Solar sales: how to close more appointments

Homeowners come in skeptical. They've heard "free solar" ads, a neighbor had a bad installer, and the numbers sound too good. On top of that it's a big, long-term decision, often financed, usually made by two people. The reps who close consistently don't pitch harder. They earn trust and let the homeowner reach the decision themselves.

Get both decision makers at the table before you start. If one is missing, it's usually better to reschedule than to present twice.

Savings is the stated reason. The real reason might be rising bills on a fixed income, wanting independence after an outage, protecting the family against future rate hikes, or the environment. Find it, because it's what they'll decide on.

• "What got you looking at solar now?"
• "What's your bill been doing over the last couple of years?"
• "How long are you planning to stay in the home?"
• "If you did nothing, what do you think your bills look like in five years?"
• "Has anything put you off solar before?"

That last question surfaces objections early, while they're easy to deal with.

Build the numbers from their own bill, not an average. Show the current path (what they'll pay the utility over 20 years if rates keep rising at a conservative rate) next to the solar path (payment plus whatever they still owe the utility). Be conservative; homeowners discount optimistic numbers, and one exaggeration costs you the whole presentation.

Explain incentives clearly and accurately for their area, and don't promise what depends on their tax situation. Tell them to confirm with their tax adviser.

Don't fight it; shape it. Teach them how to compare, so other quotes are judged on what you do well.

If both decision makers are present, ask each of them how they feel before the close; the quieter one usually has the real objection. If financing is involved, explain the payment, term and what happens if they sell the house, clearly and early.

Ask directly, then be quiet. If they're not ready, find out exactly what's missing and agree a specific time to finish it. "Let us think about it" with no date is how deals disappear.

Record your appointments (with consent) and grade them. Most solar reps find their biggest leak in discovery: presenting savings before they know the bill, the motivation and the timeline. Rep·Ramp grades every appointment on discovery, presentation, objection handling and closing, and the solar-specific fixes come with exact wording.