Solar Sales

Responsibilities will vary across the seniority of the sales role. Here is a breakdown of the high-level differences between roles across levels:

• Entry-level:  Roles will primarily be responsible for understanding your company’s offerings, identifying and contacting customers through phone email, and in-person meetings.  You will conduct the first energy assessment to gather information on consumption, shading, and any other onsite factors that could impact the installation.  You will work with internal teams to develop a proposal and answer follow-up questions and may be responsible for a quota.

• Mid-level:  Seasoned sales representatives will be responsible for a book of business and have defined quotas that need to be hit.  You may or may not have the support of a junior employee to source customers, but you will have to close deals and ensure customers are happy with products and services through to installation and operations.

• Senior: Senior, director, or executive sales representative will be responsible for the sales revenue brought in the by the company.  You will need to manage a team of employees, ensuring they are hitting their number and performance managing accordingly.  You will need to seek out growth opportunities and collaborate with other leaders at your companies to

Generally, across levels the responsibility of a solar sales organization will span these core activities

• Identifying and qualifying customers: This involves researching and identifying potential customers who may be interested in solar energy solutions, reaching out to them through calls, emails, or in-person meetings, and qualifying their interest and needs.

• Presenting and explaining the benefits of solar energy and why your company is the right one for installation: While many customers are eager to transition to Solar with recent legislation and technological advances, many will have detailed questions and you will need to explain how the process works, the expected return on investment, and why your company and team is the right one for the job

• Conducting solar energy assessments: The sales team should be able to conduct on-site assessments of the energy needs and solar potential of prospective customers. This includes analyzing energy consumption data, roof conditions, shading, and other factors that may impact the feasibility of a solar installation.

• Developing proposals and presenting solar solutions: Based on the results of the assessments, the sales team should develop comprehensive proposals that outline the benefits and cost savings of solar energy. They should then present these proposals to potential customers, answering any questions or concerns they may have.

• Negotiating contracts and closing sales: The sales team is responsible for closing deals and signing contracts with interested customers. They must be able to negotiate effectively and handle any objections that potential customers may have.

• Building and maintaining customer relationships: After a sale has been closed, the sales team must maintain relationships with customers to ensure their satisfaction with the solar installation. This includes answering any questions, handling any issues that may arise, and providing ongoing support and service.

• Keeping up-to-date with industry trends and being the voice of the customer: The sales team must stay informed about new solar technologies, industry regulations, and best practices for selling solar systems. They should continuously educate themselves to become experts in the field and maintain credibility with potential customers.  Sales teams must communicate feedback from customers back to the team to stay.

Note that the process can vary significantly between commercial and residential projects.  Residential projects will require a more personal approach as people are making investments into their homes and generally need more education

Commercial projects will generally:

• Focus on larger, more complex projects: projects will involve more complex energy needs, unique financing structures, and more stakeholders than residential projects.

• Have more stakeholders: Projects can include property owners, architects, engineers, and contractors, which require a higher level of coordination and communication.

• Require more complex financing structures: Commercial projects will require bigger budgets and sales reps may have to be familiar with additional financing options such as power purchase agreements (PPAs) or tax equity financing.

• Have much longer time horizons:  Residential projects can be completed in a couple of months (from sales to permitting to installation), but commercial projects will span quarters or years.