“Is this the free solar thing?”: what to say at the door
They have heard “free solar” before and did not believe it. The answer is to be the first rep who says plainly that it isn’t free.
The situation
A solar rep is ten seconds into the approach when the homeowner cuts in. Ads, flyers and earlier reps have told them solar is free, and they have learned that nothing at the door is.
The question is a test. They are waiting to see whether this rep will say “free” too.
Is this the free solar thing?
The buyer
We’re not interested in free panels.
The buyer
What it can mean
- I have been promised free before, and it wasn’t.
- I think you are about to oversell me.
- I might listen if you are straight with me.
What a good answer covers
Say plainly that it isn’t free
They already know. Saying it first is what makes the rep believable.
Say what it does cost, in one sentence
A payment in place of part of the bill is something they can weigh. “Free” is not.
Turn to their bill with one question
Their own number is the only thing that decides whether it makes sense.
A strong answer
No, and I’d be suspicious of anyone who says it is. You’d swap part of what you pay the utility for a fixed payment on your own roof. It only makes sense if your numbers work. Has your bill gone up this year?
The rep
Why it works
- “No” comes first, which is the opposite of what they expected.
- One sentence says what it actually is, with no adjectives.
- It ends on their bill, which is the next step and an easy question.
What not to say
- Saying “free”, “no cost” or “the government pays for it” in any form.
- Arguing about what the last rep meant.
- Quoting a savings figure before you have seen their bill.
How to practice it
Five minutes, before the shift. Any manager can run it.
Say the line
The homeowner crosses their arms: “Is this the free solar thing?”
Answer in three sentences
No, what it is, and one question about their bill.
Listen for the word
If “free” or any version of it comes out, stop and run it again.
Run it three times
Change the line: “We don’t want free panels,” “What’s the catch?” The answer keeps the same shape.
Shadowpitch puts this drill in every rep’s pocket. A voiced buyer says the line, the rep answers out loud and keeps the take worth hearing, and a manager hears it before the rep says it at a real door.
Questions
Why do homeowners think solar is free?
Ads and pitches that lead with “no money down” or “no out-of-pocket cost” sound like free. Homeowners hear it, then hear about a monthly payment, and stop trusting the next rep.
Should a rep mention “no money down”?
Only after the bill conversation, and only with the monthly payment said in the same breath. On its own at the door it sounds like the free pitch they already distrust.
What if the homeowner still says no?
Thank them and go to the next door. A straight answer that ends in a no still leaves them telling the neighbors you were the honest one.