Does Your Winter Sale Strategy Focus on Exclusive Solar Leads?

Winter is a tough time for those of us working in the residential solar industry. Homeowners have plenty of reasons to put off going solar until next spring or summer: unfriendly weather, holiday expenses, too little time. With all of these factors at play, contractors can experience quite a drought in solar panel sales. 

That’s why forming a smart winter strategy is so critical for staying afloat. With the right marketing tactics and focus, you can get the highest possible number of sales through the season’s freeze. 

In this post, we examine why concentrating your efforts on exclusive solar leads is one of the most effective strategies for maintaining a stable winter income. 

Exclusive Leads Cut Out Competition

One of the biggest losses of customers comes from competition. Other contractors are also feeling the winter pinch, so they’re pursuing the same leads with fervor. They’ll undercut prices and offer deals that you may just not be able to compete with.

Worse yet, when homeowners experience pestering from multiple contractors, they’re likely to fatigue fast. They can get so stressed by the countless phone calls and messages that they decide to back out of going solar altogether. 

These effects make it clear why focusing on exclusive leads will give the best rate of success. When you don’t have to worry about other contractors swiping customers from under you or annoying them into resistance, you’re free to build a trusting relationship that helps homeowners feel good about making a deal. You won’t have to quote unsustainable prices, and you can pitch without pressure. 

Leads From the Right Agency are Prepped for Sales

The best winter marketing strategy goes beyond simply finding exclusive leads. It also works to ensure that those leads are primed for talks with your sales reps before you even make contact. This can be done by working with a lead generation agency that personally screens exclusive leads and schedules consultations for the ones that make the cut. 

Companies like Grid Freedom reach out to leads via live phone calls, determining the lead’s qualifications and laying the groundwork for an eventual sale. The result is a wealth of leads that are not just competition-free, but also guided further into the sales process and prepared for the next step. 

Get Appointments with Exclusive Solar Leads at www.Gridfreedom.com 

Will Florida's New Legislation Bomb Rooftop Solar Sales Leads?

Florida’s sunny weather makes the state ripe with opportunities for solar. But the local industry is under threat from the forces employed by fossil fuels and big utilities.

 

Like in many states where solar is gaining traction, Florida has recently introduced legislation that is intended to thwart the industry’s growth. The latest move has been to propose a cut of net-metering rates, which are currently one of the greatest incentives for residential installations.

 

Also included in the bill are additional charges that claim to collect a “fair-share” owed by solar households, despite the fact that the “fair-share” theory has been debunked many times over.

Who’sBehind This Legislation?

The Environment Florida Research & Policy Center (EFRPC), has reported which special interests are behind the new legislation. These include Edison Electric Institute EEI, Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and Koch Industries. Each group has ties to investor-owned utilities and major fossil fuel corporations.

 

According to the EFRPC, Florida’s top investor-owned utilities (Florida Power & Light (FPL), Duke Energy, & Tampa Electric Company) have had a history of working with these groups to suppress solar throughout the state.

 

“These tactics include donating to the campaigns of state political figures and parties, employing an army of lobbyists, funding a deceptive 2016 anti-solar ballot initiative (rejected by voters) that would have inserted language imposing barriers to rooftop solar into the state constitution, and unsuccessfully pressuring the state Public Service Commission (PSC) in September 2020 to roll back net metering rules.”

What Happens to Solar Sales Leads if Florida Axes Net Metering?

SaveSolar.org cites that 93% of Floridians support net metering. Their website is enabling residents to write directly to the state legislature, urging them to vote against this bill. But even knowing that the people want solar benefits, there is no guarantee that the legislature will vote in their favor. Special interest lobbying is powerful, and there is a great incentive for lawmakers to disregard public demand.

 

If this anti-solar bill is passed, Florida’s installers can expect to see a major dip in solar sales leads. The financial incentive for residents will be dramatically reduced, and they can expect a much slower ROI on their installations.

 

Contractors will likely have a much harder time generating the leads they need to maintain a profitable business. Fortunately, they can prepare for a market slump by partnering with a lead agency early.

 

Solar marketing companies like Grid Freedom can supply contractors with a consistent stream of customers who are fully prepared to buy solar. Such an arrangement can provide the security that contractors need when organic leads are scarce.

Find Florida Solar Customers at www.GridFreedom.com

More Time Bought: California's C-10 Solar + Storage Licensing Requirement is on Hold

Earlier this year, California’s solar contractors were made the subject of hostile legislation. The Contractor State License Board (CSLB) moved to bar C-46 contractors from installing projects combining solar panels with energy storage equipment.

CSLB’s decision requires all crew members working on a solar + storage project to be licensed as a C-10 electrical contractor, or a state-approved electrical apprentice (subject to stipulations). This is true even for workers that do not handle the electrical part of the installation in any way. 

Countless Contractors Ineligible for a Growing Market

Understandably, California’s contractors have greatly protested against the ruling. These limitations would cut many off from the ability to take on solar + storage projects, eliminating a huge source of income. The potential losses will grow exponentially as the demand for solar storage steadily rises.

 

To demonstrate the impact further, consider this statistic: only 22% of all the state’s recent solar installations were performed by contractors that met the new requirements. Getting a C-10 license entails 4 years of on-the-job journeyman level experience (or higher), passing an electrical exam, and completing a CA apprenticeship program.

 

As such, it is not realistic or feasible for many contractors to meet the new licensing requirement for years after it goes into effect, let alone before. Citing this unfairness has prompted postponement and reconsideration of the ruling, buying contractors more time.

Pausing & Re-evaluating the C-10 Requirements

In response to the uproar, the board of the CSLB has voted to put the rule change on hold. They have also agreed to consider a new legislative languation that satisfies both solar contractors and union electricians, drafted by the parties themselves. This new version of the rule must be agreed upon, written, and proposed by the next CSLB hearing in March 2022.

 

After that, CSLB will either assess the newly-proposed terms or go about processing the original version of the ruling. Legal requirements will stretch the timeline for activation by about a year or a year and a half, giving C-46 contractors much more time to continue legally earning via solar + storage projects.

A Solar Marketing Company Can Help Contractors Prepare

Whether the licensing requirements update according to CSLB’s original terms, or a proposed compromise, change is coming for California’s solar contractors. They will need to make the most of the next 12-18 months in order to gain a better footing by the time a new rule is made official.

 

This means generating more income for greater financial security, building a safety net in case the new terms seriously handicap their ability to take on new projects. Working with a solar marketing company like Grid Freedom can simplify this effort, giving contractors direct access to qualified leads rather than requiring them to hunt them down themselves.

 

Grid Freedom pre-screens leads via in-depth phone conversations designed to identify only the most capable buyers. Interested customers are set up with their first consultation appointment, available to the contractor who purchases the lead. Customers are never shared with competition, ensuring a pressure-free experience for both contractors and homeowners. These conditions create the best chances for a sale that’s much needed in these uncertain times.

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