At Solargraf, we have made a commitment to not only grow with our users but to also be ready for whatever the world throws at us and the solar industry. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early March and forced millions into lockdown, we knew that we needed to look out for our clients and their businesses. At first, we went into preparation mode – making sure that our users had all the tools they needed to use Solargraf remotely to continue to generate proposals and make sales from home.
Behind the scenes, we were hard at work on an innovative feature to take remote work to a new level. We knew installers could still quote and close deals from home because we saw it every day in our client’s accounts. What we didn’t know was how installers would be able to make it to the actual solar installation without visiting the home at least once for a site assessment. That’s why we began development on our newest feature, Virtual Site Assessment.
Read on to learn more about this feature, how to use it and how we’re sure it’ll help you take your solar business to the next level, both by saving you time but also by keeping you safe in the months and years to come.
What is a virtual site assessment?
As any solar contractor knows, getting the go-ahead for a system installation requires getting the right permits, and getting the right permits means a lot of on-site measurements and photos.
A virtual site assessment engages the homeowner by involving them in the installation process, like never before, by asking them to participate in the site assessment by providing you with any information you need to both apply for permits, or complete their proposal.
Not only does this save you the travel time, but it also shortens the overall project timeline, since everything can be done by the homeowner who is already at the property anyway, and sent over as soon as it’s completed.
You’ve mastered the art of remote solar sales, now it’s time to learn how your solar company can get more done online besides sales consultations, video calls, and emails.
How to perform a virtual site assessment
While you need to have experience in the world of system design and solar energy to use Solargraf to create accurate quotes for your clients, all the homeowner needs to know is how to open an email, take a few measurements and photos and click “submit”.
While this feature comes with default fields and requests for the homeowner, you can add, remove, or change any of these sections from your Settings page based on the information you require to get your permits.
Once you’re happy with what you’re asking of the client, head to the project, and click “request assessment” below the image of your drawing to get the process with the homeowner started.
Once completed, you will be notified that the assessment is done and you can access the information at any time. You’re now free to use this information to order your permits and move on to your next project step!
How virtual site assessments will help take your business to the next level
Even after considering the ease of use and the time-saving abilities of this feature, it’s important to note that Solargraf is currently the only solar quote software offering this ability.
This means that homeowners shopping around for quotes have another reason to choose your business over your competitors, especially in a time where many are apprehensive about who they let on their property.
Mentioning that it’s unlikely that anyone will need to visit their home for anything besides the actual PV system install could incentivize them to sign your quote instead of the company who’s telling them that meetings and property visits will need to be completed before they can have their system installed.
By the time you finally head to the home to install the system, they won’t even need to interact with the PV installers on their roof anyway, since everything has already been decided, measured, photographed, and approved.
In Closing
At Solargraf, we have made a commitment to not only grow with our users but also to be ready for whatever the world throws at us and the solar industry. Whether it’s customizing quotes to help you stand out from your competition to providing shading analysis data to make your proposals more accurate and easier to sell (or even giving you the opportunity to work with us and build the version of Solargraf your business needs).
We aim to be more than just another solar software or a means to end. Instead, we want to work with you to help you and your business grow. If you’re a Solargraf client, you can try out this feature by heading to your Projects page. If you haven’t subscribed yet, book a tailored demo today to see it in action along with everything else Solargraf has to offer to help you close more deals than ever before.
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