Common Sales And Marketing Mistakes That Keep Solar Customers Away

Demand for solar energy is at an all-time high, but how can you contact those prospective consumers when millions are ready and prepared to spend their hard-earned dollars on your product? Marketing might be the most difficult aspect of the industry. In the future, competition will be fiercer than ever, making it critical to remain ahead of the curve with fresh methods rather than the same monotonous marketing approaches that hundreds of other businesses are using.

Solar is leading the way in the renewable energy sector's tremendous expansion. Families and companies around the country are eager to grab their own piece of the photovoltaic pie, which offers benefits ranging from cheaper power costs to a lighter carbon impact.

And solar companies want a piece of the action as well. In 2022, there will likely be more solar enterprises than ever competing for the attention and business of a massive market. So, how can you stand out from the crowd and reach out to potential clients?

How To Sell And Market Solar?

Every successful brand, organization, or cause relies on marketing. It is the process of determining what customers want, how your offering may meet that need, and how to communicate the message in a way that leads to sales.

Each takes a different level of effort and financial investment. We'll provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision, but it's ultimately up to you to determine which options are best for you now and in the future.

Let's understand the basics of marketing:

Know Your Brand:

You can't market something you don't understand. Answer the following questions before beginning your solar marketing campaign to help you write the finest solar marketing messaging:

• What distinguishes your brand from the competition?
• What are the values of your brand?
• How do you want your potential consumers to perceive you?

Know Your Audience:

You must speak the language of your target audience to be effective with solar advertising. Conduct some studies to determine the following:

• Who is your target audience?
• What are their precepts?
• What are their concerns and questions? What are they concerned about, and why are they hesitant to buy solar equipment or services?
• How will you handle their problems and satisfy their requirements?

Marketing Strategies To Get Effective Solar Leads:

Since the world of solar sales is going digital, establishing successful internet marketing strategies is critical to generating leads and, eventually, increasing your business. Social media, in particular, is a very effective sales tool, with nearly three-quarters of individuals utilizing it to make a purchase choice.

Organic Social Media:

Social media is a fantastic source of fresh leads. However, rather than uploading massive amounts of material, the idea is to engage in and participate in valuable debates. Begin by understanding which platforms are preferred by your target demographic. Prioritize quality over quantity, however: Because social media can identify the difference between bad and good content, actively engaging people with quality postings will go far further than churning out mindless information.

Customer care tools are available on several social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, to assist you in serving and managing your consumers. Potential solar clients may ask you questions about your services, policies, processes, and tools, such as solar power system design software, directly through messages or comments on your website, allowing you to respond quickly.

Paid Social Ads:

Social networking is a vital marketing platform, but obtaining organic leads without putting in a lot of effort may be difficult. Sponsored social advertising may be a good way to spend money rather than time, but make sure your adverts are personalized to stand out from the crowd.

People are so bombarded with ads these days that we've developed "ad blindness," which means our brains don't even notice commercials unless they're engaging or distinctive.

Paid advertising shows in the sidebars and news feeds of social media channels, positioning your company in front of others fighting for coveted social real estate. Most social media platforms provide daily advertising alternatives ranging from $1 to $10.

Search Ads:

When you employ sponsored search adverts, you pay to appear in front of people who are seeking for businesses like yours. Google is the most popular online search engine. People looking for "solar installers near me" are actively seeking your services. Because they are "high intent" prospects, they are more likely to convert, making them valuable to invest in. Google recognises this and offers a variety of tools and services to help you get there. Google Ads provides customized advertising solutions for sales, leads, website traffic, product and brand awareness, brand recognition and impact, and app promotion. You may emphasize your product or service using a number of marketing tactics.

SEO & Content Marketing:

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the technique of optimizing content so that it ranks higher in search results. Excellent SEO methods may help your organization appear towards the top of search results when a potential customer searches for "solar installer in Delaware" or "best residential solar installers," for example.

Content marketing is a method that complements SEO. Content marketing, like SEO, is popular, but attracting people without a big investment may be tough.

Creating and implementing an SEO strategy and content marketing plan, on the other hand, is not a "starting" marketing approach. Both need vast expertise, a large amount of time and dedication, and, yes, money. It's best to avoid either until you're ready to engage someone dedicated to the task or have the means to invest in it.

Common Sales And Marketing Mistakes That Keep Solar Customers Away:

Not following up with leads fast enough:

A lead is defined as "someone who has expressed an articulated interest in" a product, in this case, residential solar energy. It's someone who raised his hand to learn more about solar power. Such curiosity is not only uncommon but also transient.

The desire is typically initiated by an incident (e.g., sticker shock from an electric bill, seeing an advertisement, a referral from a friend, purchasing an electric car, etc.) but rapidly fades. The further away the event is, the less probable it is that the lead will go solar. As a result, prompt follow-up is crucial.

According to Velocify Research's analysis of over three million leads, engaging clients within a minute of generating the lead increases lead-to-sale conversions by approximately 400%. (i.e., expressed interest) Conversion declines precipitously after that, improving only by 17% if the lead is contacted within five to 24 hours. Businesses, on average, contact leads a day after they are generated, and many wait several days before making contact. As a result, the vast majority of leads are abandoned before receiving a quote.

Assuming the customers share your opinion about solar:

Salespeople that are enthusiastic about their product are more convincing. And there's a lot to get enthusiastic about when it comes to selling solar. It is cost effective. It generates clean energy. It can aid in national energy independence, among other things. However, enthusiasm has drawbacks.

Your enthusiasm may hinder you from understanding the customer's point of view. What may seem like a no-brainer to you may be a terrifying notion to the buyer. Customers may regard solar arrays as unsightly, costly devices that may or may not operate or save them money, that may or may not generate unanticipated risks or maintenance difficulties, and that are bolted to their home - which is frequently people's most valued item - virtually forever.

Customers will undoubtedly have diverse perceptions about solar, many of which will be far from accurate. It is critical to address both the consumers' interest in solar and their reservations about becoming solar.

Confusing customers with too many options:

Options might be confusing, especially if the buyer is unfamiliar with solar or is just somewhat interested in it. Unfortunately, this is true for the majority of leads. Switching to solar might be frightening, and having more alternatives implies that there are more opportunities for things to go wrong.

They represent, at the very least, additional decisions. An additional choice might be stressful for a consumer who is undecided about going solar. According to studies, when people are confronted with too many choices, they resort to taking no action or sticking with what they know. That would imply obtaining power from the utilities for a solar prospect.

This is not to say that you should not provide them with alternatives. It may be helpful to propose a choice for some clients. Less informed customers desire more direction, but more intelligent customers prefer a variety of options.

Not asking for referrals or asking incorrectly:

Referrals continue to be the most cost-effective method of acquiring clients. Solar firms typically pay around $500 per reference, give or take a few hundred dollars. Even a $1,000 referral incentive, which some organizations do provide, is a pittance compared to the typical client acquisition cost of $2,000 to $4,000.

Why spend so little on referrals and so much on other marketing activities if referrals are so much cheaper than client acquisition? Of course, the solar industry's argument would be that the problem isn't the reference money; the problem is a lack of recommendation possibilities. After all, every salesperson solicits referrals from satisfied clients, right?

Not quite. In reality, many salespeople either don't ask for references or ask so timidly that it's the same as not asking at all. As a result, follow-up is critical. A periodic checkup, a solar celebration, or a physical reminder, such as a referral letter or a gift, might suffice.

Losing contact with past solar customers:

Another incentive to remain in touch with clients is that your previous solar customers are perhaps your finest marketing tools.

One of the biggest barriers to adoption is the lack of academic literature. Solar is tough to sell since buyers cannot sample the device before purchasing. Solar testing is not permitted. The consumer is faced with an all-or-nothing proposition: either you slap a solar array onto his house, or he will miss out on everything.

Since they can't check it out for themselves, solar prospects rely more on the experiences of previous customers to help them make a decision. Prospects will seek references from previous customers, read and watch their evaluations on social media sites, or read and view their testimonials. The longer previous customers have had solar, the more trustworthy their experiences become. These consumers can address any long-term dependability, cost-cutting, or maintenance problems.

Unfortunately, many solar firms lose touch with their consumers, particularly their first-time customers. Maintaining contact with all prior clients, even if just on an infrequent basis, will give you a wealth of testimonials and the trust they place in your company.

Stop Making Mistakes, Start Getting More Leads:

All of these mistakes may lead to stagnation and the loss of key customers, which is simply not an option in a market that is always evolving and inventing.

But do you know what all of these marketing mistakes have in common? They are characteristic of businesses that focus on quarterly results rather than long-term growth. So aim high and continually look for new chances and places for growth.