Solar PV Sales

[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!