Gone are the days when only a handful of large companies were in the solar business. Today the industry is full of large and small entrepreneurs, so newcomers are popping up every day. With so many vendors available, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd and convert opportunities into sales.
To maximize the conversion rate and increase the growth of real sales, more and more companies are relying on Solar Proposal Software, a state-of-the-art tool for the visual representation of the most complex projects as well as numerous advantages of solar energy directly into the customer's office or home. Let's dive into the gist of SPS and highlight the four most important things you should know about this type of software.
What is Solar Proposal Software?
Let's start with a brief definition of the solar suggestion software. SRS is an innovative tool that solar companies use to create complete proposals that give customers a clear idea of the design, installation, and other elements of various solar projects. Depending on the developer, SRS can be part of a kind of all-in-one software for solar systems or it can be offered as a separate product. The main advantage of SRS is that suggestions can be generated directly through the solar CRM (Customer Relationship Management System), which makes things a lot easier, faster and of course more efficient.
No errors, no duplicate entries, minimized manual effort. In addition, every company can adjust the backend settings to meet their specific requirements and preferences. Forget about huge stacks of printed papers and focus on what really matters – closing the sale. Sounds great! And it is. So read on to find out the details.
# 1: Software compatibility is key
Purchase software that is compatible with the operating system and other software you use to get the most out of your solar suggestion software. Also, look for products that are fully optimized for a wide variety of mobile devices (both Android and iOS) and stable across all browsers. Otherwise, it can be difficult to introduce projects to your future clients. Before making the final decision, do not forget to check the availability and function of the PV module (PAN files), the inverter (OND files) as well as the accessibility of the TMY data (Typical Meteorological Year).
# 2: You don't have to set foot on the site
Decent solar suggestion software can do a lot of work for you and produce brilliant results, but on one condition – you need to provide a set of highly accurate data to work with. If you work in a solar business, you already know that we primarily mean the “big trio” – location, size of the property and the customer's energy needs. The amount of sunlight is far from the only important consideration. In fact, there are a variety of things to consider, from surrounding objects that can affect performance, to the type of solar panels that are a perfect fit with the property.
A few years ago it was a big deal to collect the data you need and, most importantly, manually calculate all the options. Nowadays, sophisticated software does everything for you – numerous visits to the property, photos and measures remotely without any problems. Thanks to cloud-based solutions, you can get your work done quickly and superbly.
# 3: You need to know your company's needs
There's nothing worse than buying software that isn't directly tailored to your needs in terms of performance and speed. Before deciding on one brand or another, make a list of questions and answer them precisely. How many designs does your company do per month? What level of adjustment do you need? The size of your projects? The more questions you ask yourself and answer, the higher your chances of getting the right PLC for your company.
# 4: The accuracy of the estimates is very impressive
Customers generally like accurate estimates, but with world-class solar suggestion software, you'll have no problem answering even the toughest questions about the accuracy of your listings. The best solutions guarantee impressively precise results with a relative error of 1%. Solar Proposal Software is a great tool that can add a new dimension to your company's productivity. However, it's also a solid investment, which means that knowing your needs and examining all of the options available is of paramount importance before making the final decision.