In this industry where trust and accuracy are crucial, a senior solar sales representative posed a thought-provoking question: "Why not use drones

Dar Hubsch is an outstanding sales representative at Cape Fear Solar Systems, and he speaks frankly about the role of drones in solar energy sales. Any salesperson who wants to achieve excellent sales performance and doesn't have a drone in their trunk at all times is like lifting a rock and hitting their own feet

This is a bold statement, but supported by practical experience and convincing results. With the continuous development of the solar energy industry, forward thinking solar sales representatives have found that integrating drone technology into the sales process can not only maintain a leading position, but also fundamentally change the customer experience and ensure their commissions.

The real cost of remote design
Traditional solar energy sales often heavily (or even completely) rely on remote imagery and LiDAR data for initial system design. Although this method is fast and convenient, there are also significant risks involved. Remote images may become outdated by 1-2 years, have deviations or blurs, resulting in inaccurate evaluations and ultimately leading to order changes, which may result in commission losses.

Imagine a scenario where a sales representative uses satellite imagery for contract design, knowing that the team needs to make adjustments upon arrival at the site. The promised 100% compensation was reduced to 80% after precise measurement. What was the result? Customer disappointment, reputation damage, and even contract cancellation and commission losses may occur.

Drones: Making Accuracy the Best Closing Tool
What I mean is, it's not difficult or complicated, "Hubsch explained. I spent $700 on a refurbished DJI Mini drone at Best Buy. If you earn money through commissions, doing it in the right way from the beginning is a worthwhile investment for your own business. ”

Drones are changing the solar energy sales process:

Establish an instant reputation
Comparing two salespeople - one appeared with a drone and demonstrated a commitment to accuracy, while the other relied entirely on remote imagery - the homeowner's choice was obvious. As Hubsch said, "This is a great soft selling method. It's the natural next step, without any financial commitment

Drones have become a powerful differentiating advantage, creating unforgettable moments in sales visits. Once or twice a week, I encounter some great moments where someone watches me operate the drone and the children come out to play with me, "Hubsch shared. Once, I was operating a drone for a potential client when a couple who had just signed a contract two weeks ago walked over and said, 'Well done, someone from the neighbor's house is starting to use solar energy again!' Such moments are often when people sign contracts

Cancel the change order and protect the commission
By obtaining accurate real-time data during the initial on-site visit, sales representatives can:

Ensure that the design is based on the current roof condition, rather than outdated images
Identify and resolve all potential obstacles
Provide accurate production estimates without modification
Avoid the terrible commission rebates caused by change orders
Accelerate the sales process
Traditional solar energy sales typically require multiple on-site inspections: a preliminary assessment, a detailed measurement, and possibly even more modifications. With the help of drone technology, sales representatives can:

Capture comprehensive site data with just one visit
Generate accurate designs without waiting for the survey team
Provide reliable production estimates based on real data
Achieve transactions faster with fewer touchpoints
I hope to wake up at 6am and do what I need to do, "Hubsch said. I no longer want to wait for others to help me complete transactions. Which successful salesperson would be willing to call engineers while waiting to receive design drafts in emails

The broader impact on solar energy operations
The benefits of using drones go far beyond improving personal sales performance. Companies that have adopted drone technology in their sales process report that:

Increase daily survey capability by 3 times while maintaining complete accuracy
95% of new growth is driven by customer reputation
Each visit to the website can save 20-45 minutes
Eliminate information loss between sales and design teams

Quality comes first in solar energy sales
Since 2018, there has been a worrying surge of over 700% in fraud complaints related to "solar panels" in the solar energy industry. This statistical data highlights the importance of building trust and providing accurate proposals from the beginning.

Hubsch emphasized, "If you are salesperson A, come to meet with customers, understand their needs, be competent in inspecting their distribution panels, and use drones for precise measurements; And salesperson B only achieved the transaction quickly through remote design, so who would choose the second person? No one will. ”

Introduction to Drones
For sales representatives interested in incorporating drones into their processes:

Compared to potential returns, the investment is minimal (the cost of high-quality drones is less than $1000)
Obtaining FAA approval in less than 15 hours
With the help of modern drone technology, the learning process has become easier
The impact on the transaction rate may be significant - some sales representatives reported that the transaction rate almost immediately increased by 20%
The Future of Solar Energy Sales
As financing companies have increasingly stringent requirements for system performance and output estimation, accurate shading analysis and design are no longer optional - they are crucial for project approval and funding. Being able to provide sales representatives with such precision from the first meeting will lay the foundation for long-term success.