Train, train and train some more

Since residential solar is still a relatively new space compared to others in the home improvement industry, salespeople can have a steep learning curve. They need to learn the technology and when to bring engineers into the sales play. They need to be familiar with economics, and when to bring the financing people into the mix. Salespeople also need to grasp the buyer’s psychology and the fine dance of getting them from “maybe” to “yes.” Finally, they also need to fully understand the selling process and when to ask for the order.solar mounting structure

Someone created his own “Solar University” covering all that material. “We’d have sales training twice per week, and it could take up to six months before a new rep is truly ready to go out on their own,” he said. “It’s not just knowing about inverters, DC to AC, kilowatts and panels. They also need to know human solar energy systems behavior.