Scare Tactics

Well, nothing like a new business opportunity to bring out all the sharks for feeding.

I have heard stories of prospective customers having salespeople suggest that their company is better than another company, or their products are better than another suppliers. As in all business transactions, you need to keep your wits about you when dealing with salespeople.

Every salesperson is going to be your best friend, until the sale is completed, them most of them will be nowhere to be found, as their reason for dealing with you is over as soon as you have bought your system. If they are working on commission, as most are, until you buy from them, you are a potential source of income, afterward you are just a bother. A good salesperson will understand that after the sale you are also a good source of referrals, but this usually takes years for salespeople to appreciate and develop, so don't expect this kind of treatment in this industry yet.

I have comprised a list of 10 questions to ask salespeople when considering their company:

1. How long have they been with this company? If they are new, how do you know how long they will be there? What did they do before? Is this a person that will be there if and when you need them, or do they move around a lot. You are looking for a long-term relationship with the company and individuals you deal with.
2. What is there home address and phone number? How long have they lived there? If they are talking about a 5-10-25 year warranty, you will want to know how and where to get a hold of them.
3. What is the business owners name, address and phone number? You will want to be able to get in touch with the owner should the sales person leave.
4. How big a system does the sales person have installed at their home? How long have they had it? Can you see it? If they really believe in their products and company, you would expect they would have the biggest system they could get.
5. How big is the business owner's system? How long have they had it? Can you see it? Same reasons as question 4.
6. Can you read a copy of the module, inverter warranty?
7. How long has the module manufacturer been in business? This is important to consider as it can suggest their knowledge of the field.
8. What are some of the recent advancements made by the module manufacturer? How large is there R&D department? Is the manufacturer developing the technology or just copying it? I am concerned that companies tat are just producing modules, may not be around long after the boon production time here is over.
9. What guarantees are there that your company, the module manufacturer and the inverter manufacturer will be there for the 20 years of the OPA contract? This is a trick question of course, as no-one can guarantee anything like this really. The reason for the question is to gauge how much bull the salesperson will feed you in order to get you to buy from them. If there answer is not honest, then you should wonder what else they have told you that is not the truth.
10. If their income projections seem overly attractive, ask them where they come from.

In all fairness to other companies, below are my answers to these questions:

1. OntarioPVPower is new, being launched August 2009. I am the owner of the company and the person you will deal with. I have lived in Kingston for the last 16 years, and do not plan to be moving. In the time I have been here I have launched and operated 3 businesses. I have build these businesses on my reputation and the referrals of my customers.
2. My home address and cell phone number are posted on the website under Contact Us.
3. See answer #2.
4. I have an offer for contract with the OPA for a 3.6kW system that will be the first system my company will install on my home. You can come by and see it about the first week in June. I will be getting my first container of modules from China then. I can't wait!
5. See answer #4. My long range goals are to own a number of microFIT installations as my retirement income. Because of this I will continue to have my hand in the business long after most companies that are just selling and installing systems are gone. I will continue to service and maintain my systems and my customers systema as well.
6. I have a copy of the CEEG warranty under products on this site, as well as links to the company website. It is the best warranty I have read.
7. CEEG has a large R&D department, and is an innovator as well as a manufacturer. That I why I have chosen to sell and install their products.
8. CEEG is a complete integrated manufacturer meaning they make everything in the module themselves. They also have a large R&D department that continues to improve their module design and operation.
9. All I can guarantee, is if you have a problem, you can call me and I will work on it for you.
10. My income projections are conservative, because I use PVWatts.org to calculate them. I use the standard settings for the calculations, then I project a 1% loss in production per year (as this is what the warranty covers) and I do not factor in any production enhancements that the inverters may provide. My feeling is that if you can feel good about the numbers I show you, then if your production is actually higher,  you will be a happy customer. Alternatively, if I show you the optimal production my system can produce to get you to buy, but your specific system produces less, you will not be referring your friends and relatives to me. 

In summary, my pricing is aggressive because I plan to sell and install a lot of systems. I therefore need you to recommend new business to me, because you are happy with the equipment I install and the service you get. I also want you to be happy with the income your system makes, not what it could make under ideal conditions. I also plan to own a lot of systems myself, and they will be comprised of the same equipment I sell to you, so I don't want either of us to own junk.

I am hoping I can make a few hundred new friends in this business, just as I have with other businesses in the past. If this sounds good to you, give me a call.

Ed
613-888-4207