Following are a few suggestions and guidelines for your first foray into community events. At times we all struggle to find the right words, so below are some examples to help you along. Listen and observe other associates, especially those with more events under their belt—they can share effective tips and techniques they’ve picked up over time as they’ve honed comfortable, easy ways of sharing this program. You can model what’s working for them and spice it up with your own personality and approach. With a little practice, you’ll find your own natural style.
Remember to relax. Smile, make eye contact and allow customers to breathe. Engage them only if they’ve stopped at your booth, or grabbed a flyer or read your banner. Be respectful, pleasant and professional. Apply the Golden Rule. That goes for coworkers and customers alike!
Our solar offering is unique, historical, exciting. But don’t spill all your candy in the lobby. That is, don’t initially overwhelm them with too much information or try to dazzle them with your mastery of solar science! Instead, ask questions. Get them talking. A good rule of thumb? You do 70% of the listening and only 30% of the talking!
So slow down. Don’t feel rushed or put too much pressure on yourself. You can’t say the wrong thing to the right person! This is not about you, it’s about them.
To start, have a copy of our terms and conditions in hand along with a copy of the FRA so you can point to highlighted areas of interest as they come up in conversation (thereby avoiding any shock factor if you try to get them to review all those pages at once at the end!).
Ready? Here are some ideas to get you started:
“Have you ever considered or looked into solar?”
or
“Are you interested in saving money on your electrical bill?”
Give them the space to reply, but be ready with one more hook just in case they too easily dismiss you, believing we’re the same old same old.
“We’re an entirely new approach to solar power.”
This is important to state as it effectively means they must drop any preconceived notions about the costs or hassles of traditional solar. This is a whole new ballgame we’re talking about here.
“…There’s no big, expensive purchase, installation or maintenance costs as with traditional solar. You basically rent the equipment from us for about the same cost of what you’re paying for your electricity now. And you can secure today’s electrical pricing for up to 25 years.”
“Do you live here in __________?”
“Who is your electricity provider, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Are you happy with them?
This last question, depending on where you are in the country, really gets people to open up. They really start talking. Listen. Listen. Listen. From these questions you can glean their attitudes toward solar and tailor your conversation to meet their needs. Give pause between questions so they may answer. Take your cues from their responses. They will reveal what issues/topics move them most, and you will know where to place emphasis throughout your conversation—on cost savings, environmental sensitivity, energy independence, etc.
“As your neighbors’ rates continue to climb, over time, you enjoy significant savings as your rates with Citizenre stay the same for up to 25 years.”
If you know the market well, and have estimated how much we can save the average homeowner in your area, go ahead and tell them the percent saved at today’s rate. Very few people will walk away from real savings on their energy bills. Be prepared to back up your claims with the solar savings calculator, articles on rate increases, etc.
“So… we’re here today signing up homeowners who wish to reserve their system, basically getting people ‘in line’ to have one of our solar engineers come to your home to assess your property. Would you like to see what is possible for your home?”
Asking for the sale in this manner is very non-threatening and also seems to have the effect of creating acceptance and openness about the process.
“In essence, you get to reserve a solar system, and secure your electrical rate… assuming your home qualifies as a good candidate for solar.”
Most customers ask how to qualify, what is involved. More questions:
“What does your home look like? What is your tree cover or shade factor? Ridgeline orientation? Roofing materials? How long since your last roofing?”
Have customers begin telling you why they are good candidates for solar. It is always more powerful when customers paint this picture in their own minds, visualizing panels on their home, imagining themselves through this process. In this way they take ownership of the program and are far more likely to be solid, qualified customers. Also, most people just enjoy talking about and describing their homes to you! If they are agreeable, begin filling in the required fields on the FRA with them.
Describe in brief what happens if you haven’t already covered it.
“When this signed form is received by our corporate office, you’re officially entered in our system. You can log in anytime at this web site ______________ (or the join the solution site) and view “My Account” to stay in touch with the latest developments and press releases on Citizenre. You can also contact me anytime for updates. Our engineers should be contacting you sometime early in 2008 to begin site inspections and determine expressly how we can meet your energy needs. At this point, you will be presented with the capability/design of a solar system for your home, which you either decline or approve. We proceed from there.”
Answer additional questions about the terms, why 80% of our customers choose the 25-year agreement because of its flexibility, etc.
Respond with “That’s a great question…” and “Good point” as they bring up certain ideas and really validate them with answers that are clear and concise.
Getting a signed FRA is pretty easy at this point as you’ve essentially gone through it and the terms and conditions during the conversation.
Always let them know what happens next: The customer will get a copy of the FRA to sign and mail in to Corporate (this is paramount—stress that without receipt of this important document, they are not made official, not really “in line”); that they get an account on the JoinTheSolution site; how referrals work, etc.
Thank them for joining the solution… and remind them once again about the referral program by supplying them with a few extra business cards!
Have a good time! What we’re doing is fun!
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