THE

SOLAR SALES PLAYBOOK

FOR PROPOSALS THAT CLOSE
INTRODUCTION
Solar is the energy source of the future, and if you’re reading this, you’re lucky enough to stand on
the horizon about to watch the sunrise. The global solar market grew by 26 percent in 2017, with 99
gigawatts of grid-connected PV capacity installed.

The International Energy Agency reports that “Renewables will have the fastest growth in the elec-
tricity sector, providing almost 30% of power demand in 2023, up from 24% in 2017. During this
period, renewables are forecast to meet more than 70% of global electricity generation growth, led
by solar PV and followed by wind, hydropower, and bioenergy.”

It’s quite clear, as Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s Michael Liebreich declared, “this is not alterna-
tive energy. This is just mainstream, power-generating technology.”

This is great news for you, a pioneer in bringing clean solar energy to as many households and
businesses as possible. We appreciate the hard work you’re doing and we want to see you succeed.

Why This Guide?

We’ve created this guide to help you close more solar sales by understanding the factors that close
deals. In this guide you’ll find summarized insights from over a year of our own research at Aurora
Solar, speaking with homeowners, industry experts, and leading solar salespeople at high-growth
solar companies.

Bonus! At the end of this guide, you’ll find a checklist that lists all of the items that one could have
in a solar sales proposal and why they might be important. You shouldn’t include all of the items, but
rather use the checklist to see if you’re missing anything important that could be compelling to your
customers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE

QUEST
Our Quest to Understand What Makes Proposals Succeed 3
THE

WAY
The 5 Key Insights for Proposals That Close 5
1 Highlight What the Customer Cares About 5

Emphasize the Finances of Going Solar 5

Show Social Proof in Context 8

Build Trust 8

2 Have Customizable Proposals 10

3 Differentiate Your Company 13

4 Exude the Highest Sense of Quality & Professionalism 16

5 Be Remarkable 17

BONUS
Solar Proposal Checklist 20
THE

QUEST
Our Quest to Understand What Makes Proposals Succeed

Here at Aurora, our goal is to empower solar companies to succeed. We want to do this by helping
you design and sell better solar (and more of it).

If we take a step back, and look at the top goals of solar installers for 2018, “improving sales closing
rates” is second on the list after “increasing leads” (Third is speeding up processes.)

So we decided to figure out how to help installers achieve this goal by doing research into what
makes a proposal so strong that it has a higher chance of closing a potential customer.

The first thing we did is hire an expert. We brought on Katherine Glass who is a consumer research
and marketing expert who has helped brands like Starbucks, Delta and Petco figure out how to
bring the best experiences to their customers.

Next, with Katherine’s help, we interviewed homeowners around the country interested in solar,
at different points in the sales process:

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3

Installed solar Considered but Currently in the
didn’t install solar buying
solar process

3
 Group
It was helpful to have these different perspectives:
Group 2 “What persuaded people to install solar or not?
1
Group
3 What were the positive parts of the experience?
The negative?”

We then convened a roundtable session of team to enhance Aurora’s proposal templates

seasoned solar professionals at our office to so solar salespeople could have the best
integrate insights from their sales experi- proposals in the industry. We hired designers
ences. to develop new proposal templates for Aurora
based on our research findings, and our
Katherine facilitated the session and identified internal team worked to build additional
common themes and lessons about what functionality to make our proposal tool as
makes proposals successful from the con- user-friendly as possible.
tractor perspective.
Overall, our research led us to 5 key insights
This dynamic day yielded rich information on that make a solar proposal close. Today,
the key elements of compelling proposals, we’re excited to share what we’ve learned
and kicked off six months of work by our with you!

Some of the participants of Aurora’s roundtable workshop on solar sales proposals (from left to right):

Zayith Pinto Vernon Stratton

Residential Sales Manager at Sunworks Inc. CEO of Polar Solar.

Ty Simpson Katherine Glass (facilitated the workshop)

Regional Sales Manager of Bland Solar and Air. Consumer research and marketing expert.

Michelle Meier (Participant Michael Hale, Solar Energy Consultant at

Director of Solar Services at BSW Roofing & Solar, Baker Electric Solar is not pictured.)
and President at Solar Roof Services LLC.

4
THE

WAY
The 5 Key Insights for Proposals That Close

1 Highlight What the Customer Cares About

If you want to engage prospective customers and convince them of the value your company will
provide, naturally your proposal should focus on the information that’s most important to them.
But what is that? While each customer is unique, some key themes emerged from our research:

Emphasize the Finances of Going Solar

Although many homeowners cited environmental concerns as
a motivator for considering solar, in the end, for most, financial
savings were the biggest deciding factor.

As part of this, the availability of rebates/incentives was also a It’s hard for customers
key consideration. Many homeowners found the incentives for to find financing details
solar confusing, so they appreciated when a company could
help them make sense of their options. on the internet...
They trust you to know
This perspective was corroborated by the experiences of the
solar professionals that participated in our roundtable. that stuff. That’s the
biggest gray area.
“The number one thing to discuss is financing,” reflected Ty
Simpson, Regional Sales Manager of Bland Solar.
“It’s hard for customers to find financing details on the internet...
They trust you to know that stuff. That’s the biggest gray area.”

5
5
HOW MUCH WILL YOU SAVE
WITH SOLAR?

SA
VIN
G
$52,816
How much you’ll save on energy
in 25 years 1

With solar

$215
BIL
L Monthly utility bill

SA
VIN
G
$230
Bill in 25 years

Without solar

$230
SAV
ING

Monthly utility bill

BIL
L

$678
Bill in 25 years

1 Estimated net savings assume no discounting of cashflows

6
REBATES AND INCENTIVES

INC
EN
TIV
E
$10,500
Amount you can save off your
system cost from incentives

Federal Incentives

$14,350
(30% of a $20,500 system)

Local Incentives

$5,500

Receive a credit on your system

The 30% federal ITC starts to phase out after Dec 31, 2019. Get solar now to take advan-
tage of these discounts.

The financial impacts of your customer’s solar installation, such as immediate and lifetime savings,
as well as financial incentives that apply to them, are some of the most important elements for your
proposal to address.

7
 Show Social Proof in Context
Customers care about reviews, testimonials, and referrals from people they trust such as a neigh-
bor or friend. Focus on highlighting relevant reviews in your proposal by location proximity, for
example.

What People Are Saying

So Solar Inc took the time to explain all of my financing

options to me so I knew I had a good system. I knew I
could trust them to give me the best system for the money.

Teresa, purchased a 2.5kW system in 2011 g

Sayin
Yourtown, NY t Pe
ople
Are
Wha

Everyone around here uses So Solar Inc and it’s a

no-brainer why. They just give you the easiest and most
efficient installations period.
Robin, purchased a 5.3kW system in 2014
Nearby, NY

Customer testimonials and other indicators of the quality of service your company
provides are critical elements of a strong solar sales proposal.
(In this example we show the customer testimonials of a fictional solar company, So Solar Inc.)

Build Trust
Customers want to know they can count on you and your company. Solar is a big decision about
something most homeowners don’t know a lot about, so they need to trust that you, your com-
pany, and the product you’re selling them will be around for the long term.

This is all the more essential given that a common industry challenge identified by our roundtable
attendees was the difficulty in overcoming skepticism and distrust from customers who have had
bad experiences with solar companies that did not live up to the quality they promised (or who
have heard similar stories from friends and family).

“The [biggest challenge is the] misconception people have of the solar industry. That we’re just out
to get a dime, to get a tax credit. Maybe they had a bad experience with a company that tried to
rip them off. They feel that solar companies are car salesmen.” said Zayith Pinto.

Be a teacher and not a salesperson and you will win the trust of your customers.

8
Favorite thing about working in solar:

Solar is not sales, it’s education.

You’re teaching something unorthodox,
getting people to that a-ha moment.
Ty Simpson
Regional Sales Manager of Bland Solar and Air.

5
2 Have Customizable Proposals
In addition to highlighting the common factors that most solar customers care about, a great
proposal is one that is tailored to the individual. As you engage in conversations with the customer,
they’re likely to offer insights into their personal priorities.

My
personal priorities:

Roundtable participants recognized some Not only will these factors influence the
common categories of customers, and system design and financing options you
reported that identifying where the customer may propose, but they should also inform
fits makes it easier to tailor proposal content what is emphasized in your proposal.
effectively. For instance, some customers
are primarily focused on immediate savings, Proposal

while others care more about maximizing

the lifetime ROI of their system.

Some customers are particularly focused on

the technologies that will be used in their
systems, while others are most interested in
the financing mechanisms.

10
 Your System

Overview

System Size 11.20 kW

System cost $28,570
Year 1 Production 15,735 kWh
Year 1 Savings $2,241

Statistics

75% of your energy

generated from solar

81% of your electric bill

saved from solar

Components (Your installation uses the latest in solar technology)

Solar panels Inverters
SamplePanel X9000 InverterExample T700

The information you include in your proposal should address the priorities your customer has
expressed throughout your conversations. For instance, if they are particularly interested in the
aesthetics of the design, you might want to devote more space to showing how the installation will
look, or if they are focused on the components you’ll use you can emphasize why you chose
particular makes and models.

Finally, just as the proposal shouldn't be one-size-fits-all for the customer, it should also be custom-
izable enough to able to meet the diverse styles and experience levels of different sales staff.

We learned that a new solar salesperson will need a longer and more detailed proposal to answer
any and all questions a homeowner might have, whereas an experienced solar pro might need a 1-3
page proposal and can answer any detailed questions by memory. Once again, the proposal should
be flexible enough to work for both.

11
Favorite thing about working in solar:

Being on the cutting edge of a major

shift in how the world uses energy.
Someday we will be able to look back
and say we were a part of something
special.
Michael Hale
Solar Energy Consultant Baker Electric Solar.

5
3 Differentiate Your Company
Another essential feature of a strong sales proposal is that it clearly communicates what sets your
company apart from the competition. On the surface, to customers, many solar companies look
the same. So what sets yours apart?

...

Is it your experience and longevity in the quality. “We differentiate with our installations
industry? Is it that you have a background in method, the experience of our crew, [and] the
roofing and understand how not to damage longevity of our company.”
the roof? Is it that you have flawless reviews?
Do you offer something (such as an extended Twice ranked #1 solar electrical subcontrac-
warranty) that no one else offers? Do you use tor in Solar Power World’s Top 500 Solar
accurate 3D solar software which gives Contractors list, and #4 on the Rooftop Solar
reliable estimates? Contractors list, the strategy seems to be
paying off for Baker Electric Solar.
Whatever defines your company’s value
should be clearly articulated in your proposal
so the customer doesn’t have to read
between the lines. We differentiate with our instal-
This was a major theme among the partici-
lations method, the experience
pants in our roundtable. Michael Hale, Solar of our crew, [and] the longevity
Energy Consultant at Baker Electric Solar,
explained how his company emphasizes their
of our company.
decades of experience and the reputation for

13
 Why So Solar, Inc?

We believe in quality We use the most advanced modeling software

All of our installers have a minimum of three years of
in the industry to create your estimates
experience in the industry, and our installations are backed Not all numbers are created equal. Your system proposal
by workmanship and production guarantees (see P. 5 for was carefully modeled on the Aurora platform, which
details). Our commitment to excellence is the reason why conducts the most accurate performance simulations in the
most of our work comes from referrals from satisfied industry. The performance numbers we offer are what you
customers. can actually expect to get from your system.

We’re a local company

With So Solar, Inc. you’re not just a number, you’re a
neighbour. Founded right here in YourTown, we’re commit-
ted to giving back to the community. We even designed
and installed the solar project on City Hall last year.

Content that clearly communicates the unique value your company offers should have a central
place in your solar sales proposals.
(In this example we show the value proposition of a fictional solar company, So Solar Inc.)

For Michelle Meier, whose company Solar This is an approach taken by Vernon Stratton,
Roof Services LLC helps roofers add solar CEO of Polar Solar; “I had to find a product
installations to the suite of services they offer, that was a bit different so someone can’t
the approach is a bit different. come behind me and offer the same.”

“[In] every proposal, the second page is all For Ty Simpson, Regional Sales Manager of
about the roofer and their value-add.” Install- Bland Solar, Aurora’s independently-verified
ers that work with Meier emphasize how the design functionality helps communicate their
customer can be more confident that the company’s value. “Our company and the
installation won’t cause roof damage if they customers we have love Aurora. Even the
go with a roofing professional. customers (they don’t know the program)
love it. They see the 3D model of their home,
Additionally, “With the roofers, since the they see the shading of their tree. I love that
homeowner may not have even been thinking Aurora has given the industry credibility.
about solar, we’re educating on solar 101.” People used to give a number on a piece of
paper, no backing.”
The technology you use in your designs, or in
the process of creating them, can also be a
factor that differentiates your company.

14
Favorite thing about working in solar:

Helping people save money.

Michelle Meier
Director of Solar Services at BSW Roofing & Solar,
and President at Solar Roof Services LLC.

5
4 Exude the Highest Sense of Quality & Professionalism
Given that a solar installation is a big on many factors—make sure to go through
investment that will be with the home for every touchpoint of your experience and
decades, it should be obvious that the see if you can take it to the next level.
quality and reliability of your installations
should be a central focus of your proposal This means that content that communi-
(and of course your day-to-day operations). cates your company’s commitment to
excellence should have a central place in
I like to tell installers to think of their com- your proposals.
panies as a prized pie in a pie bake-off. The
pie will be judged not only on taste, but This could include testimonials from past
many other factors such as presentation, clients, snapshots of your strong reviews
texture, your story about the pie, and how it and ratings on third-party sites like Google
compares to the other pies in the contest. and Yelp, awards and other recognition
you’ve received, or guarantees you offer.
Similarly, you, your company and the
proposal you leave behind will be judged

Using cutting-edge tools like Aurora, that allow you to provide verified numbers is another way give
customers confidence in the information you’re presenting.

“Aurora allows us to not mislead... and to really stay [true] to the core value of
our company: taking care of our customers.” says Zayith Pinto.

Aurora also helps Bland Solar address this challenge, according to Ty Simpson.
“[Our approach is] full disclosure, full transparency. I’ll show them how we
draw trees in Aurora, show them the designs and reports, show NREL’s num-
bers and compare them to Aurora’s—[we] show numbers across the board.”

16
5 Be Remarkable
A great proposal is one that is visually appealing and different enough that it will be memorable.
Most proposals we saw were not well designed. There’s no sense of style, color scheme, typogra-
phy, nor personality. Good design is something that can make your proposals remarkable and
stand out.
We took this to heart when we developed Aurora’s proposal templates, commissioning profes-
sional designers to create templates that were more visually impactful:

Beyond the look of your proposal, there are You might think that a product or service
a lot of strategies you can implement to needs to be completely new or rare to be
ensure that the information in your proposal remarkable, but remarkability can be found
sticks in people’s minds. in even the most common product. Snapple
added remarkability to their drinks when
The book Contagious: Why Things Catch they came up with the idea of including
On by Wharton marketing professor Jonah surprising facts on the inside of their bottle
Berger—a New York Times bestseller and caps.
Best Marketing Book of 2014—explores the
factors that make content go viral. While Think about what potential customers would
people probably won’t be sharing your find surprising, interesting, impressive or
otherwise noteworthy about your company,
proposal on Facebook, applying Berger’s
your approach, or your design.
insights on how to make something
“remarkable” can increase the likelihood
Maybe it’s the unusual story of how your
that they remember your proposal and want
company was founded, the inspiring tale of
to talk about it.
how one of your past projects had a trans-
formative impact on a family or community,
In Berger’s words: or the cutting-edge components you used in
“Something can be remarkable the design. Or maybe it’s the realistic model
because it is novel, surprising, of how their house will look with solar, that
you created in Aurora!
extreme, or just plain interesting.”

17
Favorite thing about working in solar:

To be able to go to a home and say

we’re literally giving you $200,000 to
send your kids to school, to pay off your
mortgage, to retire-that’s a huge impact.

Zayith Pinto
Residential Sales Manager at Sunworks Inc.

18
As the solar industry grows increasingly competitive,
contractors need to think about how they can better
communicate their value to potential customers.
In addition to ensuring that your customers have an excellent experience with their installations
(the best way to ensure positive word of mouth and customer referrals), incorporating these five
insights into your proposals can help make them more successful. This way, when your conversa-
tions with a homeowner conclude, you can be confident that the proposal in their hand will stick in
their mind.

19
Bonus!

Solar Sales Proposal Checklist

This checklist lists many of the items that one could have in a solar sales proposal and why they
might be important. You shouldn’t include all of the items, but rather use the checklist to see if
you’re missing anything important that could be compelling to your customers.

A cover page — a well designed cover can set you apart from the competition and
increase your professionalism.

Client’s address, name and other contact information — to make it personalized.

Your company’s name, address and other contact information — so the client can
easily contact you if needed.

Any assumptions or disclaimers — it is important to let the client know what assumptions
you used as well as any legal disclaimers to protect your company. These could be items
such as the annual utility escalation % used, estimated annual utility bill, discount rate for
future cash flows, as well as legal language such as “this estimate is non-binding” for which
you should consult a legal professional.

About you/your company — use this page to connect with the customer and tell them
why you and your company are special, trustworthy, professional, etc…

System summary — one concise page with the most important information helps the
customer focus and refer to important information easily. This page could include things like
savings, system size, cost, offset numbers, images of their property with panels, and com-
ponents.

Components — to highlight the amazing technology behind the components such as

modules, inverters, storage, etc… that the client might be getting from you.

Freebies — to compel the client to work with you in order to get a freebie (such as a Nest
thermostat) or other bonus

The cost of not getting solar — to show them the cost of doing nothing and that electric-
ity rates do rise.

20
Savings — to emphasize their savings even more. This is the most important factor for
most decision makers so any way you can amplify this idea - do it!

Financing option comparisons — it is good to show an apples to apples comparison of

the financing options that you’ve offered to your client. This way they can easily choose
which option makes the most sense for them and see important factors such as savings,
monthly payments, interest, upfront costs and break-even period.

Charts and graphs — including impactful charts and graphs that easily help the client
understand savings are good. Including too many charts and graphs however could con-
fuse the client and might be overwhelming. (Unless they love data!)

Rebates and incentives — including information about rebates and incentives and
explaining that these incentives may not last forever could push clients over the edge and
get them to sign.

Referral bonuses — to compel the client to refer friends for a monetary (or other) referral
bonus

Warranty and insurance — if offered, it could set you apart from the competition.

Testimonials — happy customers saying positive things about you and your business
always make a good impression

Home value increase — there are a few studies that show that solar panels can increase
the value of your home by 20%.

Environmental benefits — to show the feel-good and social impact of switching to solar.
It helps to show benefits that are easy to understand such as “Taking 90 cars off the road
per year”.

FAQs — to answer any frequently asked questions that are popular with clients from the
past. This could show your experience and that you care about the client’s questions or
concerns.

Next steps / Process — to explain the process from proposal to installation since many
customers are new to the solar buying process.

21
 Aurora's solar sales and design software automatically takes into account
everything you've just learned to help you create winning quotes and proposals
for your solar customers.

See how to design and sell

better solar with Aurora

www.aurorasolar.com