In residential solar sales, it doesn’t take long to learn that homeowners are always prepared with a few objections that can prevent a deal from closing. The salespeople that get the deal signed are the ones that can answer these questions quickly and concisely.
To help you prepare for some of the tough homeowner objections you might see in the field, we recently conducted the second annual Solar Objections Throwdown.
As with the previous event, we identified common solar objections and learned some actionable strategies on how to deal with them. To help turn these objections into selling points, we enlisted a panel of seasoned solar sales professionals:
- James Ramos, Founder — Solar YOUniveristy
- Ashleigh Tatarcyk, Owner — Urban Sol Energy
- Richard McCoy, Solar Energy Consultant — Rivus Energy
- “Solar” Joe Mousakheel, Owner — Solar Academy & SolarCon
The panel received a total of 5 different objections, with each participant invited to give their best possible answer to each one.
We start with a topic lots of people are wondering about: the economy.
Solar Objection #1: Solar seems expensive in uncertain economic times
As high interest rates and the prospect of a recession weigh heavily on many homeowners’ minds, the first question the panel addressed was:
“With an uncertain economy ahead, now just doesn’t feel like the right time to be spending a lot of money on solar?”
(The responses below are lightly edited for length, watch the full webinar to hear their entire responses.)
Solar YOUniversity Founder James Ramos goes with the short and sweet approach:
“One thing that is certain is that the rate hikes from your utility company will continue to go up. The great thing — if you qualify for solar — is that there’s no upfront cost…. So, let’s see what interest rate you qualify for — it may be lower than you think — and go from there.”
You can do this right in front of the customer using tools like Sales Mode.
Urban Sol Energy Owner Ashleigh Tatarcyk first addresses the underlying hesitation many homeowners feel in these uncertain times:
“I completely understand. It feels really unsteady. With the economy, the price of gas, food, electricity, housing. Everything keeps going up and up, and it feels really unpredictable.”
After establishing rapport and trust, she goes in for the sale.
“It sounds like you’re wanting something to be stable in your bills. You want something predictable, something to lock in your rates, something that stays the same so you know what it looks like…
“Why don’t we look at one of our zero-down solar programs to see if that might be a better fit. That way, you don’t have to put any money upfront. We can get you a solar bill that’s less than your electric bill. And we can lock in those rates… That way it stays the same. Even in 5, 10, or 20 years, you know what you’re gonna be paying.”
Rivus Energy’s Richard McCoy highlights that going solar doesn’t add to a homeowner’s uncertainty — it alleviates it.
“There’s so much uncertainty around the cost of everything. Wouldn’t you agree it makes more sense to control the things we actually can control? One of the things about your energy rates is that they’re always gonna rise. Well, solar allows you to take control of this one variable expense — one of the biggest expenses of your home — at a time when everything is so uncertain.
“So, if uncertainty is one of the things you’re concerned about, let’s go ahead and take a look at how we can lock in these energy rates so that we can take one thing off your financial plate, and put your family in a better financial situation.”
Finally, Solar Academy & SolarCon Owner “Solar” Joe Mousakheel starts off with a healthy dose of relatable humor.
“Yes, these are uncertain times. I just got a haircut and spent $50. You think this haircut is worth $50? Things are getting really expensive.”
After establishing that common bond, Solar Joe suggests asking questions to find out what their specific concerns are. Then he helps guide prospects to the inevitable conclusion that solar represents one of the few predictable investments homeowners can make.
“Find out their concern. Every homeowner is different — i.e. ‘There’s a recession’ or ‘I’m worried about losing my house or job.’
“One of the beautiful things about solar is that it’s recession-proof… With electricity, would you say it’s a necessity or a luxury?
“And do you think electricity rates will go down or up?”
When the prospect gives their answers — which are undoubtedly that electricity is a necessity and the rates will continue to rise — Solar Joe highlights solar’s value.
“So what’s the better option when it comes to finances — a payment that’s lower, fixed, and gets better and better going into the future, or a payment that’s higher, going higher and higher, and unstable? We’re actually choosing between two different ways to pay for electricity. Do you want to own it and generate your own electricity or rely on the utility? It’s up to you.”
The solar sales tools to help
Tools like Sales Mode give you the power to instantly check each prospect’s solar financing eligibility while still in the field. In fact, you can do it right in front of them, as you work on a proposal that works for them.
For those cost conscious homeowners this powerful solution also allows you to illustrate their projected monthly, annual, and lifetime savings. This way, they can see for themselves whether moving forward makes financial sense. (Spoiler alert: it usually does.)
Watch our quick, 1-minute, YouTube video to learn more.
More questions? Schedule a personalized, no-pressure demo to find out what Sales Mode can do for you.
In closing…
Whose pitch resonated best with you? What strategies do you use in this situation? Head to our Solar Sales Throwdown LinkedIn post to weigh in.
Want to learn more? To hear the complete, unedited responses watch the entire Solar Objections Throwdown on-demand, or listen on the way to your next customer.
You can also get the highlights by visiting the other posts in this 5-part series:
- Solar seems too expensive in these uncertain times
- With interest rates so high, I won’t be saving much
- What if you (or the manufacturer) go out of business (coming soon)
- With the Solar ITC extended, what’s the urgency? (coming soon)
- Our neighbor had a bad experience with solar (coming soon)
Hungry for more? Download the Solar Sales Objections Handbook to get actionable strategies for 5 more of the most common solar sales objections.
