Transcription
He has what I believe is the solar industry record: 55 self-generated accounts in one month in one of the hardest markets in the United States. How do you create same-day deals, and how do you create the deals that actually stick? It's just crazy to think about, you know, because I know there are thousands of individuals in the solar industry. A lot of people that get into solar say, "Hey, I want to earn $100,000 a year. I want to earn six figures in a year."
But this individual is pacing almost $2 million in his first full year of doing solar. I think about it like this: What's up, YouTube? Do I have a gift for you guys today! I'm here with my top student, the top knock star, Mr. Benjam Grossan. If you are not pacing, this kid is pacing to earn commissions this year. He has what I believe is the solar industry record: 55 self-generated accounts in one month in one of the hardest markets in the United States, and he pulled through 52 of those.
When I say self-generated, I mean no leads—out there knocking, making the plays. Dude, I am so excited to have you on today to share with the industry what you do to really make this type of success, which is really unheard of in your first year of doing solar.
Yeah, I started last August, last August year, and yeah, a little over a year. Dude, super impressive! Tell everybody a little bit about yourself.
Yeah, so I've been pretty entrepreneurial my whole life. Back in like seventh grade, I found out how to sell shoes. Everything I do, I get super involved. I research everything there is to know about it, and I want to absolutely engulf myself and try to do it on a massive scale.
So, the kid has what we call absolute certainty. He's just a little bit different from the average door-to-door sales professional. One of the things I love about sales is, you know, if you sound like everybody else, people will tend not to listen to you. But when you're going to these families' homes, one, they've never talked to somebody about solar the way that you're talking to them, and you're really positioning the value.
I got the opportunity to go up to his home market in New Jersey and knock a day with Ben. I think we went out there for maybe three or four hours in the field, including sits that we were in for like... and we locked down three transactions. I was pretty much like, "Perfect day!"
Yeah, like 10 doors, three self-gens. You know, I wish every day in solar was like that. But yeah, one of the biggest things that I notice about you is you have an absolute conviction and certainty. You know that this is going to help their situation, and you're able to lead them to that.
How are you able to really maintain that certainty, like that you're really helping these people?
I would say it's... I've seen, you know, when I'm competing in offers and stuff, I've seen quotes and positions people have been put in. How I keep it is by being extremely ethical in all my sales. I'm not... that's how I'm able to maintain that certainty because when I'm helping a family transition to solar, they're in a better position every single time.
I seriously, every single time that I am selling a deal, once they're installed and PTO, they're in a better position than if they were staying with the utility. So, it's just making sure I'm doing right by them. If it can absolutely not make sense for them, you know, because a lot of the times I don't know until I'm like five to ten minutes inside the house because I love same days.
Then I'll tell them straight up, "I'm not just going to slam it through just to make myself feel good." It's, you know, and have them be in a bad position in two years after they don't get that tax credit or whatever. It's, you know, being super ethical and making sure they're in a better position every single time.
So, helping them right, serving these families. You know, you talk a lot about tonality and your body language. Ben likes to use a lot of things like, "If you were eligible for this program." He utilizes his voice almost like a master of tonality, whether he knows it or not.
Yeah, you can notice he laughs a lot. I noticed that a lot too when I was shadowing Ben. You know, a homeowner will give an objection, and he'll start laughing. It's just a little bit different from, you know, all the other sales professionals that have come and knocked on these individuals' doors.
Can you give me a little bit of an example of maybe a word track or maybe why tonality and body language are so important, or maybe a way that you would talk to a homeowner?
I know a lot of your transactions are self-generated, and we're going to talk about that a little bit later. A lot of them are done like the same day. You know, it's not like you're scheduling. I love same days; that's my ideal transaction—same day, same day!
Awesome! So, give me a little bit of an example of tonality and body language, like why you feel it's effective for you in the field of selling solar door-to-door.
Yeah, as far as tonality, I talk like when I'm knocking their door, I'll use maybe even a confused tone or some different tone that they've heard. A lot of people, when they get up there, they're talking much quicker because they're trying to spew out information before they close the door.
I talk pretty slow, or if they say, "Get to the point," I like to be blunt and then get into it. But my tonality and how I talk very, very slow... I think one of the things is, like, I intentionally, when I was first starting, it sounds ridiculous, I hired meditation and breathing coaches in the past.
One of the things they taught is how important keeping your heart rate down is. So, when I first started, I was intentionally trying to keep my heart rate lower to make sure I'm not talking as fast. When I'm again sounding like someone else or not every other door knocker that's come to their door, with that slower pace or a different tone than they've heard, then they'll give me the light of day because they're like, "Oh, this sounds different than what I've heard."
Also, I'm not coming in company gear. They don't even really know what it is until I'm like 30 seconds in, so it buys me a little bit more time.
Coming in different gear sounds like you're building a lot of curiosity.
Yeah, but also, you're almost pulling their guard down. You know, I talked to the solar professional that did... I think he did 80, but they were all sets, and he had a lesser amount of installs than you. But he's like, "It was his first month ever doing solar," and he's like, "Yeah, I just tell these people I don't like them knowing that I'm good at this."
You know, they almost look at him like, "Hey, it's a rookie," and they just don't have much of a guard, you know, when your presentation happens.
So, let's talk about this. You joined KNAR in January. You've been a part of the program. You are currently our top KNAR in our coaching program that myself and Tom Hopkins run. You've won our biggest competition of the year. You clean-sweeped it. You've actually been a part of winning both competitions this year as we had our team competition, which was really W. You got to go to Tom's house, and this recent one, you won a cruise in a bracket-style competition, which was double elimination, and you didn't even need one. Nobody could even beat him one round. He was just throwing down.
So, tell us a little bit about your journey this year, you know, the competitions that you've won, and then let's kind of go into that month where you really turned it up.
So, when I first joined KNAR, I was... I joined solar in August but really, like, actually started working in September. What I believe that retreat or whatever was in January.
So, September, I really started working and getting on doors. I could... right off the bat, I was able to get appointments and grab... I could grab a bunch of bills. But I guess, like, you know, an ego thing—I wanted to close these things myself. Nothing closed. I burned, like, in that beginning, which I would say was probably an ego thing.
I got all these... I was getting in-house all these times, and I lost out on, you know, probably six figures of money. But I think that sort of shaped me into where I was. So, I'd say I started in September. I could grab a B; I could get in-house a bunch, but I couldn't get it across the finish line.
Then, really, like, middle October, I sold... I finally, like, something clicked. I sold one deal in a day, which was... I was having some people come in-house prior to some of the sits after I just couldn't move anything across the finish line.
So, I sold one, and then I went out and knocked like three doors, set a same day, and then sold that second one. After that, seeing those two transactions back-to-back in that day sort of flipped the switch.
Oh, like, this is what I need to do in-house to set up the sale properly to get that sale. Then, you know, I could sell a bunch. After that, I turned it on. October, November, started crushing.
Then it was also my realization, right? Like, sure, I can sell all these deals, but what gets me paid? Installs. So then, you know, I learned, tried to learn, like, "Hey, what can I do after selling?" is really the absolute first part of the course, first thing.
So, then learning, okay, what does my follow-up look like after that sale? What needs to be done to nurture these and actually have glass hit the roof?
So then I was, you know, maybe 10, 8 to 10 or so, and maybe like 10. I sort of forget, but November, December, I started learning what needs to be done after that first point of sale to get glass on the roof.
I flew down to... I saw you were hosting some conference. I flew down by myself. I remember you had people raised. I think I was like the only one there that their company or whatever didn't... Most people had their company pay. I just bought it and hopped on a flight and came on down.
I listened to those speakers, joined KNAR, and really, like, that was because, you know, when I was doing, let's say, 8 to 10 clean deals or whatever, I thought that was crushing it because it is a really absurd amount of money.
Like, getting those to install, I thought I was killing it. I was the best in my company at that time doing that. Then I joined and saw this kid, Justin, who popped off like 30 deals in the month of January, and I was like, "Oh my gosh, he 3x me!"
Like, that's nothing! So, I didn't even... because I was thinking, "Oh my gosh, this is like 10, 10, 12—like, that's killing it." Then I saw him do that, and I was like, "I'm doing 33% of the actual top people."
So, I joined and saw what was actually top people across the country rather than my sector and company. Then, yeah, just learning, you know, that was a big mental shift for me, even seeing what was possible and not to think, "Oh my gosh, I'm doing so good."
It's crazy. I mean, you think about this, right? Going from 8 to 10 transactions a month to 55 transactions. You know, he's going to push 300 transactions on the year.
If you really think about that shift from going from 8 to 10, you know, to the point where you were doing 20, and you got to the point where you were doing 30, and you were competing in these competitions.
Then we got into the bracket-style competition. You were working your way through the final rounds, and you put up 55 transactions in a month. You started off really strong that month, and you pushed through. I know you were like, "Dude, I could have got 60!"
You know what I mean? It's funny because at the end of the month, he's like, "Dude, next month I'm going to break it!" Right? So, I wouldn't be surprised before the end of the year if he breaks that 55 transactions.
Take me a little bit through that month of being able to produce 55 self-generated appointments, knocking doors with no leads. A little bit about your schedule and kind of how your day-to-day looks.
Yeah, so before that month, I put in my head, like, because it was summertime, I was... well, in Jersey, the nicest part of the year is the summer. So, I was beaching, hitting the beach and stuff, and enjoying the fruits of my labor.
Then I was like, "All right, for August, I'm putting my head down and grinding. This is... I'm going to kick it up a notch and try and see what I can do."
So, the first week of August, I think I closed like... I think I closed like 17 or something, which was sick. So, that was awesome.
What it took was also being able to have the energy to do that too because previously, I was like being in three homes in a day. If you're doing that consistently, like, not only including the knocking and everything, I'd be coming out absolutely exhausted.
I couldn't maintain it. So, I hired a life coach, which put me on... actually, he really did put me on a good schedule. I was waking up—it's like the stereotypical thing, probably—but it worked fantastic for me.
Wake up, cold plunge, sauna, run, hit a little workout, then some reading or meditation. From there, I'd scrub my pipeline to see... because when I was putting all those deals through, it's a lot of backend work.
I don't have an assistant or anything. Luckily, I have awesome project coordinators, which crush and help me out a ton. But like scrubbing and making sure if anything needs to be done, if I see a notification, I'm attacking it immediately rather than doing whatever else.
So, attacking the most important thing. I wake up, scrub. If I get any notifications, I instantly reach out to those homeowners and get whatever needs to be done.
Also, a huge part is having... like, before August, I was like, "Okay, because I'm trying to absolutely crush it this month, driving to someone's house after they're sold is going to take time away from being in the field and income-producing activities."
So, before August, I was like, "Okay, I am... before I leave the house, I am making sure that absolutely everything is done." This is not going to be... so when I'm doing that volume, I mean, if I'm in the area, sure, I'll stop by, but I really don't want to see you again until install.
Yeah, I don't want to see you again until install. I'm in communication with them the whole time, but unless it's like my actual hood, like me stopping... I guess I move around all my hoods. I don't... it's probably against what most people say. I move different neighborhoods every single day, so I'm not just working one turf nonstop.
I just move around. I know certain companies put you in place for... I am... we don't have like...
So, you're just hunting?
Yeah, I'm hunting.
What time are you normally starting? Take me through your day. When do you get to the field? What time do you start?
I like to get in the field by probably like 1 p.m. or so—not super early. I like to get in the field like 12:30 or 1 p.m. Certain days, I'll be out, or if I have a next day or something at 9 or 10 a.m., of course, then I'm immediately after.
If I don't have any appointments early in the morning, like, that's my me time or spending time with my girlfriend and giving her the attention. So, I'll spend like 9 to 12 either walking my dog with Nicole or just getting...
So, you're averaging 55 transactions in a month, self-generated, no leads. He's averaging about two sales per day.
Yeah, I worked, I think, 22 days in the month.
So, you're pushing like a 2.2, 2.3 average.
Yeah.
How many people do you think you're talking to in a day?
So, my... it's going to sound ridiculous. I really... I am not having that... I just have... yeah, I really don't talk to that many people. It's really not like...
Are you knocking 200 doors a day?
Absolutely not! I am knocking... like, unfortunately, I know most people say it's a numbers thing. I disagree. I think it's a skill thing. I do not want to knock 200 doors.
Of course, I spot knock super heavily. If there are people home, yes, I'm looking for good roofs. I will pass. I will walk past 12 homes. When it comes to the homes that I'm picking, when I'm walking up to them, I'm like... because I think they're home, they're getting crushed in sun.
I want the ones that are going to make what I was saying previously because I'm picking these homes. So, every single home I'm selling, it makes sense for. Like, most of them, it makes sense for. If I can't fit a roof or something, that might be where the problem is.
But it's going to... a lot of the time, 90% of the time, it makes sense for them because I'm spot knocking.
So, it sounds like it makes sense for you; that's why it makes sense for them.
I'm the professional, and you're not overcomplicating the process.
No, you know, he's self-generating all of his accounts, and most of those are done on the same day.
So, take me through this. You knock on somebody's door. Is it that you collect their utility bill, and you're going back later in the day? Are you walking right into the house? What's your normal transaction look like?
I am pretty... probably controversial also because I don't have setters. I do not ask for a utility bill, and I could care less about a bill until I'm in the home. As soon as I get in the home, that's what I ask for.
But I think it's sort of... like, it complicates it a little bit. I want to... when I'm on the door, I'm trying to give myself the best possible chance of getting inside because when I'm inside, it's done.
So, I love that. I see so many sales professionals that are like, "I couldn't get the bill." You know, where a lot of the time, I was just like, "Hey, I don't need to know the heart attack bill, but just roughly what do you spend a month for the power?"
Then, once you're able to get into the home, you're able to build that trust, build that rapport. Because a lot of the time, somebody just doesn't want to hand over their bill unless they trust you, they respect you, and they understand the vision of the roadmap and the direction they're going.
Yeah, so I was just... we just had a... I was just hosting a blitz, actually, and a ton of... like, there was a decent amount of people that flew out for it. The first two or three days, the amount of volume was just non-existent.
Then we were like, "Okay, what's the biggest hurdle here?" Also, it could be area-dependent, but they were all like, "When we're going for the bill, they don't want to give it." I was like, "Okay, so stop going for it. It does not matter."
I wasn't the one closing their deals because I said I didn't want them, but I was like, "The people closing them, they do not care. We don't care about having the bill. Get a rough estimate. We'll build something and then downsize or upsize in-house."
But really getting the bill for me means absolutely nothing. So, I'm not getting the bill. Depending on the financer I'm using, I'll do it. I love same-day walk-ins; that was my absolute... it's my favorite thing.
But certain financers I use, it does take a little bit for the proposal—like 45 minutes sometimes. So, then I don't want to walk in and then waste like 30 minutes or so until I have that back when I could go get someone else and then stack them.
So, if I know I'm going to be using that financer for that home, I say, "Gotcha. I'll swing back in like 45 minutes. I got to go do that."
But same-day walk-ins are my favorite thing. I love it!
If you guys are just tuning in, what we've been talking about is, you know, the tonality and the way that you speak. We're going into, you know, not overcomplicating this process, right?
I think the big thing after watching Ben in the field and getting to know him is he doesn't complicate it. It's not a complicated process. If you make it a big deal, they're going to make it a big deal.
So, like your normal time to set an appointment when you're knocking on the door and then your normal time when you get into the house to close the transaction, what time is that looking like?
Like the 5-10 minute to set it, two hours to close it? Like, what is that time?
Oh no, so my process in-house, again, I keep it so simple. I'm selling a TPO product, so out of all those deals, one of them was an ownership alone. In my market, TPO just absolutely crushes, and that's what I feel like makes the most sense.
So, that's like my belief—that the TPO product is the best one. So, that's all I sell. It's a quicker sales process. I would say I'm leaving the home in like 45 minutes or so.
So, it's very... I like to keep everything absolutely under an hour. I mean, there are people I know, some people, they'll sit in there for two and a half hours or whatever. In my head, if I was the consumer, I would never want someone inside my house for three hours, personally.
So, I just don't like... that's what I'm thinking. I'm thinking that they don't want me there for that long. They want to, you know, I'm selling the destination. They want what they're going to end up with, and then, you know, trust.
Yeah, sounds like we got a professional trick-or-treater here. I want to ask you a question because sales professionals are the only people that face rejection every single day.
This book right here, Green Eggs and Ham, right? He deals with a lot of no. How are you able to handle rejection, and what do you do when people tell you they're not interested?
Yeah, gotcha. I'm sure you get a ton of people swinging by here. How long have you lived in the home?
We've lived here for five years.
Gotcha. Yeah, I'm sure you've just seen that recent utility rate increase from Atlantic City Electric. Do you know roughly how much a month you're paying?
My wife handles it, but it's maybe like a couple hundred bucks.
Okay, and is that heart attack summer bill or, you know, one of the... like an average?
Probably about an average.
Okay, so similar to Nancy down the road, you are actually a little bit higher than her. You know, what we're able to do for her is take her from that $300 that's constantly going up. We got her down to like a lower one, $190 or something.
Really, like the main thing and why a lot of people weren't interested in the past—did you ever see one of the proposals or anything?
No, we haven't seen it.
Gotcha. We looked into it like five years ago, I think.
Yeah, so previously, it really wouldn't have made any sense. A lot of people were getting asked to take out $60,000, $70,000 loans. Again, you said you're paying like $250 on average?
Yeah, it's somewhere around there.
Right, so that would never make sense for you to take out a $70,000, $80,000 loan. Then, you know, previously, also, you had to take money out of your pocket. Again, it really is not going to make a whole lot of sense.
All we do, we just put together a quick proposal and show you what it even looks like. Again, I'm not sure if your home would even make sense for if you guys would be eligible.
I am super, super busy here. Did you get your bill paper copy or electronic?
We get it in the mail.
Okay, so I do have to swing by to like Kevin. I mean, you guys going to be home here in like the next 45 minutes or so?
Yeah, we should be here.
Okay, gotcha. And then, what's your number?
Area code 941, okay, 367-4545.
Okay, gotcha. So, I'll put together that report. Again, if it's even going to make sense for you, I mean, if it's not going to make sense, I'll shoot you a text. I'm not going to waste your time or mine. If it makes sense, again, I'm just going to show you.
I basically just break down, "Hey, this is where the panels would go. This is what you were paying. This is what you could be saving." You know, 15-20 minutes or so.
Alrighty, I'll see you in like 45. It's super short, simple, and just...
Yeah, so what's crazy about that, right? If you really understand sales, you know the tonality, the body language—he's doing everything for a reason. You know, the greatest enemy is the client's fear, right?
And there's anxiety when somebody knocks on your door, "Oh, we got a door-to-door salesperson." But it's very clear how Ben can allow that family to relax, which kind of goes into my next question.
Curious George right here, it's pretty obvious how you can create that curiosity and that indifference. But why do you think creating curiosity is very important when you're knocking on somebody's door?
Because they don't... I mean, you're showing up at their house. If they were planning to go solar, right, they probably would have looked it up online. I'm sure you guys have heard that objection on the door.
But you need to build, like, show them, give them an idea of why they would even want to do this. Like, why would they take the time out of their day? They've probably had, you know, door-to-door people come to them in the past and have been in their home that have annoyed them.
So, what makes you... like, why would they even give you the time of day to come and annoy them?
Yeah, tell me about your best sales day.
The best day? How many... you typically, like, 90-95% of your transactions are all self-generated. You have zero leads. You know, he's getting these all by knocking on doors.
Can you remember how many?
I think six was my best day—six self-gens in a day. That's what we call operation goo gadget bank account.
Can you remember anything specific about that day? Your mentality?
Well, so I had like an 8 a.m. and a 10 a.m. from the day previous, and I locked both of them down. I felt so fired up after that and just felt my energy was on point. I felt fantastic and was like, "Alright, today I'm just rocking out."
Got into the field after and just started cranking. I think the last one... they were all like... I was like, you know, most infectious after something. Like, everybody I was talking to, they needed it.
Like, they all just needed it. I think the last one I closed out at like 9 p.m. or so, but I have had like some 12, some 12 a.m. closes or something in the past.
It was... that was for a rep I closed for free! [Laughter]
It's just crazy to think about, you know, because I know there are thousands of individuals in the solar industry. A lot of people that get into solar say, "Hey, I want to earn $100,000 a year. I want to earn six figures in a year."
But this individual is pacing almost $2 million in his first full year of doing solar. I think about it like this: the person that goes out and makes $100,000 a year would have to do that for 20 years, or Ben could go to a beach in a foreign country for 20 years and come back and be like, "Alright, fine, we're tied now."
But he's a master of his craft and a continual learner, always on the weekly coaching calls, on the online university, constantly trying to get better, coming to events.
You know, I think a lot of individuals get to a certain level, and they're like, "Oh, I'm good. I'm making two, three hundred grand. I'm one of the top persons in my company."
But just that decision that you made to be great, and you know, I salute you for that because, you know, selling isn't easy. We're the only creatures that face rejection every single day.
But when you get really good at this, you're never going to work another day in your life. It's like playing a game, and you have a lot of fun with what you do. It doesn't seem like it's too stressful, and you know, he's helping families.
You know, he's got that demeanor, he's got the tonality, and he's got the body language. I know that this specific slick right here is one that you use in almost every one of your transactions.
Yes, tell me a little bit about that slick, and maybe we can go into some of the word track on how you utilize that when you're in the home.
Yeah, now I use this thing in literally every single one of my closes. I absolutely love this slick. I use this in everyone.
Alright, so take me through it. If I was a homeowner, I'm in your house, how would you explain this to me?
Yeah, so really, like the reasons... so like after discovery and stuff, this is like one of the first things I bring out after because I'm asking... I'm asking them a lot of the time. They don't really want a loan, but even if they do, I use this thing and try and swing them towards a TPO product.
If they don't want it, then I'll switch over, but typically, I mean, they always... this makes the most sense, I think.
So, really, like the reasons why you would never go solar, right? Your average was like $350, right? I think it was something around that.
So, right, if I was coming in here saying, "Hey, you got to take a loan out and go $90,000 into debt," you'd probably tell me to leave, right? That probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
Again, if there was any sort of loan involved with this, then there's interest, penalties, fees. How do you feel like solar was going to help you the most? Was it the savings, price protection?
Yeah, probably saving a little bit because our bills were never this high like a couple of years ago.
Yeah, again, that is with that recent 18.8% rate increase, right? So, the main thing is the savings for you.
And again, that's what, you know, most people aren't just putting them up there because they like them, because they like the way they look. A lot of it does come down to the savings.
Again, if you were taking out that loan with current interest, right? This isn't COVID times anymore. You're not getting 1.9% interest rates.
If you're trying to save money, going into debt and taking out that loan really makes no sense.
And then really, like the last reason why you would never do this again, if there was just a manufacturing warranty and not full coverage.
Again, what I'd be proposing today, it's a 25-year nuts-to-bolts warranty. All of God are covered—hurricanes, tornadoes—you have no liability. It's essentially, "Hey, you were donating this. Now you're at this price per protected amount."
Yeah, that's how I use that slick.
So, I love that, and some fire right there. If you really notice, you know, Ben's tonality and the voice inflection, and you know, even the small little things like the laughing in between the statements.
People react to the range, the pace, the volume, and the diction even when they don't understand the words. His pacing and his diction almost make the homeowner want to and try to even listen more to you just in the way that you speak and your indifference.
Yeah, also, I think people buy from people they trust.
You know, so people buy from people they trust. I think, like, because previously, let's say if they've been in a car dealership or something, they've experienced like the more aggressive type clothes.
Some people have been in not the best situation from that. So, with this, like my closing process, it's super straight line, and I try and make them feel like they're the ones making this decision.
It's just an absolute no-brainer, but it's more so like, yeah, just try and lead them through. I think it builds trust just on how I'm using that tonality and certain things I'm doing inside the home.
Bro, crushing 300 transactions on the way this year! I want to go into a few of these questions because we got a few questions.
So, we're going to go into some rapid-fire questions with Ben. What do you say when they bring up, "I don't want it on my roof because of leaks?"
Yeah, gotcha. Do you know about how old your roof is?
It's maybe like five years old.
Okay, yeah, so that's sort of one of the main things and sort of exactly what we would even cover once we... essentially, again, we don't even know if it makes sense for your home.
But nowadays, there really are those warranties and stuff. And how much are you paying like a month or something?
Then I ask... I just ask a question after that and say, "Yeah, so that's sort of exactly what we're going to be going over because I'm trying... again, I'm trying to give myself the best possible chance of getting inside."
Because when you're inside the home, it's way easier to overcome an objection like that rather than on the doorstep.
So, I'll either say, "That's what the warranties would cover," something like that, or... and then say, "But that's exactly what we're going to be going over."
Again, we don't even know if it's going to make sense for your home.
Boom!
Alright, new sales reps, prioritize volume of sets or quality of sets?
I would say quality because otherwise, your closer is going to get annoyed and not even want to be going to your closes. So, I would say quality of sets, personally.
Money!
Next question: How often should you talk to your customer throughout the process?
Minimum one time a week. Minimum!
Yeah, minimum one time a week on Fridays or something. Then also, if I get an update, let's say interconnection was approved or something, then I'm two-touching it.
I send them, as soon as I get that notification, I send them a text, "Oh my gosh, great news! Interconnection was approved. Now we're just waiting on permits or state approvals."
Then still on that Friday, I'm going to give it another follow-up.
Hey, still just waiting on... usually through phone call or through text. I text them. I'm sure a phone call would probably be better. I don't feel like... I don't feel like calling.
Got to be quick!
Alright, how do you create same days and how do you create the deals that actually stick?
So, to create same days, I make it seem like that is completely normal. Like, that's exactly how this process goes. Like, every... that's what people are... this is how it happens. It's the same day.
So, if it's the walk-in, show them their design or something. Again, a financer I was using, the one I primarily was using, there was slight delay. So, I was swinging back, but I like the walk-in same days more.
But I look at... also, so I like eye contact. It's big for me. I'm not making eye contact on the door a lot, which is completely very different.
But so, like when I'm going for the appointment, I'll pull up my calendar, and I'm looking down at it.
Gotcha, so I'm pretty slammed—like under my breath, like pretty slammed. You know, I do have to go help like Michael down the street here.
Will you be here in like 45 minutes or so?
So, I look up at them at that point, and then I look back down. Because I think it's easier for them, like when I'm not looking at them, it's easier for them to say, like, give me a yes.
Yeah, so I'm looking at my phone. So, I look up at them at eye contact.
Yeah, will you be here in like 45? Or will you be home in like 45 minutes?
I look back down at my phone and start scrolling.
Yeah, and it's like a yes, we'll be here.
Gotcha, and I keep looking down. What's your number?
Then like my set, they all... like they're sitting because... probably if that's a next day or something, like my style, it might not be as sticky of a set because they're quicker.
They're giving less information, but with the same days, like they're always there.
This was 45 minutes ago; they're letting me inside.
Yeah, so, I would say looking down, making myself seem busy, and like this is a normal... I'm shooting for the same day first every single time.
Love it!
Yeah, dude, dropping some sauce right now!
Alright, so what is your favorite one-liner when someone says they aren't signing anything?
Oh, what, in the beginning or at the end of the closing process?
Let's say at the end of the closing process where, like, "Hey, I appreciate all the information, Ben, but I just don't think we're ready to sign anything today."
Yeah, so I want to get... again, out of all those closes, I don't... I hate two touches. Like, against... so I'm asking their profession once I'm in there, and like in my discovery, it could be something bad that I'm doing.
But I know immediately, really off their profession and how the first thing's going, I know if they're ready to make a move.
If they're ready to make a move, so at the end of the close, if I hear, "Yeah, gotcha."
You know, right? So, unfortunately, I don't have these panels in my car or anything.
Again, so in my utility, we have a restriction map. So, I'm pulling up the restriction map, and it sort of... I mean, seriously, I have customers that do not get approved regularly.
One of the towns I work a lot just all got blacked out, meaning no one can go super solar. So, I pull that up. I really don't want to... I do not want to come back.
I need docs signed today, or else, like, I'd rather a little bit softer of a sale and getting docs signed that first touch and, you know, then smoothing it over rather than setting up a follow date.
But depending on their profession and their type of buyer, I'm not even going to shoot for it. It's really like a case-by-case, but typically, I mean, the...
So, yeah, gotcha. So, again, unfortunately, I don't have panels in my car, and you don't get solar today.
Oh, we don't even know if you're going to be getting approved by this.
So then I pull up the map, zoom in, essentially showing where all the people... where the blackout zone is and how they all can't get solar.
Yeah, so unfortunately, I just had... if it was a recent blackout, I probably have a customer there that got denied.
So, unfortunately, similar to like X, they were waiting to go solar for a few years. I was finally the one that came up and helped them do this.
You know, similar situation, they waited a few weeks, we submitted their application, and they got denied.
So again, we really do need to make sure the home's going to be a good fit, and that means getting the site survey tech out here and everything.
So really, at that point, that's when I'm really going to need your thumbs up.
Hey, let's do this. I'm proceeding. Let's submit permits and everything because at that point, again, our company's putting out money—interconnection, permits.
So you really do have those two weeks to think it all over, talk with your family, know, "Hey, yes, I still want to be saving this money."
But really, at that point, in two weeks, that's when we're really going to need thumbs up.
Hey, let's do this!
So, three things that you need to make a sale: the tonality, which you can hear in his voice; the conviction—he believes he's genuinely helping people; and the third thing is that urgency aspect, right?
Utilizing the grid, utilizing these takeaways, you know, why people may not be eligible for the programming.
You know, one of the things that I love that Ben says on the door, and he does it with his specific tone, but you know, "Now, if you were eligible for this program..."
And then going into it, not just, "Hey, this is what you get, this is what you get," but, you know, "If you were eligible, if you did qualify, you know, if we were able to kind of like check off all the boxes, then that's what you would benefit from," which I love.
Alright, so let's keep going through this. I guess one of the big questions is we've talked about your schedule. We know he drinks yerba mate on the doors. That's a secret I wasn't supposed to tell you guys, but I mainly fast.
So, well, it's not a true fast because those yerbas I drink have some sugar in it and calories, but yeah, I fast as far as food goes, and then I'm eating when I'm out of the field.
So, what sort of tools or education would you recommend that you've done, or what's some advice that you would tell to a brand new sales rep?
Maybe somebody that's watching this right now that just got into door-to-door sales, that got into solar, and they're looking at it like, "Dude, this kid's going to make $2 million this year! How do I do that?"
Yeah, so what I absolutely... I binged all your content. I absolutely immersed myself and watched all... like, I was falling asleep to those YouTube videos.
Like, that is literally what I was spending hours on—watching all those videos of yours, Carlos from Real Sales Dynamic, Jeremy Miner. Those were like... but mainly, I like when I first got in, I absolutely binged all your content on YouTube and Instagram.
That was probably the biggest thing. Then also, I had a friend out in... one of my friends sort of mentored me, gave me a ton of... he absolutely crushes it.
I had a few calls with him, and he just... that helped me a ton. Then actually practicing what I was seeing.
Like, I used to practice out loud, not just in your head. Like, I would practice my door pitch, tonality, body language, like every single day.
He said the P word; he owes 10 push-ups!
But we'll give him a pass on that. We'll give him a pass on that.
But dude, absolutely crushing! Super proud to see, you know, not only for you to come into the KNAR program, setting yourself up to be the KNAR of the year, which is an award that we give out every single year to our top individual, you know, that really goes above and beyond and produces.
Because you guys are either going to be the example for your organization or you're going to be the warning.
When you can surround yourself around these types of individuals and, you know, kind of the group that we have within KNAR, like Ben said, he came into the program doing 8 to 10 a month, and now he's, you know, 40, 50.
I know that that competition schedule that we've had really pushed you, and you were able to go to Tom Hopkins' house, compete on a team. You were, I think, the sixth overall draft pick in our first competition.
Then he just came out and smoked everybody. So, I know that if we do another draft, he'd either be a captain or the first overall pick.
Dude, absolutely crushing it!
Ben, if people want to get a hold of you, are they able to do that, or are you in the field?
I plan... I need to make a solar Instagram here shortly.
We're going to put it in the comments. You can... I'll throw it in the comments. But I probably... I mean, I've gotten some... like, if you're not my rep, I just don't... unfortunately, just don't have the time to answer you.
So, you can message me, but that's unbelievable. Unbelievable what you're doing this year.
I love to see all of your success, and you know, you just got to keep your foot on the pedal.
You know, the advice that I'd give for you, Ben, is if everything is under control, you're not moving fast enough, right?
Yes, sir!
Yeah, so he's going to do $2 million, then he's going to do $4 million, then he's going to do $8 million. Then when he's up to $100 million a year, he's going to invite me on his yacht one day. That's the deal that we got.
So, thank you guys for tuning in. We jammed out a lot of things, and if you think you can beat this kid, you know, come up and join KNAR. It's going to take 300-plus transactions, and the kid self-gens them.
So, super proud of you, brother!
Yes, sir! See you guys on the next episode!