Apricot Rep Overview

Summary

The video script outlines the role of a sales representative in guiding customers through the solar installation process, emphasizing the importance of transparency and not overpromising. It highlights the sales and operations collaboration, the typical 6-8 week installation timeline, and the variability due to permitting processes. The script focuses on creating interest and generating leads through various methods, with a strong emphasis on leveraging one's 'warm market' due to existing trust. It details a systematic approach to list generation, qualification, and scheduling, as well as the importance of education and practice in sales. The 'earn while you learn' program is presented as an effective way for new sales reps to gain experience and confidence by shadowing leaders during customer appointments.

Takeaways

• 📈 The sales rep's role is to guide customers through the sales process, with the blue tasks being the sales rep's responsibility and the green tasks belonging to operations.
• 🕒 A typical solar installation takes 6 to 8 weeks, but the timeline can vary due to city and state permitting processes, with California being more advanced than Georgia.
• 🤔 Sales reps are advised not to make promises about installation timelines due to variables beyond their control, emphasizing transparency and ongoing communication with customers.
• 🌟 The most crucial step is creating interest, which is the first step in the sales process and can lead to everything else.
• 🔍 There are four ways to create an account (AC): warm market, door knocking, social media, and networking events, with warm market being the most effective for new sales reps.
• 🏠 Door knocking requires a polished approach and a clear, concise pitch to be successful, and it's used strategically to target specific potential customers.
• 📱 Social media is not the most effective method for new sales reps unless they have a deep understanding of online marketing strategies like Google pay-per-click and ad funnels.
• 📊 The company teaches a method called 'bill review' to build social media presence by engaging with existing customers and asking them to share their positive experiences.
• 💼 Networking and events can be effective but are best suited for sales reps who have already closed multiple deals and understand both prospecting and account creation.
• 🤝 Warm market outreach is highly effective due to the pre-existing trust and includes people like family, friends, neighbors, and professional contacts.
• 📝 The sales process involves creating a large list of potential customers, qualifying them, conducting germination conversations with a leader, and setting up appointments.

Q & A

What is the role of a sales rep in the solar sales process?

The sales rep's role is to guide the customer through the sales process, ensuring they understand the steps involved and managing expectations regarding installation timelines, which can vary due to factors like permitting processes in different states.

Why is it important for sales reps not to make promises about installation timelines?

It's important because there are variables such as permitting and processes that vary by city and state, which can affect the installation timeline. Sales reps should remain transparent and manage customer expectations to avoid disappointment and maintain trust.

What are the four different ways a sales rep can create an account in the solar industry?

The four ways to create an account are through warm market, knocking doors, social media, and networking events and shows.

Why is using the warm market the most effective way for a new sales rep to start?

The warm market is effective because there is already an established trust with the individuals in this network, making it easier to get appointments, make sales, and build a pipeline for referrals.

What is the purpose of knocking doors in the solar sales process?

Knocking doors allows sales reps to strategically target potential customers, though it requires being polished and confident in the sales pitch to avoid appearing unprofessional.

How does social media play a role in the solar sales process?

Social media is used to build a presence and engage with customers, often leveraging positive experiences and testimonials from existing customers to attract new ones.

What is a bill review and why is it important?

A bill review is a call with the customer after the solar system has been turned on, where the sales rep discusses the customer's savings and experience. It helps build social media presence and provides an opportunity to gather testimonials.

What is the significance of networking and events shows in the solar sales process?

Networking and events shows are great for establishing credibility and trust with potential customers. They are particularly useful for sales reps who have already closed several deals and understand both prospecting and account creation.

What is the first step in building a pipeline for a new sales rep?

The first step is to generate a large list of potential customers, which can be done by brainstorming and writing down names of people they know or have met.

What does a sales rep need to do after generating a large list of potential customers?

After generating the list, the sales rep needs to qualify the leads, narrowing them down to a top 50 list based on various criteria such as market, utility, homeownership, and other factors that increase the probability of a sale.

How does a sales rep leverage the 'earn while you learn' program?

The sales rep leverages the program by having a leader run their appointments from start to finish in the beginning, allowing the new sales rep to learn and observe before they start closing deals on their own.

What is the typical strategy for making phone calls to potential customers?

The strategy is to make phone calls during times when people are likely to be available and receptive, aiming to set up appointments or make 50 phone calls, whichever comes first.

How does a sales rep schedule their week to create multiple accounts?

A sales rep schedules their week by planning out phone times, setting specific goals for appointments, allocating time for education and role-playing, and ensuring they have a work-life balance.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Sales Process and Role Clarification

The speaker discusses the sales representative's role in guiding customers through the sales process of installing solar systems. The process is divided into the sales rep's job (blue) and operations (green). The typical installation timeline is 6 to 8 weeks, but it varies due to different city and state permitting processes. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not making promises about timelines and being transparent with customers about variables out of their control. The focus is on creating interest, which is the first step in the sales process. The speaker introduces different methods for creating accounts, such as warm market, door knocking, social media, and networking events. The most effective method for new sales reps is using their warm market, which involves leveraging personal connections. The speaker also discusses strategies for door knocking, the limitations of social media, and the importance of bill reviews for building social media presence. Networking events are recommended for experienced sales reps who understand both prospecting and account creation.

05:00

🤝 Building Trust and Generating Leads

The speaker elaborates on the concept of a 'warm market,' defining it as people the sales rep already knows and trusts, such as family, friends, and acquaintances. This approach is highly effective due to the pre-existing trust, leading to a higher probability of securing appointments, sales, and referrals. The speaker provides a detailed exercise for generating a large list of potential leads from the warm market, including family, friends, neighbors, and professional contacts. The exercise encourages sales reps to think broadly and write down names without bias, regardless of whether they are homeowners or renters. The goal is to create a comprehensive list that can later be narrowed down to a top 50 list of qualified leads.

10:01

📝 Qualifying Leads and Creating a Pipeline

The speaker outlines the process of qualifying leads from the generated list to create a top 50 list. This involves categorizing leads and using various criteria to narrow down the list, such as market, utility, homeownership, and other factors that increase the probability of a sale. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not forcing sales and focusing on the front end to ensure the customer is a good fit for solar. The process includes using technology to determine factors like sun hours and electrical panel updates. The speaker also discusses the importance of self-management, setting goals, and creating a schedule to work the leads effectively. The goal is to find the right people and build a substantial pipeline for sales.

15:03

📅 Effective Scheduling and Sales Strategy

The speaker provides insights into effective time management and scheduling for sales representatives. The focus is on planning the week ahead, measuring stats, reviewing the pipeline, and setting short-term and long-term goals. The speaker suggests a mock schedule for someone aiming to create two accounts per week, highlighting the importance of phone time and efficient appointment setting. The strategy involves making a set number of phone calls or setting appointments, with a preference for evenings and mornings when people are more likely to be available. The speaker also emphasizes the value of company calls for education and the importance of studying and role-playing to improve sales skills. The schedule is designed to balance work and life while maximizing the chances of securing appointments and closing sales.

20:04

🛠️ Sales Training and Closing Techniques

The speaker discusses the training and support provided to new sales representatives in the 'Apricot' system. New reps are encouraged to set qualified appointments, after which leaders take over to run the appointments, answer customer questions, close the job, and set up installations. This approach allows new reps to learn by observing and taking notes during the process. The speaker suggests that typically, after watching around five sales, a rep will be ready to close on their own. However, the support from leaders is always available, and the speaker advises reps to leverage this 'earn while you learn' program to improve their skills and increase their sales success.

Keywords

💡Sales Rep

A sales representative, or 'sales rep,' is an individual who represents a company and its products or services to potential customers. In the context of the video, the sales rep's role is to guide customers through the sales process, focusing on solar energy systems. The script mentions that the sales rep's job is denoted by the color blue and involves creating interest, setting appointments, and leveraging leadership support for closing deals.

💡Customer

A customer is a person or entity that purchases goods or services from a business. In the video's narrative, the customer is the focus of the sales rep's efforts, with the aim of taking them through the sales process for solar installations. The script emphasizes the importance of transparency with customers, such as not making promises about installation timelines due to variables like permitting processes.

💡Solar

Solar energy refers to the conversion of sunlight into electricity, typically through the use of solar panels. The video's theme revolves around the sales process for solar systems, highlighting the importance of creating interest in solar as a renewable energy solution. The script discusses various methods for generating leads and closing solar sales, such as leveraging social media and conducting bill reviews.

💡Warm Market

In sales, a 'warm market' refers to people who are already known to the salesperson, such as friends, family, and acquaintances. The script emphasizes the effectiveness of the warm market for new sales reps, as it provides a foundation of trust. The warm market is contrasted with other methods like door-knocking or social media, and it is suggested as the starting point for creating accounts and generating interest in solar.

💡Account Creation

Account creation in the sales process involves establishing a new customer relationship or 'account' by making a sale. In the script, account creation is one of the four ways a sales rep can generate leads, with the term 'AC' used to denote an account. The process includes identifying potential customers and engaging them in a way that leads to a sale, such as through the warm market approach.

💡Installation

Installation refers to the process of setting up a product or system, in this case, a solar energy system. The video script discusses the typical timeframe for solar installations, which is 6 to 8 weeks, but notes that this can vary due to factors like permitting processes. The sales rep is advised not to promise specific installation dates, reflecting the unpredictable nature of some steps in the process.

💡Bill Review

A bill review is a follow-up call with a customer after their solar system has been installed, allowing the sales rep to discuss the customer's savings and satisfaction with the service. The script mentions bill reviews as a method to enhance social media presence by obtaining personalized testimonials from satisfied customers, which can then be used to attract new clients.

💡Pipeline

In sales, a pipeline refers to the sequence of steps a sales opportunity goes through, from initial contact to closing the deal. The script discusses building a pipeline as a critical part of the sales process, with the warm market being particularly effective for generating appointments, making sales, and obtaining referrals, which are all steps in the pipeline.

💡Qualification

Qualification in sales is the process of assessing potential customers to determine their suitability for a product or service. The script describes a step where the sales rep is expected to generate a list of 200 names and then qualify them down to a top 50 list based on various criteria, such as being in the right market, having the right utility, and being homeowners.

💡Germination Conversation

A germination conversation, as mentioned in the script, is a meeting between a sales rep and a leader to review progress and readiness to move forward. This term is used to describe the initial interaction where the sales rep's qualifications and understanding of the sales process are assessed before they are given their first account.

💡1099 Position

A 1099 position refers to an independent contractor role in the United States, where the individual is responsible for their own taxes and does not receive benefits from the company. The script mentions that the sales rep role is a 1099 position, emphasizing the self-managed nature of the job, where the rep must create their own schedule and work independently to achieve sales goals.

Highlights

Sales reps play a crucial role in guiding customers through the sales process.

Clear division of responsibilities between sales and operations is vital for efficiency.

Typical installation timeframe is 6-8 weeks, with variations due to city and state permitting processes.

Sales reps are advised not to make promises they can't keep, emphasizing transparency with customers.

Creating interest is the first and most important step in the sales process.

Different methods of creating accounts include warm market, door knocking, social media, and networking events.

Warm market is the most effective for new sales reps due to pre-existing trust.

Door knocking requires a polished approach and strategic targeting of potential customers.

Social media is used to build customer relationships and gather testimonials for business growth.

Networking events and shows are effective for experienced sales reps with a solid understanding of the market.

The importance of generating a large list of potential customers through a brainstorming session.

Qualifying the generated list to create a top 50 list of potential customers.

Utilizing geothermal imagery and other data to assess solar potential and customer suitability.

The significance of scheduling and self-management for independent sales reps.

Education and continuous learning are emphasized for sales reps to improve their skills.

The 'earn while you learn' program allows new sales reps to shadow leaders and gain experience.

Sales reps are encouraged to leverage leadership support to close deals effectively.

Transcripts

let's talk about the

position the sales rep position is

taking a customer through this sales

process the

blue is sales rep job the green is

operations job so that's Freedom

forever's

job and then underneath that is the time

frame so a typical install is going to

take 6 to 8 weeks but we can see there

are variables here some jobs will get

installed sooner than others every city

and state is different on their

permitting and their processes like

California is more advanced than

Georgia in their processes so what I

share with sales reps it's important to

never make any promises hey I'll do this

deal if we can get my power turned on by

March 1st and I look at March 1st is

exactly two months from now I'm not

going to say

yes I'm going to say you know what with

as many hands that touch your job Mrs

customer I'm not going to make any

promises I think that's possibility

we're going to work towards that but I

will keep you in the loop there are

things that are out of my control and

sometimes when we look at your job there

may be things that need to be done and

I'm not going to lose that sale but I

want to be transparent the most

important step on here is Step number

one creating interest so let's talk

about step one because that leads to

everything

else with regards to creating interest

what we call um that in the world of

solar is accounts when I make a sale

it's an account that I've created

otherwise known as an

AC there are four different ways that I

can create an account you can see them

listed here one of them is warm Market

one of them is knocking doors one of

them is social media and then of course

networking events and

shows the most effective way for a sales

rep to get started when they're brand

new is using their warm market so let's

talk about the others and we'll come

back to the warm

market for me personally I'm not the

biggest fan of knocking doors but I

understand its purpose and

so there are sales in the company that

love knocking doors because they can

strategically see who they're going

after and be like a sniper versus taking

a machine gun approach however if I'm

knocking

doors I have to be really really

polished right my Runway is going to be

30 to 30 seconds to two minutes and I

better know what I'm saying like word

for word because if I don't the customer

is going to see I'm not confident and

they're going to push me off I'll knock

doors during an install so when then

neighborhood is hot I'll go say hi to

all the neighbors because I know the

neighborhood's hot that's my strategy of

knocking doors but some people have a

different one we actually have a

one-month training on how to do the cold

Market approach it's called April

Academy but sales reps have to have at

least one sale to participate in this

month-long

training social media some people think

oh I'll just post on Facebook or let me

post on some site and and get some foot

traffic well the reality is as we talked

about earlier consumer confidence is not

very high because they can't even read

their own utility bill so all I'm doing

with social media is creating an extra

step now if I have an auto dialer and

I'm used to making 4,000 calls a day and

I understand Google pay um per or

payperclick and Google ad funnels very

well well then hey maybe that's an

Avenue but if what I said went over your

head it might not be be the most

effective way to spend my time when I'm

new what we teach is what's called a

bill review so quarterly once every 3

months after the S system has been

turned on the sales rep is going to have

a call with their customer called a bill

review and they're going to get

information from there and help build

their social media presence that way hey

Mrs

customer just want to follow up with you

on your bill let's talk about this

numbers what kind of savings have you

seen oh 32% so far how do you feel about

that oh you love it that's

awesome do you think solar is a good

idea for other people yes awesome how

about me how did I do has the experience

been with me has it been subpar has it

been great outstanding oh it's been

outstanding awesome what about your

experience with the company in the

installation process and freedom it's

been great awesome well do you remember

how you felt before you got

your solar and the uncertainty that you

had and how you feel now would be great

is if you could put some of your

thoughts onto a post and this would help

me when other customers are in the same

place as you how does that sound would

you be able to do that for me and

customers will post very personalized

messages that will help sales reps build

their business that's how social media

is used networking and events shows

those are awesome but again there's a

time and a place right someone's going

to come to me very judgmental they're

going to tell me exactly what they know

about solar and they're going to ask me

one question and if I get it right I

earn their business if I get it wrong

they walk away so I'm not saying bnii

groups are bad I'm not saying networking

groups are are bad or shows are bad I

think they're great but they're great

for someone that that is great someone

that's closed 10 15 20 deals and

understands the prospecting side as well

as the account creation side so that

leads to warm Market warm Market is very

effective because there's trust already

there let me Define warm Market as

someone that I'm providing Outreach to

that is not cold so an example could be

someone like my uncle who lives in

Florida or a warm Market could also be

somebody that I went to school with

their parents even though I've never met

their parents or maybe I played baseball

which I did for years maybe someone on

the base team one of their parents or my

family doctor all of this is warm Market

highest probability for getting

appointments highest probability for

making a sale highest probability for

building a pipeline and getting

referrals is the warm market so that's

what apricot trains on

first we call this the core for so

let's get started here with this

please turn to a blank sheet of paper in

your notes and I'm going to provide

thought joggers I'm going to ask you to

go ahead and write down the names of

anybody you know or you've ever met this

could be first name only you could write

in columns it's easier to count the

other two points that are important to

remember is even though we only sell to

homeowners I can write down people that

are homeowners or

renters doesn't matter and two is the

age limit of course we're selling to a

certain age limit or a certain

demographic but here in this example

this exercise I can write down anybody

and

everybody so I'm going to give some

thought

joggers but we're going to go ahead and

see how many names we can come up with

right now a full brainstorm doing

non-bias they can live anywhere in the

United States so I'll start with family

members so Mom Dad if Mom and Dad are

together they would go on the same line

if Mom and Dad are separated they go on

different lines what

about

Grandparents what about aunts and uncles

what about

cousins what about distant relatives

that are not

local what about people who you would

say that's my brother from another

mother or what about someone's house

that you go into where you don't even

have to knock on the front door I would

put them under

family what

about your family's relatives like if

you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend or

a husband or a wife what about their

whole side of their

family what about your

doctor what about your friends when I

think about friends I think about

friends in terms of of time

blocks

so you know or Decades of my life uh I

think about like careers and friends I

had through jobs I think about friends

that I had in my college years I think

about friends that I had in my high

school years I think about friends that

I had that like to play golf or like to

play baseball or like things that I also

like what about friends that you could

think of in Middle

School how about putting down your

dentist for those of you that have kids

what about all of your kids

friends who who baby sits them who cuts

your hair what about your kids' teachers

what about your own

teachers those of you that go to church

what about the pastor what about all the

people that attend the church what about

other churches that one has been to did

you get all of your neighbors have you

moved or are you local if you're local

you maybe you know a bunch of the

neighbors if you move maybe you're new

to the area or maybe you know some of

the neighbors or maybe you have friends

and neighbors that you know from

different states or

cities you play any sports belong to any

clubs any organizations play any musical

instruments there's directories and

rosters that I can get a hold

of who delivers your

mail you go to the grocery store who's

that clerk that you say hi to that that

you know but you just don't know their

name who do know that owns a small

business who's your insurance agent I

just went through the First Column but

hopefully you can see how doing this

effectively and being resourceful one

can generate a large list of people and

that's step one is to generate a large

list of people step two after I generate

this

list is I'm going to qualify if I am

accepted into this position I'm going to

be asked to generate a list of no less

than 200 names before I even get a

chance to meet my leader and you can see

they're listed in

categories um and the reason why 200 is

because we are going to whittle down

that list to people that are qualified

into a top 50 list and what happens here

is there are multiple columns that help

us narrow down who gets solar you know

skiers by skis golfers by golf clubs and

there are certain

characteristics that make somebody a

better candidate for solar there is no

sale I'm not twisting the customer's arm

behind their back it either makes sense

or it doesn't so a lot of effort is put

in on the front end step one

brainstormer large list our top sales

reps they do not write down 200 they'll

take out their cell phone and they'll

put out everybody on their cell phone

they'll go through social media they'll

use that thought jogging sheet I shared

before and they'll be somewhere between

a th000 and 2,000 names and the benefit

to that is is that when they fully do

and exhaust their

resources they can then focus in on this

qualification they can be more selective

better chance for making a sale and a

better chance of working through this

list for a longer period of

time so my job step two is then to

qualify my top 50 and then step three is

I'm going to meet with a leader for a GC

a germination conversation we're going

to review this he's going to see where

I'm at and then I'm ready to move

forward and get my first account so on

the left the three columns pretty

straightforward then you have columns D

through H these need to be hit for them

to fit into the top 50 in other words

they have to be in the right Mark

market with the right utility and they

have to be a homeowner or live in a

house but I'm not sure if they live in a

if they own the home or they just live

in a house right I'm going to I'm going

to not notate that but what I can do is

I with the

name in the city I can go on Google and

I can pretty much find anybody's address

and when I have the address I can figure

out the utility and then I can figure

out some other things as

well um columns I through n are bonus

columns every time they get a mark on

one of these columns it's increasing the

probability for a sale so showing

somebody that's under

80 not to be mean but if I see someone

that's over 80 they're probably going to

say I wish you would have showed me this

20 years

ago a twostory house is typically going

to draw more power than a one-story

house a

15-year or new newer

home is going

to have a better electrical panel an

updated newer more modern panel that

typically will not need to be upgraded

and will also typically have a better

roof um good Sun

hours so what this means is is that some

homes have better exposure than others

and through technology I can actually

find out how many Sun hours each home

has through using geothermal imagery on

a specific

website are they a new homeowner not a

new build but a new homeowner have they

recently moved into their home in the

last year do they have a pool or an

electric car if I have a pool or a hot

tub that's another1 to $250 a month boom

on the utility bill if I have an

electric car I'm probably charging it at

home I'd be very interested in

Renewables so I making a list like this

if I only come up with a handful that's

great because I can see the right people

when I get started and they say birds of

a feather tend to flock together so

these people probably know other

qualified

people if I do this exercise properly

I'm going to find that I have a pretty

substantial list probably more people

than I thought fit this

category and from there I'm going to

make a schedule so that I know when I'm

going to work this is an independent

1099 position no one is telling me when

to work how hard to work what I need to

put into this so it's up to me as a

sales rep to create my schedule to

self-manage myself and leverage

leadership as needed on Sundays this is

where the schedule starts I'm going to

plan out my next week I'm going to

measure my stats I'm going to see how I

did like my batting average if you will

I'm going to make make my new top 50

list so if I've written down 1100 names

I'm going to go back through and

extrapolate my next top

50 I'm going to review my pipeline my

accounts make sure that every my

customer accounts are moving forward I'm

going to look back up my goals I have

short-term and long-term

goals and then after I make my schedule

I'm going to send this over to my leader

and I'm going to say hey what do you

think you've been doing this for four

years you have 500 installs youve made

over a million dollars doing this if I

want to create two accounts this week

does this schedule allocate

that and then the leader will provide

perspective this is just a mock sample

schedule if someone wanted to create two

accounts per week it would probably look

something like this two or more

accounts um so in the green we can see

phone time the idea is is that I'm

making phone time when I know I can get

a hold of people that's why it's not in

the middle of the the day and so my

strategy when I'm making phone calls is

is that I'm either going to make 50

phone calls or I'm going to set up seven

appointments whichever comes first and

I'm going to do that twice a week which

would give me 100 phone calls or 14

appointments and those Stars those white

stars are spaced two hours a point apart

that's when I would offer up

availability I never say to the customer

what time works for you because I want

to be efficient with my time and I I

want to had that work life balance so

I'm going to fit them into my time if I

do not schedule the appointments that I

want on Tuesday and Thursday night I'll

make calls Friday morning why Friday

morning everybody's in a good mood and

or I'll make calls on Saturday because

Saturday morning is a great time people

are home in the

morning the company call every Thursday

it's interesting how the top people

always prioritize the company

call and the reason why is there's

nothing nothing more valuable in the

world of sales than education why

because education has an infinite return

on investment when I learn something on

a company call I can use that for every

appointment moving

forward and then um there's got to be

time for studying and role playing you

know the greatest Professionals in any

sport football baseball basketball

hockey they're all watching film every

week that's what studying is that's what

role playing is is I actually go through

and practice areas of the business to be

to move my skill level up and I do that

consistently so this is a snapshot

schedule of someone has 14 appointment

slots and is trying to get multiple

accounts per

week when I set up the appointment I'm

going to use a very simple

straightforward approach that is listed

out

here once I set the appointments

that really is the most important part

of my job in the apricot system when I'm

new my job is to set qualified

appointments when I can do that my

leaders going to come in on the back end

and they're going to do the majority of

the heavy lifting they're going to

actually run that appointment we'll all

be on a zoom

together and the leader is going to run

my appointment from A to Z going to

answer any customer questions going to

close the job going to set up the

install going to make me look like a

shining

star and this is the fastest way to

bring someone up to

speed in the presence of for me if I'm

new I'm sitting on the sidelines with my

not paper taking notes oh leader said

this here leader did that there leader

said this to the customer and then I'm

following up with a leader afterwards

asking questions typically it's around

five sales that that a sales rep needs

to watch before they can close on their

own because every job is custom but this

is not a hard Line in the Sand at the

end the leader is going to say hey so

are you ready to close on your

own and if the sales rep says yes great

go ahead and close on on on your own but

what I've learned is 50% of 4,000 is a

lot better than 100% of I'll get it next

month and our our leaders are very very

good at this they've done it a lot and

so I encourage sales reps to really

Leverage The earn while you learn

program