Solar PV Sales

[SolarCity]

The economy needs salespeople as much as industry needs people to sell stuff for them.

I don't see it.

All a salesperson should be doing is showing a customer what a system can do. And then leave the decision up to the customer.

Not everyone can sell, I certainly couldn't wire up a PV system.

But what does a good salesperson do that a bad (in terms of succesful sales) does not?

Either a customer wants the system or they do not. When I go to the supermarket, I don't need someone following me around telling my that I really ought to buy a tin of tomatoes.

I can tell from your posts that you are an ethical salesperson, Somecamel and a credit to the industry but this industry is riddled with salespeople - utterly riddled. Some of lies and pressure that have been inflicted on our potential customers is disgraceful and I genuinely wonder how some people sleep at night.

 

[FB.]

As this is the solar installation section of an electricians forum, as against a general forum for all comers or for financial advice or speculators that would seem like a good idea.

OK, I will stop posting - but your unwelcoming reply doesn't come across very well as a representaive of the industry.
The solar/renewables industry needs all the friends and support that it can find - wherever they may be in society. I was a supporter, but your hostile reply isn't doing much to make me sympathetic to the industry.
Until you pressed me on what I do/did, I was just another ordinary member on here who hadn't been troublesome (and I told you the truth; I could have lied to keep the peace).
You never had a problem until - as I said in an earlier posting; I tell people what they *need* to hear, not what they want to hear. It often makes me unpopular, but at least I can sleep well.

Regards - and goodbye,
F

 

[Somecamel]

A good salesperson won't just be in it for the first sale for a start. We build relationships.

It has often been said that a person buys the person that is selling the product.

I'm sure many of you on here are more than capable of 'selling' a system to a customer but believe me there are many others that shudder at the thought of having to talk to them.

Sales people have a place in most lines of business and we're not all bad people.

My worry is much as yours is. The double glazing style of sales has been creeping into the Solar since it's inception back in the Solar Thermal days and the industry received a hell of a lot of bad press back then.

I'm hoping that the new MCS rules that state the MCS registered company can be the only one to sell a system will get rid of some of the parasites.

Now I'm sat here refreshing the DECC site for the announcement that is already half hour late

 

[trevor79]

Think there is a few of us doing that!

 

[finchy]

yes me too !With regard to Sales that all new to me and learning fast, upto December most work was referral and the systems sold them selfs. We have tried leaflet drops, local press and Stand in local DIY all at End of Jan. only 3 leads which as yet have booked a survey. All our current jobs are referrals again. Its a difficult sell going forward, targeting the right people is key, we have a 99% success rate in all our quotes. So for us its getting through the door, but with all this current uncertainty its making things so hard !

 

[Somecamel]

I have to admit it has been a bit of a shock to the system post December getting back into the swing of selling- it was far too easy in the rush and I have to admit I got a bit lazy.

We too get a lot of referrals which helps. Never really had any luck with leaflets. Tried Radio- Waste of time

 

[finchy]

I do look around and wonder how all the others get their work is everyone else working on just referrals ....

 

[Somecamel]

I get a lot of leads from Google, a few from YouGen and some from Checkatrade.

I 'buy' a few from lead generation sites but tbh they're never really any good.

I think the 'big' solar 'Sales' companies tend to have in house telecanvassing teams.

 

[finchy]

The funnest thing was our 1st PV sale was from a customer who looked us up on the REAL database she had about 10 firms quoting and she was well impressed by knowledge and lack of salemen chat and also that we where not just Solar PV installers (being electricians and Construction ...NOT double glazzing although I do fancy beating them at their own game !!)

 

[SRE]

Sales are always slow in January, it just felt worse because of the rush before. 90% of our work is from recommendations and the other 10% comes from people finding us on the Internet when they are looking for local installers. It took us about 6 months from the start of the business to get to this stage so if you haven't been operating for that long and you can afford it don't lose heart it will come if you treat your customers well.

It always tickles me when the phone rings and someone says they've seen one of our vans - err we've only got one!! Or can you send one of your men to measure up and quote, that'll be me then

 

[finchy]

Cheers for the encouragement SRE - I'm on Google every week trying to improve our listings. yes I agree with treating our customers well yes we are a small family business, which is continuly evolving as one does !

 

[njcuk]

Whilst there are some terrible salesman, on the flip side, there are plenty of terrible installers. Plenty of arrogance on here. I presume most of you sell your own systems? That's right, sell. So you are salesman as well as installers, electricians, business owners.

Although it's very unstable at the moment, the industry needs to work better throughout and show more stability, not 6 pages of moaning and different parts of the PV business process.

Some brilliant installers and technical people, might not be great salesman, so would need the help and vice-versa ( the chap who mentioned he had his own business but wasn't sure how to wire it up ). Some of the leading businesses in the world have CEO's, Directors etc, who don't know everything on the products.

 

[moggy1968]

cetainly you don't need to know how to do the job on the shop floor to run a business, you need to know how to run a business. You don't need to be able to install a solar system to be able to sell it (although some technical knowledge is useful!)

There are certainly bad salesmen and bad installers, and I think you would generally find them in the same companies. As I said before, it's a culture that runs from the top down.

The destruction of the solar industry will probably resolve some of this as the chancers and fast buck makers will leave, or will the pressure to secure the diminishing business make it even worse as desperation sets in? Will the pressure on prices mean corners are cut and standards drop?

 

[babba]

Balance at last...Just as I got to thinking Richard branson was a pilot...

 

[SRE]

Visited 2 customers and had a phone conversation with another all this week.

One sold a £14k 3.2kwp system @ 43p with a 19% ROI
One with an £18k 4 system, (or 20k for a 4.8kwp) promised repayment in 5 years and 6,500 khw generated a year @ 43p
One with a 4kwp quote for a lean to garage that won't fit a 2kwp system @ 43p.

3 different companies, one thing in common - salesman visited.

 

[Somecamel]

I had a similar one the other day- I was the 2nd person in.

I quoted on 8 panels on the only unshaded part of the roof there was.

They told me the other guy went for 16 panels lol

I haven't heard back

 

[babba]

Visited 2 customers and had a phone conversation with another all this week.

One sold a £14k 3.2kwp system @ 43p with a 19% ROI
One with an £18k 4 system, (or 20k for a 4.8kwp) promised repayment in 5 years and 6,500 khw generated a year @ 43p
One with a 4kwp quote for a lean to garage that won't fit a 2kwp system @ 43p.

3 different companies, one thing in common - salesman visited.

Did you go dressed as Batman..LOL..

 

[finchy]

its is shocking one job we were 4K cheaper ...and he gave them a deposit which he promptly got back !! I only now think who was to fool......

 

[SRE]

Did you go dressed as Batman..LOL..

Batman ?????

 

[SolarCity]

Batman ?????

It went over my head too!