Automation has changed the solar industry for good. But is it for the better?
As a solar business owner actively closing jobs in 2020, you know there are some things on the backend you could probably be handling better—but who really has time to plan, execute and update their existing workflows?
For better or worse, automation does take time… at least, in the beginning. But there is good news, with the right systems in place, you can multiply the number of customers you serve, raise the quality of your services, and close jobs faster without hiring additional staff.
And the best part? Setting up just one effective automation process today, will continue to help grow your business for years to come.
But there is a catch: the solar industry can be a zero-sum game. If someone else grabs more customers with automation, someone else lands less.
That’s why it’s paramount to invest in workflows that are truly the best fit for your business—and it’s critical to do it now, before the competition catches on.
In this article, we’ll cover the main benefits of automating your solar business processes, as well as the specific workflows you can use to 10X your business.
In a nutshell, solar automation allows you to run parts of your solar business on autopilot. Using the right combination of automated tools, workflows and software, you can help more customers in less time.
Are you struggling to consistently follow up on your customers? Set up automated email and SMS campaigns so that no new solar lead in your database is left unnurtured.
Recipients not opening emails? Automated drip campaigns canboost your open rates by up to 80%
Is your team spending too much time on repetitive admin that doesn’t grow sales? Automate routine tasks and saveup to 55%
of the time employers spend on non-selling activities.
And that’s just the beginning. Let’s take a closer look at some of the core benefits of automating your solar business, piece by piece.
According to the Harvard Business Review, chances of qualifying a lead when responding within the first five minutes are21 times higherthan when responding within 30 minutes. Yet only26% of companiesmanage to respond within 5 minutes.
You can easily outpace the competition by setting up simple automated onboarding emails and texts to instantly greet every new lead as soon as they share their contact details.
If you have a team, automation will also help you distribute incoming leads between them so that the team member that are the most qualified are aligned with the right prospects.
The money is in the follow up. In fact, somestudies suggestthat 80% of sales occur after at least five follow-ups with a prospect.
The good news is, almost every follow-up can be automated. For example, you can send highly-personalized email and text drips to your leads with a predefined cadence. This allows you to nurture relationships and build trust with customers, even before they decide to do business with you.
Automation helps you easily segment leads based on their solar needs, location, last action, or areas of interest so with the right system you can follow up with the best offer for a particular customer.
Manual processes and endless admin add up to wasted time and less revenue. With a CRM that leverages smart automation and powerful integrations,you can accomplish more in less time:
View properties in real time with Shape’s Google Maps integration. Search for a location, zoom in, and see the roof from an aerial view to ensure optimal placement – all from the comfort of your office.
Make sure every property has been properly inspected to prevent any pitfalls. Our responsive mobile application means even out in the field you’ll have client data and can report back to the system at any time.
Doing construction in-house? Track the progress of the job site from design to installation. Referring the project out? Track your referrals and commissions. Shape does it all!
Use Shape’s checklist feature to build to-do lists, from the sales process to PTO, to ensure streamlined compliance and a great client experience.
Ramping up referrals is one of themost powerful lead generation tacticsyou can employ.
But when you’re focused on construction, site surveys, marketing, and other items, keeping in touch with past customers often becomes an afterthought.
And yet 60% of customer referrals happen within the first six months after the job is completed.
Automated referral campaigns allow you to stay in touch with your past clients andincrease your referrals, without lifting a finger. After a loan is closed, simply set up an automated series of post-loan emails designed to keep the client relationship strong and help you stay top of mind.
It’s pretty difficult to scale a solar business that has many manual workflows—and the last thing you want to do is scale your messy and chaotic systems. People make mistakes, and unfortunately, without the right system in place these mistakes will only multiply as your lead count grows.
In other words, when there are cracks in your systems, you can expect at least some of your leads to slip through them.
The solar industry is changing fast. These days, it’s all about the system and service.
Clearly, the role of automation in separating the best from the rest will be crucial. And yes, automation does take time and effort upfront. But after you set your processes in place, it’s only a matter of making small adjustments that make a very big impact for your customers and your business as an expert people can trust.
Ready to see for yourself? Find out how an automated marketing and sales platform can remove the bottlenecks from your solar business pipeline and help you consistently generate more leads and revenue.
Sign up for your free trial of Shape today!