Solar energy was once seen as a pipe dream due to inefficient technology and high costs, but today, it’s a completely realistic and viable method of power production that is quickly chipping away at more traditional methods – namely, the burning of fossil fuels like coal. As a result, more and more people are taking notice, including entrepreneurs and job seekers who are wondering if now is the right time to make the leap into solar sales. The answer to that question is arguably a resounding yes, and below are three of the primary reasons why jumping into a career in solar sales is looking smarter and smarter by the day.
1) The industry is in a state of rapid growth.
The first reason a career in solar is a good idea is that the industry has exploded over the last decade thanks to more affordable and accessible technology, and that trend shows no sign of reversing anytime in the near future. Solar power output in the U.S. is now over 62.5 gigawatts – over 35 times what it was in 2008. It took the U.S. forty years to get to one million total solar panel installations, a mark hit in 2016. In the three years since the number has already doubled to two million – 40 years of prior progress accomplished in just three.
That incredibly rapid growth is driven by more affordable solar technology and a rapidly growing awareness regarding the impact fossil fuels have on our planet. Solar panels are only going to continue to get cheaper and more accessible, and the more widespread they become, the more rapidly overall adoption will accelerate. That makes it a great time to get into the business.
2) Opportunities in the solar space are plentiful.
Some might look at an industry with this much growth and assume that there are already giant corporations locking up market share, but that assumption would be wrong. There is still plentiful room in the industry, meaning that the opportunity available to companies looking to enter and serve that rapidly growing demand is almost endless.
It’s estimated that by 2024, 2.5% of all homes in the U.S. will utilize solar panels. Yet, a survey of 60 million buildings in the U.S. done by Google found that a whopping 79% of them were exposed to enough sunlight to make them viable solar platforms. That’s an enormous gap between the number of homes and buildings that could be benefiting from solar power, and the tiny fraction that actually are – and that gap represents a major opportunity for entrepreneurs willing to see it and take advantage of it.
3) It gives entrepreneurs a chance to help make a difference.
At the end of the day, money isn’t everything. To be truly satisfied, people also need to feel a sense of worth in the work they do – that it contributes to something greater than them. The solar industry is an ideal space for people looking for a career that not only offers significant opportunity and financial potential, but also the ability to help make a difference in the world around them. Because educating people on the positive impacts of solar energy and helping them to put it to use is a key step in the overall reduction of harmful greenhouse gasses. That makes solar sales the industry – with a unique set of benefits to everyone involved – it makes money for the entrepreneur, saves money in the long run for the buyer, and helps reduce fossil fuel use and harmful emissions. That’s something to feel good about!
While solar energy is an industry ripe with opportunity, it’s also going to become an industry of stiffer and stiffer competition as more and more entrepreneurs jump in. Combine that with the falling prices that make the technology so much more accessible today, and it’s crucial that new entrants have their sales practices down to a science. One of the best ways to do that is to engage an advanced customer resource management system to automate and streamline as much of the sales and customer service process as possible. CRMDialer is the ultimate solar sales CRM, offering advanced lead management, electronic billing and payment processing, fully integrated communications, marketing, analytics, and much more.
For more information on how CRMDialer can help your new solar venture get off the ground and reach maximum profitability, start your free trial today!