Summer is no doubt the busiest season for the solar industry. High utility bills are a key motivator for homeowners, encouraging them to seek out cost-saving alternatives like solar panels. For installers, the months of June through September are major contributors to total annual sales.
In today’s market it’s essential to spend time strategizing in order to get the most out of the busy season. That’s why we put together three easy tips to kick start your thinking!
1. Maximize installer ticket size
Bundling ancillary green-home upgrades with solar panels can help homeowners get the most out of their project. Giving them the option to include upsells like roofing repair or higher quality heat pump systems streamlines the process—and can save homeowners more energy and money in the long run. It also helps you maximize your sales.
As stricter laws around net metering come into place, solar-plus-battery deals are on the rise. Talk to your customers about the benefits of solar storage batteries. Adding battery storage can help ease grid strain to avoid blackouts. It allows homeowners to store energy and be prepared to operate as an independent power plant in the event of an outage. Batteries also help lower utility costs during times of heavy usage and allow homeowners to benefit from selling back to the grid during spikes in customer demand.
2. Prioritize customer service
Communication is key to customer service. No matter how tight you run your business, there will be delays and setbacks, especially in the busiest of sales months. You can mitigate cancellations and increase customer satisfaction by communicating these changes with them. The worst part for customers is not knowing the progress of their projects. Added insight will give them confidence in the process and in your work; an impact that can carry over when it comes time to review your business.
It’s also important to set clear project expectations with your customers to maintain a good relationship and build a reputation that continues to generate business. Your customers may not be aware that the seasonal demand causes delays in sourcing materials. This is another area where communication is not just a nice to have, it’s a driver of successful business.
3. Respect the budget
More and more homeowners are on a stricter budget. Many might be tempted to stick to near-term savings, blocking out the benefits of long-term predictability. It’s up to you to highlight the longer-term benefits of solar panels. Tighter budgets mean more conservative spending, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose out on potential customers.
A work around of budget limitations is to offer the best financing options to your customers. A Mosaic survey from last year found that over a third of homeowners said they would require financing to take on bigger home improvement projects, while 60% rated financing options in their top three considerations when choosing a contractor. Being able to offer an affordable monthly payment, with a trusted financier will no doubt become a more essential part of your sales toolkit—allowing homeowners to afford the best home upgrades without breaking their budgets.
Financing applied for and processed through the Mosaic platform is originated by Solar Mosaic LLC or one of its lending/financing partners. Equal Housing Lender