During our annual reach-out for our Top Solar Contractors application, I had the pleasure of connecting with dozens of contractors throughout the country. Most of my calls were straight forward and enjoyable, but I still struggled to connect with many others. I kept thinking, what if I were a potential solar customer? This company would lose out on my business.
Our team truly makes an effort to contact installers in every way possible—emailing, calling and engaging on social media. But making contact with some companies required an exhaustive effort. Here was my experience with one company: First, emails to its general address bounced back. Then a call to the main phone number revealed a disconnected line. The company had a social media presence, but its Twitter and Facebook accounts hadn’t been updated since 2014. All signs signaled the company was out of business. As a last resort, I found an executive on LinkedIn who listed the company as his current position. When I messaged him, he responded that the company had recently moved and hadn’t yet updated its contact methods online. Wow!
I had persevered to contact the company, but I doubt a potential customer would have made such an effort, resulting in a significant loss of business. Potential customers could be trying to contact you on multiple platforms. Have you performed a communications checkup lately? Below are some tips for making sure customers can get in touch.
Website
When considering a new restaurant, you probably visit its website first. Solar customers do the same. There are many things to consider to ensure your website is up to par—see my previous column “Tips for a great solar business website” online—but an important one to ponder is how a customer contacts you online. Is your phone number listed clearly on your home page, and is it working? Email addresses to specific representatives are always best, but in the very least, make sure general info or sales emails work and someone checks them. Consider setting up automatic email confirmations to assure the customer will get a response within a specified time. General contact forms can be impersonal, but if you’re going to use them, again make sure someone is answering them in a timely manner. These are valuable leads.
Phone
Other than making sure your number on your website is correct and working, you’ll also want to ensure a smooth service experience when the customer calls. I, unfortunately, encountered some subpar phone systems. One number led me to a receptionist in a building that seemed to encompass more than one company. I had to repeat the word “solar” several times before she understood me, and then I never got a call back. Another company gave me the option for a dial-by-name directory, which was great—except it didn’t work and kept taking me back to the main message. I also left many messages in general voicemail boxes without knowing if anyone would hear them, or I left messages for people with default or non-existent voicemail greetings that left me confused as to if I was reaching my contact. Customers want to talk to people, and if they get frustrated with your phone system, they won’t be trying you again.
Email
One of the main issues during my reach-out was not having the correct contact. I would repeatedly email without receiving a response, only to eventually find the person was no longer with the company and my emails were being lost in space. Often by the time I discovered this, there was little time for companies to apply for the Top Solar Contractors list before the deadline. We’ve also had people move on within our company, but forwarding these emails to another appropriate person’s inbox ensures they don’t go unanswered.
Social media
If you have social media accounts, when was the last time you engaged? If you have a LinkedIn, when was the last time you accepted connections or checked messages? Is your profile updated? I came across many people listed as currently working at a certain solar company ,only to find when I messaged them they had moved on. An inactive account or incorrect profile information can be worse than not having an account at all. Make sure someone in your company is assigned to post to and check social media at least once a week. There are plenty of free programs like Hootsuite to help easily manage all your social accounts on one platform.
Just as we at Solar Power World believe that surrounding our readers with content on multiple platforms is the best plan for engagement, so too can you surround your customers with options to engage with you.