Keen to improve your strike rate in commercial solar discovery calls?
Achieving better outcomes always starts with the questions you’re asking.
We’ve created a list of five must-ask questions which will help you to establish rapport, identify what your potential customers’ pain points and buying drivers are, and showcase your expertise in commercial solar.
To keep these easily on hand, we’ve created a print-ready version for you to download and keep.
QUESTION 1: How much have your power bills gone up in the last 12 months?
This question shows that you understand the customer’s business pressures. It also opens the door to discussing what is (probably) the main reason they’re enquiring about solar – to take control of their power expenditure.
QUESTION 2: What have you done – if anything – about your energy costs?
Reflecting on what their business has done to date to reduce their energy costs (and realising that other businesses are taking decisive action) can be motivating for business owners.
This question can also alert you to whether they’ve sought other solar quotes, which tells you how competitive you may need to be in quoting.
QUESTION 3: How much pressure are you getting from stakeholders regarding sustainability?
Another key buying driver for commercial solar uptake is to reduce emissions. Increasingly, customer conversations are about organisations considering solar as part of their pathway to net zero.
Often there’s substantial pressure from stakeholders for companies to reduce their carbon footprint, and solar is one of the most visible and straightforward ways of achieving this.
QUESTION 4: What are your expansion plans in the next 3-5 years? How will this affect your energy requirements?
As the saying goes, the best time to act was decades ago – the second-best time is now.
By encouraging potential customers to think about their future energy plans, you draw their attention to the fact that their power needs – and their power bills – are likely only going to increase. Are they considering expanding operations? Adding staff? Buying machinery?
This is a powerful motivator for businesses, especially if they plan to grow.
QUESTION 5: Would you be interested in a solution that could pay for itself?
Not every commercial solar system pays for itself entirely, but many do. Asking this question introduces payment solutions into the conversation and allows you to position your proposal – with Smart Ease funding included – as a no-brainer for your business customers.
Cashflow is of paramount importance to every business owner, so discussing how your solution can protect their cashflow could be the difference between locking in a second call, or not.
Small daily habits add up to incremental gains over time. We know that getting into the habit of asking these crucial questions in your commercial solar discovery calls will have a big impact on your rate of success over time, and the rapport you build with customers.
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