If there is one industry that is particularly poised to benefit from the advancements in software it’s solar.
In our previous post we focused on creating a sales script that delivers. Today we will be discussing how using specialized software can save you time and money.
In an article on the future of sales published in Forbes Magazine, tech experts asserted that if marketers aren’t taking advantage of technology, they should be. “Sales teams,” writes Erik Gustavson, “can improve their effectiveness by embracing cloud technologies that help the team become more agile, and by integrating those technologies together to increase productivity.”
If there is one industry that is particularly poised to benefit from the advancements in software it’s solar. Selling solar systems requires an enormous amount of coordination between sales reps, engineering teams, and financing departments. As a consequence, low tech methods are as outdated and ineffective as they are time-consuming and expensive. Thankfully the days of struggling with Excel spreadsheets, sales programs, and meticulous engineering and design formulas are over.
This said, in order to truly improve sales, contractors need to employ the right technology. And that means choosing a software that is proven to enhance the following six areas of your solar installation company.
Team coordination
When you take into account how complicated it can be to coordinate inputs to the sales process from team members responsible for marketing, design, financing, and permits, it’s easy to understand how sales become jeopardized when everyone in a company isn’t on the same page.
Design
Design constraints are especially challenging when it comes to installing solar. While architecting a solar installation, it is important to consider the system as a whole: how the components will work together and how the panels will fit in with a building or home. Without state of the art technology, engineers are dependent on manually climbing onto a roof to measure the dimensions of a structure to determine the optimum locations for panels as it relates to maximizing sunlight and minimizing exposure to shade. Even with access to drones, ensuring proper coverage of the relevant roof surfaces and deriving the appropriate measurements can be time-consuming.
Financing
When it comes to the bottom line, many clients are concerned with costs and how the installation of panels will be financed. Not having access to immediate financing options can undermine a potential client’s confidence in your company’s legitimacy.
Speedy permits
As a contractor, you do not want to be held back by bureaucratic red tape. If the installation process is stalled because you can’t access the necessary permits, your business will inevitably waste time, money, and potentially lose the contract.
Real-time negotiations
If a sales rep and a client can’t hammer out issues related to design and financing on the spot, you risk losing the prospect to a company that is capable of negotiating on the fly.
The Solargraf Solution
Although there are many types of solar software available that promise to help with some of these five issues, there is only one that is capable of scaling, streamlining, and simplifying all of these issues. It’s Solargraf, an end-to-end software solution, built by installers for installers.
With Solargraf software, everyone involved in your installation company will be operating on the same page. Whether it’s your project manager working on a desktop in the office, or your sales rep using a tablet in the field, Solargraf allows you to track all your projects, processes, payments, permits, productivity and people on a single unified platform.
Tired of wasting time with drones and having to manually climb onto a roof to architect your solar design? Well, with Solargraf, designing an installation has never been easier. This unique software integrates the highest quality HD imagery through partnerships with Nearmap and Eagleview to generate the exact layout, direction, and measurements of a homeowner’s roof. Just enter an address to automatically access their utilities data, design system for any roof, and create a compelling quote. All that in under 60 seconds!
Solargraf also offers financing options for your clients straight out of the box. Even if you already have financing partners you can easily program those options into the software.
Need a permit? Solargraf will save you time and thousands of dollars by getting your hands on compliant permits and stamps at the best possible price.
With so much ease of access, Solargraf makes it simple to edit, adjust and negotiate proposals. The software even allows you to draw up contracts and get clients to e-sign in real-time. It’s that easy.
In closing
A well-tailored software is no longer a luxury limited to the big solar players. Rather, it’s an integral component capable of boosting company sales and streamlining operational costs, regardless of the size of your business. And best of all, access to such software is no longer complex or expensive. So if you want to get a head start on the competition, the time is right to integrate a software like Solargraf into your solar company’s daily operations.
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