[RE-wrenches] Marketing your kaizen (was Solar Installers Education)

Mon Jul 20 11:50:35 PDT 2009

Hello Ray,

Your question is an important marketing question so I am copying it over to RE-Marketing.

The short answer is (1) identify your company's competitive advantages, (2) differentiate from your competition, and (3) position your company in the marketplace. These are the questions that you have to ask yourself, but not on-line. You don't want to show your cards to your competitors.

(1) What does your company do that is better (quality), faster, and ultimately cheaper (higher kWh/$ invested, less problems, fewer callbacks, etc.)?

(2) How is your company different from your competitors? Be specific.

(3) What markets do you serve (off-grid, on-grid, residential, commercial, up-scale, what territory, what complementary products/markets, etc.)?

Once you have clear, concise answers, then you make your marketing and sales plans. They are 2 different critters.

See http://marketing.about.com/cs/advertising/a/mrktingvssales.htm 
and http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/operating/marketing/salesmktdiff.html
and http://marketing.about.com/cs/advertising/a/mrktingvssales.htm
and google difference between marketing and selling

Good luck.

Joel Davidson

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: R. Walters 
  To: RE-wrenches 
  Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 11:03 AM
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Installers Education

    The one commonality to all of this is really the passion to constant learning. The Japanese have a word- Kaizen- constant improvement.

  Excellent, thanks for the new word. Unfortunately, I'm just not seeing any of that passion in the new people flocking to this industry.

    Where it is peculiar to me, is to see us not being able to charge enough to take care of our families and co-workers (team mates) on the ship of life.

  Now you've hit the sore spot for us: we've worked and studied hard, spent countless unpaid hours contributing to this list for our mutual Kaizen, only to see a growing market that is not necessarily valuing our experience. The question is how do we get across to the customer why they should pay more for that experience and knowledge? How besides NABCEP, do we even demonstrate we have that knowledge?

  Mahalo,

  Ray

    Aloha

    Keith

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: Joel Davidson <joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net>
    To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
    Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2009 5:50:24 AM
    Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Installers Education

    I agree. I have DIY customers who know more about PV systems than a lot of so-called PV professionals. Designing and installing PV systems is a continuous learning experience. We are practitioners because, like doctors, we practice our trade, expand our knowledge, and hone our skills. I tell people who wants to get in the PV business to put a PV system on their own home. People who tell me that they want to sell PV but can not go solar personally for whatever reason have less credibility. They get less respect from prospective customers who use the same reasons or excuses for not going solar. They either don't last long in the business or are in it only for the money. Granted, there are less operational nuances to a batteryless, grid-tied PV system than a battery-based system or wind or water generator, but living with your work is essential. It makes you keenly aware of unique subtleties and helps you better understand your customers concerns.

    Joel Davidson
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: R. Walters 
      To: RE-wrenches 
      Sent: Saturday, July 18, 2009 12:05 AM
      Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Installers Education

      For Off grid, no one should even attempt being a designer/ installer without living for a full year on their own off grid system. 
      GT w/ batteries, you need off grid smarts and understand GT.
      Training newbies, I can't imagine them being able to do anything other than schlep modules/ do grunt work for a couple of years.
      I could see a licensed electrician with a year of full time training being able to do GT w/o batteries.
      Most of the market and all the growth is in the GT w/o batteries, so I think your training should concentrate there.
      I've taught a semester long PV class, and all I was able to do was create well educated consumers.

      R. Walters
      Solarray.com
      NABCEP # 04170442 

      On Jul 17, 2009, at 9:44 AM, Keith Cronin wrote:

        Hi gang

        I was wondering, what percentage do you believe represents the ratio of classroom training to field training for PV and what percentage you believe should be performed by licensed electricians vs what is deemed mechanical work?

        Residential Grid Tie w/out batteries
        ___% classroom- electrician
        ___% field- electrician

        Residential Grid Tie w/out batteries
        ___% classroom- mechanical
        ___% field- mechanical

        Commercial Grid Tie w/out batteries
        ___% classroom-electrician
        ___% field-electrician

        Commercial Grid Tie w/out batteries
        ___% classroom-mechanical
        ___% field-mechanical

        Residential GT with batteries
        ____% classroom-electrician
        ____% field-electrician

        Residential GT with batteries
        ____% classroom-mechanical
        ____% field-mechanical

        Any takers on the off grid market percentages?

        Commercial w/ batteries is utility scale and I don't think it can be quantified today as the projects are generally design build and perhaps hard to put an exact # on these.

        Thanks

        Keith

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