Consultation - lienergy.org info/Sales Playbook V1 interactive.pdf · The best consultation flow to...

Consultation H E L P I N G C U S T O M E R S B E L I E V E I N A B E T T E R W A Y

No matter whether you call it a site visit or a sales call or even a customer meeting, the solar consultation is the cornerstone of your sales success. The following material will help you understand:

The basic process of how to run a consultation

The best consultation flow to influence your customers

How to encourage customers to provide you referrals during the first consultation

How To Use This Book This book is a study- guide, designed to help you think critically about the sales consultation. Regularly, you will see updates of information. For example, the sample slides included may be re-formatted or have numbers and graphics updated to update changes at SolarCity.

Discussion: Becoming a Consultant At SolarCity, you are not a salesperson. You are a consultant.

What are some of the criteria that distinguish a “salesperson” from a

“consultant?

How do you incorporate these activities in your current consultations?

Version 1

Consultation

PRE-WARMUP If you will physically be in the home, your arrival is important in helping build your credibility and starting the call on the right foot.

Incorporate self-talk into your routine: Take a few minutes to mentally prepare yourself.

Before you approach the house, take a minute to scan the neighborhood for other homes that would be good for solar as well as homes that have solar You can use this information later in the consultation to help generate referrals.

If you have a company vehicle, try to park this vehicle in a place where the homeowner and others will see it. Don’t park in the driveway unless instructed by the customer.

Before getting out of the car make sure your computer is on, you are connected to the MiFi, and have SFDC, SolarBid and NearMe open. You can put it in “sleep” mode to conserve energy while you build rapport.

Take a few steps back after knocking on the door. This helps make you more approachable and less threatening to the homeowner.

Ask if you should remove your shoes (and be prepared to do so.) Be wary of pets. If the homeowner has a pet, check that the animal will be

comfortable with you entering the home. Introduce yourself to dogs by putting the back of your hand to their nose to sniff. If the dog seems scared or distressed, try to stay a safe distance.

Activity: My Self-Talk

Self-talk is a technique you can use to help you stay in a positive mindset. Take a few minutes to write out a few words or phrases that positively shape your frame of mind to help customers go solar.

CONFIDENTIAL Page 1

Consultation

STEP 1: WARMUP

Why Me? Many ECs forget that in order to help a customer go solar, the customer must make a choice to want to work with the EC. To choose you, customers must:

Like you Trust you

o And believe you. They need to believe that you are acting in their best interest and not just “selling” them something.

Relate to you o Put effort into personally connecting to your customers.

Warming Up the Customer Once in the home, ask the customer where they would like for you to set up, acknowledging that you have some information to review and a kitchen or dining room table would be ideal. Take a few minutes to learn more about the customer on a personal level. Some technique to try:

Try to find something in common Ask questions and then listen. You should spend twice as much of this time

actively listening to the customer o If you are in the home, you want to be able to see both people you are

presenting to at the same time. Listen for verbiage or body movements that suggest that the customer is ready to

move on o Body cues: Shifting in the seat; looking at their clock or watch; physically

moving to another area of the home o Verbal cues: “So, what do you have for me today?” “I think that we are

ready to get started” etc.

Page 2

Consultation

Working with Referrals

If a referral, leverage your relationship with the referrer: o Confirm their relationship: So, how do you know Karen? What has she told you

about SolarCity? o Explain your relationship to the referrer: I met Karen through her co-worker, Todd.

As you said, she was really concerned about her high utility bills, so I worked with her to find a solar solution to lower her spending pretty considerably.

o Check if the lead has seen the referrer’s system: Have you seen Karen’s solar system? What do you think?

o Introduce the Ambassador Program: I’m not sure if Karen told you, but SolarCity has a fantastic referral program that rewards you for recommending your friends and family.

Warming Up Customers: Inside Sales For leads that come to you either from marketing sources, you often have a very short window to engage the customer and give them a reason to stay on the phone. You need to establish how the customer got to you and immediately begin building credibility. Build rapport by:

Establishing why they called and how much time they have: I understand that you responded to an ad online requesting information on how to save money on electricity? How much time do we have?

Link to previous customers: I’ve worked with dozens of homeowners just like you who were looking to lower their utility bills.

High-level value of SolarCity: I represent SolarCity, and we may be able to provide you energy for less than you are paying currently. Have you heard of SolarCity? We are the largest residential solar provider in the US.

Transition to Discovery: I have a few questions that I need to ask to help me make the best recommendation for you.

For strategies for working with specific lead types, see the Inside Sales Warm-Up Plays.

CONFIDENTIAL Page 3

Consultation

Discussion: Warming Up

1. What are a few ways to try to find something in common with the customer? 2. What are some other body or verbal cues that you should become familiar with to

ensure you are accommodating the customer’s pace?

STEP 2: DISCOVERY The Discovery process is critical in developing trust with your customer. Through discovery you will understand the customer’s specific needs, wants, fears, etc. The Discovery process will ensure you not only provide the best solution, but that you are able to address customer questions or objections effectively.

Intent Statement Before jumping in, many ECs will set expectations for the consultation. Known as their statement of intent, these ECs explain what is coming and remind the customer that if he/she is excited to move forward, there will be an opportunity to do that at the end of the consultation. Intent Statement or Bridge will:

Describe the Goal, the Process, the desired Outcome. Should include the words “anyway, educate, choice, next steps, decision”

MY GOAL IS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW YOU BUY ENERGY. THE GOOD THING IS BUYING

ENERGY IS SOMETHING YOU DO ANYWAY, WHETHER YOU GO SOLAR OR NOT. I’M HERE TO EDUCATE ON

HOW SOLARCITY OFFERS A CHOICE IN HOW YOU BUY IT. IF THE OPTION WE OFFER MAKES SENSE THEN

WE CAN DETERMINE IF IT’S A FIT FOR YOU AND MOVE FORWARD. DOES THAT WORK FOR YOU?

Page 4

Consultation

Next, show the Why Customers Go Solar slide and asking about the motivation:

THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS WHY PEOPLE LOOK IN TO SOLAR, INCLUDING TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM RISING UTILITY RATES, HELP THE ENVIRONMENT OR TO DO SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE

HOME THAT ADD VALUE. WHICH OF THESE WOULD YOU SAY ARE

IMPORTANT TO YOU?

A LOT OF MY CUSTOMERS SAY SAVING MONEY AND PROTECTING

THEMSELVES FROM RISING ENERGY COSTS IS IMPORTANT. SO WHAT

WOULD YOU DO WITH THE MONEY THAT YOU SAVE?

Finding the Fit If you have not already discussed our minimum credit requirements with the customer in an introduction call or email, you should uncover if our credit requirement will be an issue. For example:

ONE OF THE CRITERIA FOR GOING SOLAR IS TO HAVE A CREDIT SCORE OF (650 OR 680, DEPENDING ON STATE). DO YOU THINK THAT WILL BE AN ISSUE?

The Home

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN THE HOME?

HOW MUCH LONGER TO YOU EXPECT TO LIVE HERE?

Savings/Payments

HIGH S: IS LOCKING IN YOUR ENERGY RATES IMPORTANT TO YOU?

HIGH D: DO YOU WORRY ABOUT UPCOMING RATE HIKES?

HIGH I: DO HIGH UTILITY BILLS IMPACT YOUR FAMILY’S LIFESTYLE?

HIGH C: ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT?

Owning the System

IS OWNING YOUR SYSTEM IMPORTANT TO YOU?

CONFIDENTIAL Page 5

Consultation

DO YOU HAVE ANY MONEY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT DOWN?

Tax questions (MyPower)

WOULD A TAX CREDIT BE SOMETHING YOU WOULD FIND BENEFICIAL?

Renewable energy

IS PRODUCING CLEAN OR RENEWABLE ENERGY IMPORTANT TO YOU?

IF YOU HAD THE CHOICE BETWEEN NUCLEAR, COAL OR SOLAR ENERGY, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU

CHOOSE? WHY?

Discovery Tips

Be conversational

Have a one-on-one conversation with the customer.

Never interrupt

Not only is interrupting a customer rude, it also may cause them to shut down. Relax and listen. Take notes. This will help you focus and show the customer you are interested.

Don’t start talking about your product

It’s tempting to start explaining how SolarCity can help the customer. But in the Discovery phase, you are still gathering information. Listen and don’t product-dump.

Probe if you need to

If the customer doesn’t answer the question, or answer it well enough, ask it again or in a different way.

Tag-Ons for Different Buying Types

High D: What do you think? High I: How does that sound? High S: How do you feel about

that? High C: Does that make sense?

Page 6

Consultation

Involve everyone

If one person dominates the conversation, use techniques to draw in the other. For example:

Look at the participant when you ask a question. Ask for confirmation (Is that your main motivation, too? Is there anything else

that’s important to you?) Confirm understanding by using tag-ons

Discovery Practice Split into groups and take a few minutes practicing the discovery process. Are there any other questions that you think are essential to ask at this point in the sale?

CONFIDENTIAL Page 7

Consultation

The “Walk-around” If you are at the home, ask the customers if they will accompany you on an outside “walk-around” of their home. When to walk-around will vary by customer. Some customers will want to do this immediately. Others may need to “warmup” to you before they will feel comfortable. Top performing ECs will do the walk around either soon as they arrive, during their warmup or during the discovery process. During this walk:

“Sight Proof” the roof: Confirm obstructions, vents and other elements that will impact your design.

Get Buy- in: Talk to the customer about where they would like their panels. This helps establish ownership, as well as help identify people who may have talked to a competitor already.

Use Takeaways: Remind the customer that not everyone will qualify for solar, creating more “demand.” Point out any homes that you see that would not qualify and explain why.

Ask for Referrals: As you observe the home, show neighbors with roofs ideal for solar. For example, “that home has a great south facing roof mounting plan for solar. Do you know them?”

Takeaways

The Takeaway is a sales technique where you introduce an amazing opportunity and then introduce the idea that the customer may not be able to take advantage of it. By creating the fear of loss, you can generate more desire for the product.

Page 8

Consultation

STEP 3: WHY SOLAR? Excellent energy consultants have a process for connecting with their customers and helping these customers “believe in a better way.”

LET ME SHARE WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT SOLAR WHEN I JOINED SOLARCITY.

Sharing Your WHY All ECs should have a story that explains their WHY, or the reason that they are so passionate about working for SolarCity. In the spirit of reciprocity, you should always share your WHY with customers. Here are a few examples of stories from top performing Energy Consultants in the company.

I grew up in India, where we did not have electricity 24 hours a day. I understand firsthand the importance of having a reliable source of energy, and I love working for a company that is dedicated to providing a reliable and renewable source of energy. I love what I do, and that is why I love talking to people like you and getting you involved in our movement.

I have 4 small children, and I love the fact that I’m working for a company that is dedicated to preserving the earth for the next generation. But I can’t do this alone. That’s why I need the support of people like you to help me.

Other stories include discussing Give Power or the Solar Strong program.

Your WHY doesn’t need to be long, it just needs to be powerful and show your passion.

Tips for My Why?

Rehearsed, not scripted. 2 to 3 minutes is an ideal length

CONFIDENTIAL Page 9

Consultation

The Components of My Why

PERSONAL PIECE Explain your personal story (i.e., your Why?)

THEN AND NOW In this section of story, you should explain the past circumstances and the impact SolarCity has had on generating the change. For example:

PRIOR TO 2008, THE ONLY WAY TO GO SOLAR WAS TO PURCHASE THE SYSTEM. THEN, IN 2008

SOLARCITY PIONEERED A NEW AND BETTER WAY. NOT ONLY DID IT CHANGE THE WAY THAT OUR

COMPANY SOLD SOLAR BUT IT CAUSED THIS EXPLOSION OF SOLAR ACROSS THE US.

QUICK VALUE PROPOSITION: Finally, provide the customer a very quick value proposition about SolarCity that highlights savings, security, flexibility, and ease of working with SolarCity. For example:

SO HERE’S WHAT WE CREATED. WE OFFER ENERGY FOR LESS THAN WHAT YOU ARE PAYING NOW. WE CAN

LOCK IT IN FOR 2 TO 3 DECADES AND COMPLETELY PROTECT YOU FROM RISING UTILITY. AND WE MAKE IT

SO EASY – WE DO THE PERMITTING, THE DESIGN, WE REPAIR IF IT BREAKS, ETC.

TRANSITION TO WHY SOLAR? IF THIS SOUNDS INTERESTING, THAT’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DISCUSS FOR THE NEXT HOUR.

Page 10

Consultation

Activity: My WHY

Individually, take a few minutes to craft your WHY. Remember – if you are honest, your passion will come through in your story.

Personal Story

Then and now

SolarCity Value Proposition

Transition to Why Solar?

CONFIDENTIAL Page 11

Consultation

STEP 4: WHY SOLAR - UTILITY So far in the call, you have been building trust with the customer, while understanding needs and wants. You now are ready to help the customer understand the problem that going solar can solve.

Energy Bill

How You are Billed for Electricity Now

Ask the customer for their utility bill. Remember: When the customer agrees to go solar, you must have a full copy of a UB no more than 90 days old before engineering will create a design. Getting the UB now helps keep the job moving forward.

Start by explaining the purpose of the review:

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CURRENTLY ARE BILLED BY YOUR

UTILITY. LET’S START BY BREAKING DOWN YOUR MOST RECENT BILL.

Start by reviewing kWh and how the customer is charged. For example;

YOU’VE PROBABLY NOTICED THAT YOU ARE CHARGED BY KWH. BASICALLY, A KWH IS A UNIT OF

ELECTRICITY. FOR EXAMPLE,1 KWH IS ROUGHLY THE EQUIVALENT OF RUNNING YOUR VACUUM FOR

AN HOUR.

Tiered Time of Use Flat Rate

CURRENTLY, YOU ARE ALLOTTED A

CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ENERGY

EACH MONTH. ONCE YOU USE

THAT, YOU MOVE TO A HIGHER

TIER AND ARE CHARGED MORE. YOUR CHARGES CONTINUE TO RISE

AS YOU MOVE TO HIGHER TIERS.

CURRENTLY, YOU ARE CHARGED

MORE DURING PEAK HOURS. OFTEN, THESE PEAK TIMES ARE

WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN THEIR

HOMES, SO CONSERVING ENERGY

CAN BE DIFFICULT.

CURRENT, YOU ARE PAYING A FLAT

RATE FOR YOUR USAGE. IN

ADDITION, YOU ARE CHARGED

SOMETHING CALLED TRANSMISSION

AND DELIVERY.

The Utility Bill

If they do not have the bill, ask them to access it online.

Have instructions handy to help your customer access his/her bill online.

If your customer does not have an online account (or email address), work with him/her to create one

Always have a sample copy of the bill for their utility handy, just in case

Page 12

Consultation

Finally, review taxes, transmission and delivery fees, grid access charges, and any other ancillary fees that may vary by utility. Make sure to note any notifications of changes or rate increases on the customer’s bills.

If the customer allows, write on the utility bill, underlining the transmission, delivery/taxes, etc.

Then, transition to discussing rising energy costs.

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY THAT YOU ARE CHARGED FOR ENERGY? WOULD YOU SAY

THAT YOUR ENERGY EXPENSES HAVE GONE UP, DOWN OR STAYED THE SAME OVER THE LAST FEW

YEARS? BY HOW MUCH, WHY, WOULD YOU SAY?

Activity: Describing My Utility Bill

Determine the utility bill that you will encounter most frequently when selling. Using a copy of a UB you have gathered in the past:

Physically underline all of the key components that you need to review and number them.

Next, create a list of talking points for the key elements of the UB to review . Finally, break into pairs and take 10 minutes to review your talking points with you

partner.

ALTERNATE ACTIVITY If you are in an area where you deal with a multitude of utilities, use this exercise to

create a standard discuss around the three different types of bills that you will encounter.


Consultation

Discussion: Choice

Think back 10-20 years ago.

Can you think of a few products or services that you didn’t have many choices on the provider?

What improvements have you seen from choice? What value does choosing solar provide customers?

Confirming the Pain

Confirm with the customer that energy bills have gone up. You can use the EIA utility rate increase slide.

OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, ENERGY RATES HAVE INCREASED STEADILY. AS A CONSUMER, THERE

HASN’T BEEN MUCH THAT YOU COULD DO ABOUT THIS. YOU HAVE NEVER HAD A CHOICE FOR

HOW YOU COULD PAY FOR YOU ENERGY. YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO ENTER INTO A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT WITH YOUR ENERGY PROVIDER THAT PROVIDES YOU A PREDICTABLE ENERGY

RATE, WHICH IS WHAT I CAN OFFER YOU.

HOW HAS THIS LACK OF PREDICTABILITY AND CONTROL AFFECTED YOU? ARE YOU CONCERNED

ABOUT YOUR INABILITY TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM RISING UTILITY RATES IN THE FUTURE?

Remember: You want to create a sense of urgency by getting the customer excited about the potential the potential benefits that they can see from solar.

Page 14

Consultation

Use the Gas Analogy

By comparing rising utility rates to the increase in gas prices, you can really help customers visualize the impact of rising costs. .

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN GAS WAS $.79 A GALLON? NOW, IMAGINE IF I HAD OFFERED TO SELL YOU

5,000 GALLONS OF GAS FOR $.79 BACK THEN, AND I LET YOU PAY THAT $.79 AS YOU USED THE GAS. YOU’D BE ECSTATIC WITH ME RIGHT NOW, WOULDN’T YOU? YOU’D BE TELLING ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS. SO

THAT’S WHAT I’M HELPING YOU DO TODAY. I’M TAKING THAT UNPREDICTABILITY OUT OF THE EQUATION

AND ALLOWING YOU TO LOCK IN YOUR RATES NOW.

Discussion: Rising Costs

Think about other products and services that have increased in price over the past 10-20 years. Can you think of anything that hasn’t increased in price? Use the space below to write in your answers.


Consultation

How Solar Works Start by explaining how solar works:

YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN A SYSTEM ON A HOUSE, BUT YOU

MAY NOT UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS. THE SUN HITS THE

PANELS, AND CREATES ELECTRICITY THAT YOU CAN USE TO

POWER YOUR HOME. PRETTY SIMPLE. ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS

ARE TIED TO THE GRID. A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK ME ABOUT

THAT. THE REASON THAT WE CONNECT THESE SYSTEMS TO

THE GRID IS SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE

FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR SYSTEM’S PRODUCTION. YOUR UTILITY

IS GOING TO GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU

PRODUCE THROUGH SOMETHING CALLED NET ENERGY METERING. EVERYTHING THAT YOUR SYSTEM

PRODUCES, THE UTILITY WILL ALLOW YOU TO USE THAT ENERGY “CREDIT” DOWN THE ROAD, HELPING YOU

SAVE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF THE ENERGY THAT YOUR SYSTEM PRODUCES.

Putting in All Together Break into pairs. Together, think about the key points you will review with customers about:

Rising energy rates How solar works

Be prepared to share with the group.

Page 16

Consultation

STEP 5: WHY SOLARCITY?

Credibility Wall Show Who We Are slide

SOLARCITY WAS FOUNDED BY TWO BROTHERS, LYNDON AND PETER

RIVE, WHO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO POWER THE

PLANET. WE ARE A FULLY INTEGRATED COMPANY, MEANING THAT WE

TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING FOR YOU.

Show the slide Every Minute and explain:

EVERY MINUTE OF THE WORKDAY ANOTHER CUSTOMER CHOOSE TO JOIN

THE MOVEMENT BY GOING SOLAR WITH SOLARCITY.

Show the slide America’s Largest Solar Provider and explain:

WE HAVE CREATED NEARLY 9,600 CLEAN JOBS IN 16 STATES AND IN

YOUR COMMUNITY.


Consultation

Show the Market Share slide and explain:

SINCE WE WERE FOUNDED IN 2006, WE HAVE GROWN TO

BE THE LARGEST RESIDENTIAL SOLAR COMPANY IN THE US, WITH MORE SYSTEMS INSTALLED THAN THE NEXT 70

COMPANIES COMBINED. ONE OUT OF EVERY 3 HOME

OWNERS WHO GO SOLAR CHOOSE SOLARCITY.

Show Near Me

YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, WHAT ABOUT MY TOWN? AS YOU CAN

SEE HERE, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA HAVE GONE SOLAR WITH

SOLARCITY. AND WITH INCENTIVES EXPIRING, NOW IS THE TIME TO

LOCK IN YOUR RATES, AND SAVINGS, LONG-TERM.

Show SolarCity Financing Partners

A LOT OF PEOPLE WONDER IF WE ARE GOING TO BE AROUND IN 2, 5

OR EVEN 10 YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, SOLARCITY HAS A

STEADY STREAM OF FINANCING PARTNERS. THESE ARE COMPANIES

WHO ARE INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF CLEAN ENERGY.

Page 18

Consultation

Show Partner with Leading Brands slide

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ANY OF THESE BUSINESSES? THEY ALL ARE

SOLARCITY PARTNERS WHO WORK WITH US IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SOLARCITY WORKS WITH THE BEST.

Show Corporate Solar Installation slides (eBay & WalMart)

YOU MAY RECOGNIZE SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES AS WELL. COMPANIES SUCH AS EBAY, WALMART, AND STANFORD UNIVERSITY

ARE JUST A FEW OF THE LARGE CORPORATIONS AND UNIVERSITIES WHO

HAVE DECIDED TO USE SOLAR ENERGY. AND WHY DO YOU THINK

THEY HAVE DECIDED TO WORK WITH SOLARCITY? BECAUSE WE ARE

SOLAR EXPERTS. THIS IS WHAT WE DO.

IF YOU KNOW THAT THE CUSTOMER IS A VETERAN, YOU MAY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR SOLAR STRONG

INITIATIVE HERE, AS WELL.


Consultation

We Are Solar Experts with the Best Technology Show the 100% SolarCity Slide.

WHAT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE ASSET YOU OWN? YOUR HOME. AT

SOLARCITY, WE CONTROL EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR JOB WITH HIGHLY

TRAINED EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE CREATED OVER 9,600 CLEAN ENERGY

JOBS THROUGHOUT THE US AND IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

Show slide with Zep/Installation Slide

A LOT OF PEOPLE TELL ME THAT THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THE

SYSTEM IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE ON THEIR ROOF. SOLARCITY HAS

INVESTED OVER $100 MILLION IN OUR UNIQUE ZEP MOUNTING SYSTEM

TO CREATE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE SYSTEM YOU WILL FIND. THE LOW-PROFILE DESIGN AND FRONT TRIM MAKE THE SOLAR SYSTEM LOOK VERY

SLEEK ON YOUR ROOF. WE ARE SO CONFIDENT IN OUR INSTALLATIONS

THAT WE WARRANTY OUR WORK FOR THE FULL TERM OF YOUR

CONTRACT WITH SOLARCITY.

Page 20

Consultation

Show slide of MySolarCity & Power Guide (or get out your phone if you are in the house!)

AND WE LIKE TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU, AS

WELL. OUR ALL-IN-ONE APP, MYSOLARCITY, LETS YOU TRACK THE

PROGRESS OF YOUR JOB AND PROVIDES YOU REAL-TIME ACCESS TO

MONITOR YOUR SYSTEM’S PRODUCTION, AND IF YOUR ELECTRICAL

PANEL IS COMPATIBLE, WE CAN SHOW YOU YOUR ENERGY

CONSUMPTION. ALL FOR FREE. WE ARE THE ONLY COMPANY IN THE

COUNTRY THAT PROVIDES THIS. IT’S REALLY COOL TO SEE YOUR

ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.

NOW, ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS NEED ENERGY AND WANT TO SAVE MONEY, RIGHT? WELL, OUR SOLAR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM REWARDS YOU BY SHARING SOLARCITY WITH

THEM RIGHT HERE IN THIS APP.

Solar Ambassadors, Customer Service & Warranty Show slide SolarCity’s Commitment to You

ONE OF THE REASONS I LOVE WORKING FOR SOLARCITY IS

BECAUSE WE ARE A REFERRAL-BASED BUSINESS. AND WHAT THIS

MEANS IS THAT WE HAVE TO DO RIGHT BY YOU, THE CUSTOMER, ALL OF THE TIME.

AT SOLARCITY WE PROVIDE YOU CONTROL OVER YOUR ENERGY

BILL. WE PROVIDE YOU WITH A PREDICTABLE ENERGY RATE THAT

IS LOWER THAN WHAT YOU ARE PAYING LOW. AND YOU LOCK US

INTO THE RATE FOR THE NEXT 20 (OR 30) YEARS. AND THERE

ARE NO HIDDEN MONTHLY FEES OR COSTS THAT ARE UNASSOCIATED TO YOUR ENERGY USE. OUR

CUSTOMERS LOVE THAT WE DO ALL OF THE HEAVY LIFTING WITH A FULL CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM

TO MAKE THE SWITCH EASY. AND, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE STAND BEHIND OUR WORK WITH

COMPLETE COVERAGE. WE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SYSTEM IS PROTECTED.

I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’RE GOING TO GO SOLAR OR NOT, BUT IF YOU DID GO SOLAR, IS THIS THE

KIND OF COMPANY YOU WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH?


Consultation

Activity: Why SolarCity - Putting It All Together Being able to articulate why the customer should select SolarCity is imperative to building trust.

Break into pairs. You each will have a turn as the EC and the customer EC: Review your Why SolarCity using the suggested slides Customer: Using the Why SolarCity observation worksheet in the Appendix,

check-off if your partner addressed each of the components. Then, describe what your partner did well and what could be better next time.

Page 22

Consultation

STEP 6: WHY NOW?

Incentives/Tax Credit AS YOU MAY KNOW, THERE ARE FEDERAL INCENTIVES TO HELP PEOPLE INSTALL SOLAR NOW. THESE

INCENTIVES ARE SET TO EXPIRE SOON. WITH YOUR UTILITY RATES BEING SO UNPREDICTABLE, IT’S

NEVER HAS IT BEEN A BETTER TIME TO CONSIDER GOING SOLAR.

Review the Design To save time and frustration:

Have a design started before you get to the home. You can “site check” this during your walk around.

If you are on the phone and this is the first time you are talking to the customer, you may want to ask the customer if you can call them back.

System Design

Explain the design using the picture in the proposal.

Review why you have selected the specific mounting planes and panel placement o Emphasize that production is better in certain areas on the home o Explain the impact of trees and other obstructions and be as accurate as you

possibly can Set realistic expectations

o If you are concerned about a mounting plane or an obstruction, be honest. Shoot for the Bullseye, which are designs that will have less than a 10% change in

production and size. o Don’t let customer pressure you into adding more panels when you know the

system will be downsized. o Remind your customer that SolarCity will increase the size if possible. An

honest conversation will save you headaches down the road.

IF THIS LOOKS GOOD, LET’S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE..


Consultation

System Production IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REPLACE ABOUT XXX ENERGY YOU ARE USING FROM

THE UTILITY WITH CLEAN ENERGY FROM THE SUN. A LOT OF

PEOPLE ASK WHY THE ENERGY OFFSET AND BILL OFFSET DON’T

MATCH, AND THAT’S BECAUSE I CAN’T REALLY ELIMINATE

EVERY FEE FROM THE UTILITY. AND KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS AN

ESTIMATE, AND IT’S BASED ON YOUR UTILITY USAGE THIS

YEAR. SO IF YOU GUYS PUT IN A POOL OR DECIDE TO CRANK

THAT AC ALL SUMMER, WE WON’T BE OFFSETTING THAT WITH

SOLAR.

NEM AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE BOTTOM CHART, SOME MONTHS YOU’LL PRODUCE MORE THAN YOU ARE

USING AND IN OTHERS YOU WILL NOT. BECAUSE YOU ARE TIED TO THE GRID, THE UTILITY WILL

GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR THE ENERGY YOU PRODUCE WHEN YOU DON’T NEED IT AND WILL JUST APPLY

THAT CREDIT DURING TIMES WHEN YOU NEED TO PULL FROM THE GRID, LIKE AT NIGHT. THIS IS

CALLED NET ENERGY METERING, AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF EVERY KWH

YOU PRODUCE WHEN YOU NEED IT.

FOR UTILITIES WITH TRUE UP INSTEAD OF GETTING A BILL FROM THE UTILITY EACH MONTH, YOU WILL GET ONE TRUE-UP

STATEMENT EACH YEAR THAT WILL COMPARE YOUR PRODUCTION TO YOUR USAGE. SO YOU ONLY

HAVE TO PAY THE UTILITY ONCE EACH YEAR.

Page 24

Consultation

Product Top salespeople use their Discovery questions to determine which product is best for their customer. If you have a customer who needs to control the sales, you may want to provide them incremental choices to close the sale. For example:

WITH OUR ZERO DOWN LEASE OPTION, WE CAN GET YOU STARTED WITH NO OUT OF POCKET

EXPENSE. NOW, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT SOME MONEY DOWN TODAY, WE CAN ELIMINATE THE

2.9% ESCALATOR. BOTH ARE GREAT OPTIONS, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT

TO YOU.

However, you should never place a proposal in front of the customer with kWh rates for more than one option.

PPA Lease MyPower

WITH OUR PPA, OR POWER

PURCHASE AGREEMENT, YOU

WILL PAY SOLARCITY FOR THE

ENERGY THAT YOUR SYSTEM

PRODUCES, JUST LIKE YOU

WOULD THE UTILITY BUT AT A

LOWER AND PREDICTABLE

RATE. YOUR BILL WILL

FLUCTUATE EACH MONTH

BASED ON THE PRODUCTION

OF THE SYSTEM.

WITH OUR SOLAR LEASE, YOU

WILL PAY SOLARCITY A FLAT FEE

TO LEASE THE PANELS. ALTHOUGH YOUR PRODUCTION

WILL VARY FROM MONTH TO

MONTH, WE PROVIDE A

GUARANTEE ON THAT

PRODUCTION ACROSS A 2 YEAR

PERIOD, TO ENSURE THAT YOU

ARE GETTING WHAT YOU PAY

FOR.

WITH OUR MYPOWER LOAN, YOU

WILL OWN THE SYSTEM FROM DAY

ONE. OUR UNIQUE AND FLEXIBLE

LOAN PAYMENT PROGRAM ALLOWS

YOU TO PAY US BACK BASED ON THE

AMOUNT OF KWH PRODUCED BY THE

SYSTEM. ESSENTIALLY, YOU ARE

PAYING YOUR MONTHLY UTILITY BILL

AND THAT PAYMENT IS BEING USED

TO PAY OFF YOUR LOAN FOR THE

SYSTEM!

Value Proposition Practice

Take a minute to think about how you would explain each product that you sell in your market. What elements are critical to your value proposition for each?


Consultation

Utility Comparison

Next, you want to transition to showing the customer the financial impact of going solar.

SO LET’S LOOK AT THE FINANCIALS. YOUR AVERAGE

UTILITY RATE IS XXX. MY RATE WILL BE XXX, WHICH WILL

SAVE YOU XX%.

SO BASED ON THE EXPECTED UTILITY ESCALATION VERSUS

THE RATE THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO LOCK SOLARCITY, THIS IS

YOUR SAVINGS OVER THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT. WHAT

WOULD YOU DO WITH THAT MONEY?

Environment & Give Power Finally, review the environmental impact and our Give Power program.

SO IN ADDITION TO SAVING MONEY AND GIVING YOURSELF

A CONTROLLED, PREDICTABLE UTILITY BILL, LOOK AT THE

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF YOUR SYSTEM. AND, I ALWAYS LIKE TO REMIND MY CUSTOMERS THAT FOR EVERY

MEGAWATT OF POWER THAT SOLARCITY INSTALLS , WE

DONATE A SOLAR SYSTEM TO A SCHOOL WITH NO THE

ELECTRICITY IN A THIRD-WORLD NATION.

Page 26

Consultation

Activity: Why Now - Putting it Together Select a customer you have recently created a design for, either from the training environment or an actual customer. Next, take a few minutes to think through how you will explain the Why Now. The chart below may help you organize your thoughts.

Create Urgency

Review Design

System Production

NEM

Product

Utility Comparison

Energy/Social Impact

Break into pairs. You each will have a turn as the EC and the customer EC: Take turn reviewing your Why SolarCity using the suggested slides Next, both EC and Customer should complete the Why Now? Observation

worksheet in the Appendix Take 5 minutes to debrief.

Be prepared to share your observations with the group.


Consultation

STEP 7: CLOSE THE SALE Throughout the sale, you should look for buying signals that let you know that the customer is engaged and thinking about making a purchase. These include:

Leaning in to listen “Next Step” Questions:

o Where would my panels go? o How long does it take get these installed? o What else do you need from us? o What’s mine going to look like?

Assumptive Close If the customer appears interested and engaged, top ECs use an assumptive close and transition into running credit.

Let’s see if you qualify.

If they pass credit, move on to the 20 MC. If they do not pass after running credit with the credit department, ask if they have

a family member who will co-sign. If no cosigner, create a reminder to follow-up in 6 months

Multiple Decision Makers If you have multiple decision makers, you may need to give them some time to make a decision. You can excuse yourself to make a quick phone call and step outside (or into another room) to give them some privacy. For example:

I’LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO TALK. I’M GOING TO STEP OUTSIDE AND MAKE A QUICK

CALL. I’LL BE BACK IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES. .

Make sure to leave everything on the table for them to review, as well as your computer, so that you have a reason to return to the area.

CONFIDENTIAL

Consultation

Can’t Close on This Call

Competitive Bids

Some customers will openly tell you that they are getting competitive bids. If you are unsure, be upfront and ask.

Review the Agreement before you go: Your agreement is powerful and sets you apart. Doing the 20 MC is important and allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Clarify the Power of SolarCity: Providing customers with a reminder of the value of Why SolarCity again, is also powerful.

STEP 8: THE 20MC To solidify your sale and make sure that the customer understands what he/she is signing, make sure to review the contract. The 20 MC (i.e., the 20 Minute Contract Review) is the SolarCity process that ensure that all of the relevant points of the agreement are reviewed with every customer. This step is required, as it contributes to higher pull-through and customer satisfaction down the line.

For help with the 20MC, you will find practice scripts for our three main types of agreements in the 20MC Sales Playbook and supporting material area on The Grid.

Consultation

Putting It All Together: The 20MC Break into groups of 3. Your facilitator will assign each person in your group to practice either the PPA, the Lease, and MyPower.

Take 10 minutes to review the 20 MC practice script. o Highlight areas that confuse you or that you need more help understanding

Once you have reviewed the practices script, your facilitator will lead a quick discussion of the key elements that you should review. Use this time to ask questions.

Present the 20 MC to your small group o Practice EC: will have 20 minutes to review your particular agreement with

your small group members. Make sure to review every single element on the script.

o Practice customer: Take notes about areas that the Practice EC could have done a better job explaining

o Take 5 minutes to debrief with the Practice EC and share your thoughts.

Practice the 20MC regularly. To become fluent in front of your customers you must practice the 20MC, out loud, numerous times.

CONFIDENTIAL

Consultation

NEXT STEPS AND EXPECTATION SETTING Once you have reviewed the agreement, you are in a logical place to get the customer logged in to MySolarCity.com and address the next steps. To start,

1. Download the app on everyone’s mobile devices; make sure everyone can log in 2. Schedule the Site Survey and explain what will happen

a. Someone from our Site Survey team will arrive sometime during this window. You’ll get a text when he or she on the way that will connect you to a real-time app showing when the expected arrival time. The site survey will last from 1 to 2 hours. That really depending on what the Surveyor needs to look at. He or she is going to need access to your attic and may also ask to access other rooms or crawlspaces. The reason they do this is that we also will be providing you with an energy audit that will give you some additional ideas on how to reduce your energy use by upgrading your home.

3. Set-up ACH in MyAccount 4. Agree to Ambassador terms and conditions and show how it works

Now you can show them how to use the app.

My System (and PowerGuide) Once the customer is in the app, it’s the perfect time (and place) to demonstrate to him/her how to track the progress of the installation.

1. Site Survey: We just reviewed your site survey. This also is a great time for you to host one of our solar parties to tell your friends and family about solar and help you get some referrals coming in.

2. Design: Next, our engineering team will take this information and complete your final design. Once this is complete I will follow-up with you to review the final design and any changes. Keep in mind that what we reviewed today is an estimate, so some things may change. But I will review all of that with you and there will be a final agreement for you to sign. I’ll also have some paperwork from the utility for you to complete to help get the system connected. You may be contacted by one of our specialists to help with this paperwork, so don’t be surprised if you receive a call from someone in Las Vegas, a (702) area code.

Consultation

3. Installation: Once everything is signed, we’re ready to schedule your installation. It usually takes about (insert your areas’ timeline) to get the system installed, but the crew will only be at your house for about a day. This is a great time to host another solar party or a Solar Open House, where we can invite people to stop by and see the system.

4. Turn it on: Once the system is on your house, your local building inspector will come and make sure everything is good and then someone from the utility must inspect the system. Both of these are out of SolarCity’s hands, but for most of my customers it takes (XXXX) weeks. And once that system is up and running, we should host another Solar Party.

Ask for Referrals Before You Go SO BEFORE I GO, I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAVE SOME PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE

FOR ME TO TALK TO. WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRITE DOWN THEIR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER FOR

ME? I’D LOVE IT IF YOU CAN TALK TO THEM TO LET THEM KNOW TO EXPECT MY CALL. I’M ALSO

GOING TO PUT A LAWN SIGN IN YOUR YARD, SO THAT YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT

YOU HAVE DECIDED TO GO SOLAR WITH SOLARCITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

Putting in all Together: Expectation Setting Setting the right expectations with your customer is key to customer satisfaction and helping your jobs pull through to installation. Break into pairs or small groups.

Individually, take 10 minutes to review the components of the post-sale review. If you are having trouble remembering a certain part, use the Next Steps Checklist in the Appendix to keep you on track as you practice.

Then, using the customer you have used for previous activities today (or a recent customer), share with your partner or team your Next Steps

Observers, take notes use the Next Steps Checklist as a guide. Be prepared to share your feedback with the group.

CONFIDENTIAL

Consultation

APPENDIX

Consultation

SAMPLE DISCOVERY CUSTOMERS

Customer 1 You are married with no children in the home. You run a business from your home. You have a relatively large utility bill, and you are very concerned about your environmental footprint. You are always looking for a tax credit, and could a federal tax credit of up to $10,000.

Customer 2 You have 3 small children who are taken care of in your home. You also have recently installed a swimming pool. Although you are interested in a federal tax credit, you aren’t sure how much you could actually use this year. You are very concerned about your rising energy rates, particularly with a young family.

Customer 3 You and your husband have two children in high school and are starting to plan for retirement in the next 10 to 15 years. You are very concerned about the rising cost of electricity, particularly as you are starting to think about living on a fixed income. You have very high energy needs with two teens in your home, but you are considering adding an electric car in the next few years. You also are very concerned about your impact on the environment.

CONFIDENTIAL

Consultation

WHY SOLARCITY OBSERVATION CHECKLIST

Credibility Wall

Solar Experts/Technology

Solar Ambassador

Service/Warranty

Liked Best Next Time

Consultation

WHY NOW OBSERVATION CHECKLIST

Create Urgency

Review Designs

System Production

NEM

Product

Utility Comparison

Energy/Social Impact

Liked Best Next Time

CONFIDENTIAL

Consultation

NEXT STEPS CHECKLIST

Process Yes or No Notes

Download MySolarCity.com

• Download app • Site Survey • ACH • Ambassador

MySystem

• Timeline • Site Survey • Design • Installation • Turn it On!

PowerGuide

• Accept T&C • Explain PV & energy

consumption monitoring, if possible

NOTES

Consultation - lienergy.org info/Sales Playbook V1 interactive.pdf · The best consultation flow to...

Documents

Transcript of Consultation - lienergy.org info/Sales Playbook V1 interactive.pdf · The best consultation flow to...