April 14, 2016 | By RGR Marketing Blog

Learning From the Financial Management World

To some, going solar is a means of reducing environmental impact. To others, it’s primarily viewed as a cost-cutting measure. But regardless of one’s reasons for installing solar panels, making the leap to solar energy is an investment.

And as any investor knows, you don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. You spread your money around with a full investment portfolio. In doing so, you insulate yourself from risk and increase your odds of building wealth.

As it turns out, you and your solar clients can learn something from the financial management world. The portfolio sales technique shows your clients that you’ve really researched their needs, and that you have their best interests at heart. As a result, you’ll close more deals and install solar panels in more places, and you’ll maximize the revenue potential for each client.

How Portfolio Sales Work

Like a financial planner, you’ll take stock of your potential clients’ assets and see which of them offers the greatest potential return on investment. This asset inventory can take place on a large scale or a small one.

For example, let’s say you have a client who runs a regional chain of department stores, and they’re considering meeting some of their electricity needs through solar. That’s a great idea, as it will save them money and increase their credibility with environmentally concerned customers.

But not all of their locations will be equally suited as solar installation sites. As a solar system designer or installer, you’d be well advised to check up on all of your clients’ potential sites to see which ones provide the best bang for the buck, even if the client has already selected a few sites that they think will be ideal.

Leverage Your Expertise

What if you and your client have different ideas about where their new solar arrays should go? That’s OK. Simply explain why you’ve selected the locations you have.

For example, you might have eliminated one site because the roof is covered in skylights or is situated at an angle that would reduce the efficiency of the solar array. You might have instead selected another location that, while the roof is less than ideal, there’s a sunny parcel of land that would make an excellent spot for a ground-mounted solar array.

You might also use the portfolio sales technique for a residential customer. Think of each possible solar installation site and each roof section as an asset. Then figure out which assets will provide optimal results. Maybe the best option will end up being the standard south-facing roof, or perhaps a ground-mounted array will provide the best return.

When the client sees that you’ve taken the time to research their options and put together a portfolio of options that offers the best ROI, they’ll respect your expertise and admire your initiative. Not only that, but they’ll trust that the options you’re offering will meet their needs and stay within their budget.

Make the Most of Every Interaction

If this all sounds like a lot of work, consider the following:

Customer acquisition costs a lot of money. By using the portfolio sales technique, you’ll be able to sell multiple arrays to individual customers.

Not only that, but solar system design software makes creating a portfolio easier than ever. Programs such as HelioScope, EASYSOLAR, and PVSYST allow you to create an impressive solar portfolio in relatively short order, and back your sales pitch with hard data.

The portfolio sale technique might not work for every client, but it’s a useful arrow to have in your solar sales quiver. We hope it helps your solar business reach its full potential.

[Photo via: Flickr]

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