Missed our webinar, AMA Session with Solargraf, or simply want to share it with a friend? View/share the recording to the left or skim through the highlights below! Note: not all the questions that were asked during the webinar are included in the transcript for clarity purposes. For the full version, please watch the recording.
Emily Hodgkinson, Client Experience Team Manager
Welcome and thank you for coming today. We have a very different webinar today since it will be a full Q&A session with me, Emily, and Hollie. I am the manager of the Client Experience team here at Sofdesk which includes the Technical Support and Client Success departments. I was the first employee hired at Sofdesk shortly after the company was founded almost 7 years ago. Today, I make sure that our clients have the support they need to manage and to scale their solar sales processes through Solargraf.
Hollie Martin, Technical Support Team Lead
I’m Hollie and I’ve been at Sofdesk for almost 4 years now. I have assisted in building the Technical Support team that we currently have. When I started, I was doing mainly front-line support for our clients but I was recently promoted to the team lead position so now I’m doing mostly work with my team members and other departments to make sure that we continue to deliver high-quality technical support to our customers.
Q: What is the best way to show homeowners multiple options? Say, a budget panel vs a premium? …Or good, better best?
A: Some of our clients like to use our file upload feature to offer multiple quotes. They do this by creating the first version that they want to show the homeowner, downloading the proposal as a PDF, and uploading the file to the project. They do that as many times as desired for the individual project.
This will send your different versions as attachments in the quote email that goes out to the homeowner, and you’ll still have a version of the web quote that can be modified in real-time as needed. Plus, our tool is mobile friendly so you can make changes while you’re on-site! We do have a feature that we’re working on called Good, Better, Best that is still on track to launch in Q4. Keep an eye out for when we launch it on the website!
Q: Any way to lock in pricing so when you change a design you don’t lose the price?
A: Yes! The layout feature is already designed to give you the option to update your design without losing the price.
Q: Can I get a simple, step by step list of how to build a system for a potential client? It seems that I’m always going back to the dashboard, to the project, to the drawing app, etc.
A: [Skip to 8:30 for the walkthrough] We also have a training team available to walk you through the process of building a system and our support team would be happy to help you with any specific questions.
Q: Is there going to be a Solargraf app?
A: We don’t currently have an app for Solargraf as the website is designed to be used remotely and works well on any mobile device with internet access.
Q: When someone says they’re not interested in going solar what do you say? A great sales pitch would be very helpful.
A: The script that you’re looking for is called A Solar Phone Script that Delivers. We also have some other similar resources in our Remote Sales Toolkit.
Q: Can Solargraf software be applied in other countries outside North America? I come from Indonesia.
A: The Solargraf software does work in any country in the world because the central part of using our proposal generator is the design feature, which works anywhere that has satellite imagery coverage.
However, there are some features that will not be available outside of the U.S., and the currency will show to the homeowner in dollars, so please contact our team directly and they can review what is possible in your country.
That being said, our support team is based in Montreal, Canada, and we operate on Central Time 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, so you will likely have to contact us outside of your local business hours to speak with us on the phone.
Q: When Solargraf says “Old Month Bill” does this include taxes the customer is paying? If not, why not? Seems like a better ROI if we can add the monthly taxes on their bill to truly see how much they are saving.
A: On the proposal, the homeowner’s current utility bill is based on the total bill amount entered in Solargraf by the user, so if you’re entering the total utility bill including taxes, the cost of taxes will be included in the calculation to find the client’s estimated automatic usage rates.
If you want the customer’s taxes to be calculated in a more precise manner, please submit a feature request for this, by going to your Support page and clicking ‘Post Idea’.
Q: Would it be possible to move the price finance box (basically the first thing you see) to just after pricing? I would really like a chance to show value?
A: Our Quote Customization options allow for this [to view the process, head to 22:35 in the recording].
Q: I design for multiple states. Does the Solargraf software adjust to the different sun conditions? For instance, Florida gets much more intense sunlight for many more months than New York, so the offset should be much different for the same amount of panels.
A: Yes, Solargraf’s solar calculations are location-specific, and are based on the project address entered for each project.
Q: Regarding the net credit rollover period, what is ‘yearly compensation’ for net credits, compared to ‘monthly compensation’ and ‘indefinitely’?
A: Yearly compensation means that any unused net credits generated will be purchased by the utility company on a 12-month cycle. You can set the start date in Utility Settings.
Monthly compensation means that the unused net credits will be purchased by the utility at the end of each month and restarts at the beginning of next month. So if at the end of Aug you have 200kWh worth of excess energy, it gets sold to the utility so you cannot use it for September.
Indefinitely means they will roll over from year to year and never give any cash payout.
Q: How do you deal with new neighborhoods that haven’t been updated in the maps yet?
A: We built the software at the beginning for existing homes, but we do have an option in-app to upload your own image so I would recommend that you use that feature to upload either the blueprint or a drone photo. With drones, you just need to be careful and make sure that you’re getting the drone in the right place above the roof so that everything is at the right angle. Blueprints are best because they are to scale and have the right measurements. You can also just draw the system on the empty lot.
Q: I would like to have a trial copy of the software
A: We have demo sessions that you can sit in on with our dedicated team just for going over exactly how the software works. They go into an in-depth demonstration of the tool’s functionality and the way it’s going to work for you based on the business case that you describe to them.
Q: There are lots of times that we do not have access to good photos of properties here in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We love the feature of being able to add our own picture for Solargraf but only before a project is made. Is there a way to change the picture after the project has been started?
A: There isn’t a way to upload a new photo after the fact, just like with creating a project for the first time using the satellite imagery that’s built into Solargraf.
Q: Is there a way to add a down payment where it shows in the financial breakdown.
A: [To view the walkthrough, jump to 47:30 of the recording].
Q: The usage breakdown on proposals gets confusing for many customers. Are there optional displays being worked on?
A: You can make modifications to the layout of the proposal in the Quote Customization section. You can move that section around wherever you like on the quote.
Q: Can you put all of your materials in Solargraf?
A: Absolutely! You can add everything you use into the Materials section of your Settings page.
Emily: Thank you very much for joining us today. If you have any additional questions about your Solargraf account, please contact our support team! Keep an eye out for the next Solargraf webinar and new Solargraf feature announcements. Have a great day, everyone!
Hollie: Thank you for attending, guys!
Make sure to book your free Solargraf demo today and see how easy it is to start closing more deals with the industry’s best solar software!
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