The rise in electricity bills and growing interest in cleaner energy solutions have dynamically increased the adoption of solar energy in the past decades. This increase brings a great opportunity for professionals and companies willing to tap into solar sales. As more consumers and businesses realize the long-term benefits of switching to solar, there is a huge market of prospective customers who are ready to make the switch— they just need the right guidance and support.
Although the solar sector is growing but how does one go about starting a career in it? How do you approach customers who seem interested but are not sure? What is needed to gain their trust? What are the challenges that most solar companies face in making solar sales? These are some of the key issues a person who wants to work in solar sales might have.
In this guide, we will learn how to get into solar sales and provide answers to all your questions. We will also give you some practical tips and advice that will help your career and solar company to succeed in the solar industry!
How to Get Into Solar Sales in Solar Sales: 5 Step
Do you know? The global solar power market was valued at USD 253.69 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to USD 436.36 billion by 2032.
This expected growth bring various opportunities for solar companies and solar sales professionals to dive into the solar industry and gain profit. Here are 5 easy steps on how to get into solar sales:
1. Research and Understand the Solar Industry
The first step of how to get into solar sales starts with building a base. Build a solid base knowledge of the solar industry and its trends. This will help you to confidently talk to customers and answer to all their queries without hesitation. Here are some practical ways to get started:
How to Get into Solar Sales with Research
Understand Solar Solutions: The solar market is very large and there are various types of solar leads that you will pitch to in the future. So, take time to learn about residential, commercial, and industrial solar leads. Also learn about the different types of solar panels, batteries, and invertors available in the market. This knowledge will help you to answer the queries of prospective customers.
Follow Industry News and Trends: Stay updated on the latest developments in the solar industry. For this, you must subscribe to industry blogs, websites, and popular newsletters like Solar Power World and PV Magazine. Set aside 15 minutes each morning to review them. To learn more, you can also follow key players of the solar industry on social media platforms like LinkedIn. This will give you insights into what new is happening in the industry that can impact solar sales.
Learn About Local and Global Solar Policies: Solar sales are highly affected by government incentives, subsidies, and policies. Learn and research the solar policies of your region like the tax credits, rebates, incentives, and new rules for businesses or homeowners. For example, in India, programs like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) help to boost domestic solar manufacturing. In California, policies like NEM 3.0 are affecting the adoption rate.
Advance Tip 👉 : If you want to explore more, shadow a working solar sales professional for a day reach them through Linkedin or other platforms and offer to assist their sales team for free. It will help you learn practically!
2. Develop Essential Sales and Communication Skills
The next step in learning how to get into solar sales is mastering the main skill of sales: communication. Research shows that salespeople talk 81% of the time during sales conversations. Strong communication skills help in connecting with clients, building trust, and closing more deals. Here are the essential skills you need to develop:
How to Get Into Solar Sales
Master Presentation: Your pitch or presentation is your only chance to showcase how much you know about solar energy and its benefits. Create a simple 15-20 minute solar presentation using Google Slides or PowerPoint. Deliver it to your friends and family. Take their feedback, answer to their queries, and help them learn complex solar terms in easy language. You can practice it once or twice a week. It will practically help you better your communication and presentation. Once you are comfortable you can attend local events or host webinars for local people to practice with real audiences.
Build Situation Handling Skills: Prospective customers have many unpredicted questions related to solar energy which they can ask you during the pitch. To prepare in advance, you can make a list of possible questions through online research or in-person meetings and prepare to answer them properly in under 30 seconds. Some possible questions can be “Solar is too expensive” or “my roof isn’t suitable.” You can practice these responses with a friend/ colleague or on camera. Record the footage and note down your mistakes, make improvements in body language or tone if needed.
Learn the Art of Listening: Although you must be fully prepared with your pitch, meanwhile if the clients have questions/ concerns, make sure to listen to them. Listening to your clients is just as important as talking. You must focus on their needs, concerns, pain points, and motivations. You can also ask questions to understand their energy usage, budget, and goals. This way they will feel more included in the conversation and share more information. It will help you build good relations with clients which is very helpful for successful solar sales.
3. Gain Knowledge of Solar products and Technology
The next step on how to get into solar sales is to understand and make use of the latest solar technology. Here are practical ways to build this knowledge and use it to your advantage:
Stay Updated on Solar Technology and Innovations: Solar technology is constantly evolving with Solar AI playing a crucial role in its growth. You must learn about solar products and the latest Solar AI Innovations that can solve the problems of your prospective customers. Make a habit to keep up with new advancements in AI technologies, efficiency, battery storage, and sustainable practices. For this, you must follow the solar industry news, attend webinars, and take online courses. It will help you build your credibility with clients.
Learn to Present Information in Simple Words: When mentioning the details relating to solar, it is best to keep everything simple and relatable. Keep practicing the easy words and terms for the technical jargons related to solar industry. deconstructing the information of complex comparison; for instance, effective panel or savings – into simpler language to the clients. This method enhances confidence and empathy in making solar energy decisions among the clients.
Master CRM and Quotation Tools: Customer relationship management (CRM) is an essential part of sales, it makes the sales process a lot easier. You must use different CRM systems and understand how they work to utilize their benefits. Also, you can make use of quotation tools like SunLead during your pitch. Sunlead generates instant quotes and visuals of solar panels on their rooftop by simply entering the client’s utility bill and address. Presenting the numbers and clear visuals during a pitch helps clients to understand what are they buying and make informed decisions.
Learn more about the SunLead Quotation Tool here!
4. Build a Strong Network and Establish a Personal Brand
At last, You must build/ connect to a strong network and establish your personal brand. This will help you learn how to get into solar sales and grow your career. Here are some easy steps to help you grow your network:
How to Increase Solar Sales
Engage on Social Platforms: Join solar energy groups and forums, particularly on LinkedIn and Facebook where you can connect with industry professionals, join discussions related to solar, and share insights. By regularly posting content related to the solar industry and sharing valuable resources you can establish yourself as a professional and keep your network engaged. Such a network will help you connect with the best solar companies and commercial solar leads.
Attend Industry Events and Webinars: Before you get a solar sales job, participate in conferences, shows, and events related to the solar industry. There you will meet like-minded professionals and potential clients. Once you land a good job, also organize or attend local events. These kind of events help to establish a good brand image and expertise for the solar company. It also boosts your knowledge about the latest industry developments, giving you better content to share with your online network.
Collaborate with Other Industry Professionals: Lastly, you must partner with local solar installers, project managers, consultants and other people. It will help you to become part of the existing group that caters to solar panel owners. Through networking you can reach and valuable referals and turn them into customers. Such collaborations also enhance your credibility, as clients will see you as a connected and trusted professional.
Overcoming the Challenges of Solar Sales Process
Here are some challenges that most solar companies or solar sales professionals face during the sales process and practical ways to overcome them:
High Competition: The solar market is crowded with many providers, making it hard to stand out and make sales. To overcome this, you must create unique selling points, focus on offering excellent customer service, and build strong relationships. It will help you build a loyal customer base in the competitive solar market.
Objections and Misconceptions: Many of the people who still harbor misunderstandings about solar are worried that it requires frequent maintenance or lowers their property value. Therefore, you must be prepared with some arguments to dispel these misconceptions and bring factual information, testimonials from customers, and clear explanations.?
Market Saturation: In most cases, it becomes a bit difficult to find new customers in densely solar-adoption areas. Focus on on the areas where solar sales was earlier a success and encourage referrals from satisfied clients and target locations where there are emerging demands for solar in such areas.
Cost Concerns: For many prospective customers or small-scale businesses, the initial costs of solar panel installation are a major concern. You can address this challenge by clearly explaining financing options, government rebates, and long-term savings from reduced energy bills. This helps customers see the financial benefits and makes solar more accessible.
How to Get into Solar Sales: Key Steps for Success in a Growing Industry
Overall, success in how to get into solar sales requires mastering key skills, keeping pace with the latest tools, and being malleable in a growing industry. Technologies, such as SunLead, help better develop selling approaches through very speedy, customized quotes and rooftop views using relatively simple inputs-like a customer’s utility bill and address. Such transparency tends to remove the mess of complexity that usually forms obstacles in decision-making directly related to trusting a client. Here are three takeaways to guide your journey into solar sales:
Keep Current with Policies: Knowing government incentives and rebates can stiffen your pitch and play upon the cost concerns of consumers.
Educate, Don’t Sell: Trust is built in as much over time—educate the customer on the long-term benefits of solar rather than selling something.
Utilize Technology to Your Advantage : With the SunLead, make your sales pitches clear-cut and very graphic; the client will therefore understand better.
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