Pistol Pete Winston discusses building trust and value with customers in a sitting with Sam Taggart.
Become A Familiar Face
I’m a different-style canvasser. I do some same-day appointments, but I like to go back later. Even if it’s two hours later because it’s an additional touch, it’s like I met you today, and an hour from now, I will meet you again. Now that I’ve met you again, I’m a welcome guest in your home. So, I always go into houses and remove my shoes. I’ve been in a home a couple of times and most times, I go into a home, and they feed me. We spend time together, and we get to know each other. I become a familiar face.
Connect
The next thing is to connect. Once you are in the house and relaxed, connect. They look for commonality and become familiar with one another. When you’re building trust, you’re building value. But no one will trust you without getting to know you and forming a bond. Get talking, and before you know it, you break bread with them, and they’re feeding you all sorts of foods and things like that. So, once, I was in a home, and they gave me this whole plate of food. I made the mistake of not discussing what the credit requirements are, correct? So, they liked me, and they gave me a whole feast. Like an entire thing, a bread, a whole spaghetti meatballs, literally. I had a beverage and all of this sitting in front of me while the credit was passing- and I figured they’re in a community where they should have good credit, right? Now, I have this big food in front of me, and it fails credit. They are saying the typical things people say, “Oh, I don’t know how that happened. Something must be wrong. I’ve got to call about that.” Usually, we exit the stage left after something like that. But now I’m there with all this food, and I made friends with them, and I’m a people person. So now, it’s awkward, and I have to eat all this food. I ate down the whole thing all the way. Cleaned the plate and the bread and everything. That was awkward, but I think it’s more that you connect with the people and meet many incredible people.
Referral From Others In The Community
I met the honest Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus in the community here in Florida. And I made them start a little tradition I have. When they get PTO’D (permission to operate), I have them come outside and say, “Hi, I’m ____ from _____, and I power my home from Legacy Power!” And then they hit the switch and turn on the system. And so here they are, the faithful Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, and community members know them. I went to their house in August, and they’re getting ready for Christmas. Santa’s there; he’s getting ready for Christmas. When they turn on the system, they come out as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, so we have fun having a “Turn-on Party.” You know they’ll feed you, and you turn around and do a video of them turning on their power. Things like that have been fantastic, and a sound referral system for posting that or having them post the video. It is a huge nugget. They are showing their family that you’re going over the program with them and enrolling them. That others in their community recognize them turning on their power puts their mind at ease.
Put Their Minds at Ease
We have to build trust and value in our customers’ homes and put their minds at ease if we’re going to help our planet, help them, and help our own. It is nothing because they’re making a big deal out of nothing. If you think about it, you have the federal government involved in giving a 26% federal tax credit. The utilities must give out the net meter, maintain it, and cover the cost. So, what are they getting all worried about? Why are they there taking all these notes, making all these things, having to have references, and asking you what jobs you have done in the community? You could have a picture. This is what it looks like.
Don’t Make It A Big Deal
It’s not that big of a deal, and we need to show them it isn’t a big deal by how you approach things. The best people in our industry, I feel, make less of a deal out of it. You cover all the bases. I’m like, it’s like switching from direct TV to dish. It is not a big deal. How many times have you done that? Or switching phone carriers. People do it every day. It is not a big deal, and too many times, we make too big of a show out of it. It seems like a huge deal and commitment, and they get freaked out.
Shoot Straight
Let them know the real deal is highly compliant, and don’t exaggerate. You don’t have to exaggerate. It’s a good thing they’re going slower. Even if they don’t save the same money they’re paying today or a little less, they can own their powers. That is always a nice tagline in itself. Why wouldn’t you want to own your power? You know, too, many people think they must cut a corner to succeed in this industry. It’s not necessary. Just shoot straight, build trust, build value, be genuine, and explain to them the benefits. You win, we win, and the earth wins.
Show The Value
I show them the number they’ll pay for their solar loan, and I build tremendous value for the same money they’re paying now or a little bit more. Ultimately, the utilities go up. So, even if the payment is a little more than their utilities, it is building value over time. The problem with the utilities is that all the utilities are in the wrong place. They’re all by the water. They need to be by the deserts or open fields so that if the fuel is not expensive anymore, all coal, oil, or gas are not that expensive. Still, the delivery of energy and what they have to do in the infrastructure in the United States is moving all that to the fields and the deserts, which is a lot of money. So, it’s inevitable your energy rates are going to go up. Owning your power lets you control your energy for a fixed, predictable payment with an end date. And even if it’s not for them, it’s for their home value and transfers to a new family with a green loan, such as loan pallet transfers. It’s a win for everybody.
