Solar Cold Call Script

Opener

Hi [first name], this is [your name] with [company], a solar installer here in [county]. I'm not a call centre and I'm not going to ask if you're the homeowner. I'm calling because [utility] rates in your area went up [percentage or amount] this year and I wanted to ask one question about your bill. Thirty seconds?

Rejecting the call-centre script explicitly, and naming the local utility and the rate increase, separates you from the robocalls the homeowner has been hanging up on all month.

Reason for the call

We've installed on [number] homes in [neighbourhood or town], including [street] if you know it. The reason I'm calling your area now is that the [state incentive / net metering rule / utility rate structure] is changing on [date], and the homes that lock in before then keep the better terms. I'd rather you hear that from someone local than find out after.

A real deadline tied to a policy change is the legitimate urgency in solar. Local proof, with a street name, makes the company real rather than a lead-gen operation.

Value hook

I'm not going to tell you solar is free, because it isn't, and I'm not going to quote you a system over the phone. What I can do is look at twelve months of your actual usage and tell you honestly whether solar makes sense for your roof and your bill. For about a third of the people I talk to, the answer is no, and I tell them that.

'Solar is not free' and 'a third of the time the answer is no' directly counter the two things the industry has trained homeowners to distrust. Honesty is the differentiator here.

Qualifying question

Roughly what's your electric bill in a summer month, and do you own the home outright or with a mortgage? Those two things decide whether a system pays back in six years or sixteen.

Bill size and ownership are the two facts that qualify a residential solar lead. Explaining why you are asking keeps it from feeling like a credit check.

Handling the first pushback

That's a fair reaction. I'd guess the quote you got was a 25-year loan with a big number attached, presented at your kitchen table by someone who wanted a signature that night. That's not what this is. I'm offering a usage review and a straight answer, and if you want a quote after that, it'll be on paper with the full cost, not a monthly payment.

The common pushback is 'we already got a quote and it was a hard sell'. Describing their experience accurately proves you know the industry's bad habits and do not share them.

Close

Here's what I'd suggest. Send me a photo of your last bill, or just the kWh number if that's easier, and I'll run the analysis and call you back with a yes or no on whether it's worth a site visit. If it's a no, you'll have a useful number for the next installer who calls. Can I text you my number so you can send it, or would you rather email?

The ask is a photo of a bill, not an in-home appointment. Promising a useful answer even if the result is 'no' makes it worth the homeowner's thirty seconds.

"We already got a quote and it was way too expensive."

That's common, and the quote was probably built around a monthly payment rather than a total cost, which hides the price. Would you tell me roughly what system size and number they quoted? I'll tell you straight whether that was high for your area. Even if you never work with us, you'll know what a fair price looks like.

"We are planning to move in a few years."

Then the question is whether an owned system adds to the sale price, and in [state] the data from appraisers says it generally does, as long as it's owned rather than leased. A leased system can complicate a sale; an owned one usually helps. If you're moving in under three years, I'd probably tell you not to do it, and I'll say that after I see the numbers.

"I have heard solar companies go out of business and leave you stuck."

You've heard right, and it's happened a lot in the last few years. That's why I'd push you to ask any installer three things: how many years they've been installing locally, who holds the equipment warranty, and whether the panels and inverters are from a manufacturer that will outlast them. We've been in [county] for [number] years and I'll give you references on your street.

"Just take me off your list."

Done. I'm adding you to our internal do-not-call list now, and you won't hear from us again. Sorry to have interrupted your day.