Know thy Solar Customer – How to

build Buyer Personas

What is a Buyers Persona

Excerpts of Customer Testimonials (source - http://realgoodssolar.com/customer-reviews-testimonials/)

“Going solar just makes

sense to me. The ability to

produce our own power and

be independent and

environmentally responsible

was a huge driver for us. I

expect that our system will

literally and figuratively

power our lives.”

Sue R. – Colombia County,

NY

“Everything is running

better than expected! We

have been producing tons

of electricity!! Our electric

bill has finally gone

negative.”

Robert B. – Murrieta, CA

“I’m really thrilled to see how

much electricity my panels

generate and to know that I’m

doing my bit to contribute to

the health and welfare of the

planet.”

Lee E. – Amherst, MA

Motivations?

• Energy Independence

“Going solar just makes sense to me. The ability to produce our own

power and be independent and environmentally responsible was a

huge driver for us. I expect that our system will literally and

figuratively power our lives.” Sue R. – Colombia County, NY

• Economics “Everything is running better than expected! We have been producing tons of electricity!! Our electric bill has finally gone negative.”

Robert B. – Murrieta, CA

• Climate Change Advocate “I’m really thrilled to see how much electricity my panels generate and

to know that I’m doing my bit to contribute to the health and

welfare of the planet.” Lee E. – Amherst, MA

So what drives the Customer to Go

Solar!

Energy Independence

Economics

Climate Change

Advocate

We can conclude that there are different Buyer

Personas as there are Buyers

How to ascertain a Buyers

Persona • Get to KNOW your buyer;

– Through personal experience from the various

jobs completed; ask yourself what is the common

thread in all your successful sales closing.

– Through structured Surveys conducted personally

or with a Marketing Research Agency

– Interaction with audiences at Trade Shows &

Events

– Capturing leads in Contact Forms of visitors to

your website

Demographic Data – what to ask

for?

For Residential Solar

– Name

– Age

– Gender

– Income

– Zip Code

– Occupation

– Education

Simple to Capture in

Forms – Online or Offline

Psychographic Attributes – what to

ascertain

For Residential Solar

– Attitude

– Habits

– Values

– Interests

– Opinions

Can be Ascertained

through Interviews or

Conversations

Demographics Psychographics BUYER

PERSONA

Consumer Attitude towards

Renewable Energy

• There is a body of research out there in the

Public Domain which can guide us in defining

BUYER PERSONAS, some credible studies:

– NREL: Consumer Attitudes about Renewal

Energy

(apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/pdfs/50988.

pdf)

– Sustainability for Hispanics in California: do they

really care?

(papers.ssrn.com/.../SSRN_ID2148084_code133

2876.pdf?)

Takeaways from the NREL Study

• Majority of consumers (80%) have expressed that they care about the use of Renewable Energy. Though this has diminished with the challenging economic environment.

• Consumers primarily associate purchase of Renewable Energy with Environmental benefits

• Consumers are more focused on the economic benefits received as the principal factor for choosing to use/invest in Renewable Energy

• Consumers awareness about Renewable Energy options remain relatively low.

Takeaways from the Sustainability

for Hispanics in CA study….

• Hispanics as an ethnic group are today are at 16% of the

US population California a key Renewable Energy

market has over 37% of the US Hispanic population

• Affluent Hispanics earning greater than $100,000 per

annum show a higher ownership ratio of Hybrid vehicles

as compared to Non-Hispanics in similar income

category.

• A very low percentage of Hispanics have a Solar PV

system installed; thus representing an opportunity.

• Among high income Hispanics 23.5% have solar water

heater compared to only 5.7% of non-Hispanics with this

feature.

• Hispanics prefer TV over the Web and Print Media

Well begun is half the battle won

• Creating Buyer

Personas help us

identify our potential

customers and focus

our efforts in reaching

out to them.

• Well targeted, we are

rewarded with a

higher lead

generation and

conversion ratio.

For Further Information

Contact:

bijou.Lulla@yoursolarsalesman.com the author is a strategic Solar Marketing Sales Consultant

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