Anybody in Solar?

It depends on your commission on your average sale. That will tell you how much you can invest Per Appointment, before you show up.

If you are going to see consumers, I'd just send them an e-mail, confirming the appointment, restating that both husband & wife need to be there (if a couple) , and point them to either an article about solar power, or a company brochure (online).

If the appointment is more than a few days away, send them a small package restating the appointment, and include a company brochure and maybe a couple of articles about solar. If your company has a video (that you don't show them at the appointment), send that too.

I may have covered this in the book you read, but it's not important that they see the material you send, it's important that they feel like you sent them something for free, and it sets you apart from the competition.

Personally, I'd much rather have the appointment for the next day, and no information sent, than them waiting a week an getting information. A lot can happen in a week. They can go from hot to cold, change their minds, or buy from someone else.

And this is key, if you do send them something, as soon as you get there, ask them if they read it (or watched it). and if they didn't (most won't) you have to now tell hem that it was general information, and everything you sent them will all be covered in the presentation.

The worst thing you want to hear at the end is "Well, we have your information, we'll let you know." So you have to discount what that information is, once you get there.

When I used to send them a book I wrote (ahead of the appointment), once I got there, I made sure they knew the book was just a general overview, and everything would be covered while I was there. The first time I heard "We'll read the book and give you a call. Thanks for the book", was enough for me to know to separate the information I sent from their specific needs.

As far as referrals, the ones you want are friends of the new customer. Find out if they ever referred a sales rep before. Ask what happened.

I'm assuming you have read my book on prospecting (based on what you just said) The entire value in referrals is the relationship to your customer, even more than whether they were interested in solar already.


study the section on referrals. It's easy to screw that up.

Added later; The packages were sent first class mail, because they were all local. I'm assuming your appointments are all local as well.

As far as selling solar. First, I'd exhaust the company sales training options, then the industry training options. There are plenty of excellent videos specifically about selling solar on Youtube. Just search Youtube for "Selling solar".


Water softener buyers. They may have spent several thousand dollars on a system. And they have proven that they are home owners that buy from in home salespeople on the first call.

What about people who bought electric cars? It would seem that the appeals would be similar. These are people that are environmentally conscious, invest money to prove it, and want all they friends and neighbors to know how "environmentally aware" they are.

And.....my first calls might be to people who already bought solar. Especially if they bought from your company. Can you get that list?

Do customer experience surveys.

Not to sell them, but to ask about their experience. If they tell you a tale of woe, let it go. If they brag to you about how much they love it, and what a deal they got...ask who they told about their investment in solar. Then ask what their friends said in return.


Believe me, the first several months after a sale is made..is when the stories get told to friends...and nobody else is asking for referrals from these customers then.

You'll get the names of people who already expressed interest, in your brand of solar panels....and are friends with a buyer.

These people will usually see you (after a pleasant rapport building call), they won't shop your price (because they will know it before you get there), and they know people that bought from your company, and are ecstatic about it.

And of course, once you get referrals from your own customers, and these referrals buy, keep getting more referrals from the same source. Buyers talking to buyers, referring buyers to you. You'll soon end up with a "Web of buyers". Every sale supporting every other sale.

Ewen,
Yieldbot is the only intent database I've been able to find for consumers so far. The rest seem to be b2b. Do you have a recommendation?