to you.
Speaker: You can put it in the link or something like that.
Speaker: It's really good.
Speaker: It's the psychology of getting a gift.
Speaker: I can't remember the name of it.
Speaker: But basically, it breaks down like the five psychological factors that go into somebody doing something for somebody else or somebody getting a sale.
Speaker: And it was actually done with studies and whatever.
Speaker: I can't.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: But there's a...
Speaker: There's a really good example in there.
Speaker: I know we're going over, so this is the last thing I'll say.
Speaker: But there's a really good example in there where they did this study with like a waitress, with a waiter at a table.
Speaker: And so they were wanting to see if what the waiter did or said had any change in how people tipped.
Speaker: And so at the end of the meal, if the waiter doesn't say anything, says, all right, have a great day, they're getting 15%, 20% tip.
Speaker: If the waiter came and dropped off a mint, one mint, tips actually went up by a certain percentage.
Speaker: If they came back and dropped off two mints, it actually went up even a little bit more, not a ton, a little bit more.
Speaker: over time.
Speaker: But if the waiter went to the table, dropped off a mint, turned around, then came back and said, you know what?
Speaker: For you nice people, I'm going to give you an extra mint.
Speaker: Tips like went through the roof.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: And it didn't change.
Speaker: What was given wasn't changed at all.
Speaker: It was the same two mints, but the way that it was given is what changed.
Speaker: And it like went up like 200% or something like that.
Speaker: Like tips went up, went up a lot.
Speaker: A lot.
Speaker: I can't remember this percentage.
Speaker: You'll have to watch it.
Speaker: But it breaks down each of the, each of like the basis is.
Speaker: And so I feel like I've tried to like adopt that because one of the other ones is, um...
Speaker: is like being an expert.
Speaker: So this is, okay, I'm going to, is this okay?
Speaker: Is that okay?
Speaker: No, we're good.
Speaker: And I just remembered it.
Speaker: I just remembered it.
Speaker: And so it's coming back to me because the other one, so there's that one where it's just like the way you say things and the way you give things will change the way they're perceived.
Speaker: It's just perception.
Speaker: And then the other one is, the other example was, they did, it was like a real estate.
Speaker: So people called in and say, hey, I want to see,
Speaker: what my property would rent for.
Speaker: I want you guys to manage it, whatever it is.
Speaker: And so when they call them the receptionist, they would pass them off to somebody who's experienced in renting properties and property management.
Speaker: And so what they did was they changed the way the receptionist answered the phone or transferred, handed it off to
Speaker: To being, oh, you want to rent your property.
Speaker: Let me connect you with Adam, who has 15 years experience renting properties.
Speaker: He'll take care of you.
Speaker: And that resulted in another massive increase in getting that business.
Speaker: And so the way – this might be giving away a secret, but the way I train my setters is I have them before they set the appointment.
Speaker: It's like – it's going to be like, oh, I don't know if I can get you on my guy's schedule.
Speaker: He's really busy.
Speaker: but he is like the solar nerd.
Speaker: He's like the guy to meet with.
Speaker: And so I don't know if I can get you on a schedule then.
Speaker: Oh, we actually had a reschedule tomorrow.
Speaker: You'll be able at four.
Speaker: And so that, as soon as I show up, like people will, I got some setters that are really gotten crazy with it, but I'll show up and they're like, I hear you're a nerd about solar.
Speaker: And I'm like, well, yeah, like I love solar.
Speaker: Like I'll try not to get too nerdy on you guys.
Speaker: So if I get too nerdy, tell me to shut up.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You know, and like it's it makes a huge difference in just the way it's handed off.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So I'll anyways.
Speaker: Well, that's fire.
Speaker: I like that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Well, then just creating that like, I don't know, maybe it's social pressure or whatever of like they don't want to disappoint you.
Speaker: I guess kind of going back to what you're saying about hooking them up with the deal, you know, if they don't sign.
Speaker: um because that just reminded me like i had a deal uh yesterday this mexican lady where like you know she was not what she wanted to think about it whatever and then we just had to push a little bit further and then finally like her true objection came out that she wanted to like talk to her daughter or whatever which her daughter was just like in the other room so like okay well yeah just get your daughter we'll just explain it to her right now yeah
Speaker: And then explained it to her, their daughter's like, yeah, mom, this sounds awesome.
Speaker: You should do it.
Speaker: They were like, okay, cool.
Speaker: Got it handled.
Speaker: But like so many people, they don't like, I don't know, push past it or like throw something out there.
Speaker: I think when you do that and people can see that they're helping you and then you're trying really hard to help them and
Speaker: you're not doing it in like a pressure way but it's just like hey like you guys can do this whenever um yeah i mean prices go up we lose incentives and all that so that's why i'm saying we're just trying to get you in before a lot of these deadlines but i want to help you guys um and like yeah and michael o'donnell i think he uses the whole like instead of us uh like having our follow-up team we have a whole like uh marking department and
Speaker: They can call you every day.
Speaker: They're really good at their job.
Speaker: But like, why don't we, instead of paying them, why don't we just use that and get you like, you know, 700 bucks bonus right now that we would have had to pay them.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And we take care of it.
Speaker: So stuff like that.
Speaker: That's solid.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I think it helps a ton.
Speaker: But no, I like that.
Speaker: And then, yeah, like maybe one last question here, Josh, like I guess for the setters to speaking of setters, I know we all struggle with like the appointments showing up and everything.
Speaker: And maybe that helps the line you just gave us here a second ago.
Speaker: But is there anything else you coach your setters on or that you see really successful setters to have like a good conversion on setting the appointment and I'm actually showing up and not like ghosting you or not like canceling at the door, falling through, stuff like that?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: There's a couple of things that I've had my setters do.
Speaker: Of course, you're always going to have appointments that fall through, that fall off.
Speaker: But if the setter has done a decent job of disqualifying them at the door, a lot of pullbacks.
Speaker: But in addition to like, I don't know if I can get my guy's schedule, there's also like, hey, do me a favor.
Speaker: If for any reason you can't make this appointment, let me know the day before.
Speaker: Because if I waste his time, I get in huge trouble.
Speaker: And so that typically will help increase the sitting percentage.
Speaker: But it just has to be like that vibe because from the start, Michael Donald, I was at SolarCon.
Speaker: I was just talking to him.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Picked up another couple of nuggets every time I talked to him.
Speaker: He's good.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So, I mean, he, uh, from the very, from the very first impression, like very first, like meeting at the door, it's kind of, it's kind of going to paint the path for the rest of like the sit.
Speaker: Cause like the, the setter can, can make a bunch of stuff.
Speaker: Why say this, this, it's not solar.
Speaker: It's this, it's that, you know?
Speaker: And then you show up and then like you mother effers, like, yeah, this is solar, you know?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Like you guys lied.
Speaker: That's just like a bad first impression versus if it is – once they've gotten through and it's like a qualified set, if they're just doing those pullbacks where it's like, yeah, I'm not sure if you guys qualify.
Speaker: I'm not the expert.
Speaker: Let me see if I can get you on my guy's calendar.
Speaker: Like Josh is like the solar nerd.
Speaker: Like let me see if I can get you on his calendar.
Speaker: He's a hard one to nail down.
Speaker: But like, yeah.
Speaker: And then it's like, oh, before you leave, by the way, do me a favor.
Speaker: If you can't meet, tell me 24 hours in advance because I'll get in huge trouble if I waste his time.
Speaker: Yeah, and even if people are just maybe doing their own self-gen deals, I think you'd even just do, hey, our team, they spend an hour plus just preparing these designs and everything.
Speaker: So if they prepare it and we're not able to get it to you, then we get in big trouble.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Probably do something like that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Self-gen deals.
Speaker: I've heard some guys do self-gen, they'll charge them $20, take a $20 deposit or something.
Speaker: I don't know about that, but...
Speaker: But you're going to have fall off.
Speaker: And that's the other thing that you kind of have to accept, especially once you start doing a lot of volume is like, you're going to have some fall off.
Speaker: You're going to have some jobs, some deals fall off and you just have to take it in stride.
Speaker: It is what it is.
Speaker: And so you just go replace it with a couple more, do everything you can, like just control what you can control, stay emotionally centered and like, you'll, you'll be fine.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So good.
Speaker: Well, Josh, it's been awesome hanging out with you, having you on the show today.
Speaker: So if people want to connect with you more, I know you're super selective joining the team.
Speaker: So, you know, you have to really qualify for that.
Speaker: If you want to join a solid team, hit up Taylor.
Speaker: I mean, there's room.
Speaker: I just built out a...
Speaker: I'd go into a couple other areas if guys are independent.
Speaker: I'm open to something like that.
Speaker: If guys are independent and just want a good spot to plug in, I can make sure guys get paid.
Speaker: But as far as a fresh recruit, I'm...
Speaker: I currently am just not a great, great spot for a fresh recruit just to be totally transparent.
Speaker: You're just doing a pullback right now.
Speaker: All these fresh guys are like, oh, I'm going to do whatever it takes.
Speaker: No, I'm saying it in a tailor because like you, yeah, I'm, I know you because legacy, legacy.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: You guys got a robust operation where I'm sure you've got training and all that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: My training is like, yeah, I don't, I don't have like a sales book.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: That's cool.
Speaker: But yeah, maybe if people want to connect more with you, ask more questions, what's the best way to get in touch on your job, like Instagram or whatever you want to drop?
Speaker: Yeah, no, they can hit me up on Instagram for sure.
Speaker: It's just Joshua dot hair.
Speaker: I'm always open to like talk.
Speaker: I am pretty dang busy, but if guys want to text me, I'll throw out my number.
Speaker: It's 801-472-7621.
Speaker: If they want to hit me up directly, I'm always open for like questions, help dudes out.
Speaker: Cool.
Speaker: Don't spam me, please.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: I don't know if that was good, but other than that, just socialjoshua.hair.
Speaker: I'm not super active.
Speaker: I don't post a lot.
Speaker: So after SolarCon, I feel like maybe I should be.
Speaker: There you be.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Well, I've been trying to, like, even, like, this podcast.
Speaker: I've only done one other podcast, and...
Speaker: I would like to get more into it.
Speaker: I don't know if it's interesting or not or if people would even be interested.
Speaker: But I would like to get more social.
Speaker: I've been trying to – it's just like finding the time to make Instagram posts and stuff.
Speaker: It's not something I'm great at.
Speaker: Yeah, no, it's a lot.
Speaker: You can always get social media managers and stuff like that.
Speaker: It can help.
Speaker: Do you have recommendations?
Speaker: Yeah, I'll recommend you some.
Speaker: I'm not going to tell the people on the podcast.
Speaker: Okay, good.
Speaker: No, you can hit us up for that too.
Speaker: But no, so yeah, again, it's been fun having you on, Josh.
Speaker: And maybe one final piece of advice.
Speaker: If someone's struggling or going through a rough patch right now, what would you say to that person?
Speaker: Just to wrap up the show here.
Speaker: Yeah, if you're struggling, it depends on what part of the process you're struggling in.
Speaker: But overall, if you can just dissect your process, reverse engineer it, and maybe come up with something new.
Speaker: But really, I think that the best piece of advice is just to stay balanced, where it's like you're going to have ruts.
Speaker: Like there's times where it's like you feel like nothing's going right.
Speaker: And in those times where you're like, nothing's going right, everything's falling off the calendar, people are canceling, like, why am I even doing this?
Speaker: Like, you have to stay balanced where it's like, oh, but, you know, a month ago I was up here.
Speaker: And so there's just valleys and there's hills and valleys.
Speaker: And so, like, the best piece of advice I can give to people is just to...
Speaker: Stay emotionally balanced.
Speaker: Stay emotionally balanced and just keep plugging away.
Speaker: Because if you keep plugging away, the deals come, like success comes.
Speaker: And it's the same with anything.
Speaker: Like it doesn't matter what industry and what your job is.
Speaker: If you're just plugging away and just focusing and controlling what you can control, like it's going to come.
Speaker: Just be patient.
Speaker: So good.
Speaker: So good.
Speaker: So guys, go hit Josh up.
Speaker: Let them know you appreciated him coming on the show.
Speaker: And don't be spamming him with his number.
Speaker: Ladies, he's just got a girlfriend.
Speaker: So don't be a... And she's great.
Speaker: Shout out to Kendall because she'd be upset if I didn't shout her out at least once.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Thanks, Kendall, for dealing with this guy.
Speaker: She let me come down here.
Speaker: This is my first day back in probably like three weeks.
Speaker: I haven't seen her.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Thank you, Kendall.
Speaker: Thank you.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Well, thanks again, Josh.
Speaker: We look forward to hopefully having you on in a future episode.
Speaker: And yeah, thanks for all you do.
Speaker: Thanks, Taylor.
Speaker: And we'll talk soon.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Appreciate it.
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