Thanks to evolving customer demand, as well as legislation designed to encourage investment in the sector, solar energy has never been more popular than it is now.
As the industry grows, solar companies will need to ramp up sales activities to remain competitive. One of the best ways to do that is to invest in solar sales software. The right technology will help solar companies find and connect with new prospects, as well as close more deals.
In this guide, we’ll explain what solar sales software is, the eight best solutions in this category, and the benefits you can expect once you begin using one of these tools. Let’s get started!
What is solar sales software, exactly?
Solar sales software encompasses everything solar companies need to close deals, from canvassing and engagement tools to CRM apps and project management features.
Here’s what all the best solar sales software have in common: They simplify solar sales for sales reps. The trick is finding the right solution for your needs. After reading the reviews below, you’ll know exactly which solutions to use.
8 Best Solar Sales Software Solutions
Now let’s take a look at the top solar sales software.
SPOTIO
Best for: Field sales engagement. SPOTIO is ranked #1 in the Field Sales category, and was a 2023 G2 Best Software Winner.
With SPOTIO, solar sales reps can contact, engage, and close more deals thanks to a host of powerful, easy-to-use features. The fact that reps can use SPOTIO throughout the entire solar sales process, from beginning to end, is one of the main reasons why it’s so popular with solar sales teams.
Key features:
- Prospecting: Find homeowners that fit your target profile with SPOTIO’s Lead Machine tool. Want to only contact people between 24 and 45 years old, who care about the environment and have good credit? SPOTIO helps you do that, with the ability to filter prospects by more than 200 data points.
- Canvassing: Canvassers can use SPOTIO to set appointments from the field; then easily pass new leads (along with their detailed notes) to closers.
- Rep Tracking: How do your reps spend their time in the field? SPOTIO’s Rep Tracking feature shows you where reps are in real time, who they visited, and the results of every visit. (You can also disable geo-tracking if you want).
- Route Planning: Want to boost solar sales rep productivity? Reduce windshield time with SPOTIO, which helps reps plan efficient routes between prospects.
- Multi-Channel Communications: One-visit closes are rare. In fact, the average solar deal takes about nine months to close. Stay in touch with prospects during this time via calls, emails, and text messages, which SPOTIO will automatically capture for you.
- Sales Automation: Data entry tasks kill sales rep productivity. That’s why SPOTIO automates this part of the sales process. Use SPOTIO to automatically capture information in the field and sync it to your CRM.
- CRM Integrations: What CRM do you use? Doesn’t matter—SPOTIO integrates with just about all of them, including a few favorites in the solar industry like Solo CRM, Salesforce, and Zoho.
- Custom Sales Reporting: Finally, SPOTIO makes it incredibly easy to report on your sales team’s success. Better yet, you can customize reports to only include the data you care about and save the template, so you can create future reports in seconds.
Solo CRM
Best for: Customer relationship management.
One of the best things about Solo’s solar sales software is that it gives reps the ability to manage all documents in the field and collect signatures on the spot.
Key Features:
- Speedy Proposals: Create custom sales proposals that include your company’s unique offerings and branding, in as little as 15 minutes.
- e-Signature Capabilities: Close deals faster with binding digital signatures.
- Engineering Documents: Get the NABCEP- and SONNEN-certified engineering docs you need in less than 24 hours.
- Important Integrations: Solo integrates with several lenders, allowing sales reps to run credit checks for financing from inside the platform.
Aurora
Best for: Sales proposals.
Aurora’s solar sales software includes tools to help sales reps connect with and sell to customers. What sets it apart from other apps is its proposal design functionality, which is definitely a high-end feature.
Key Features:
- Lead Capture: Build lead capture workflows that quickly qualify prospects.
- 3-D Modeling: Create 3-D solar project designs in 30 seconds.
- Custom Proposals: Send custom proposals, complete with images and videos, to help make your solar company stand out from the competition.
- Contract Generation: Generate contracts with e-signature capability.
ARKA 360 (Formerly Solar Labs)
Best for: Commercial project management.
ARKA 360 (formerly Solar Labs) is ideal for commercial solar projects, rather than home-based ones.
With ARKA 360, users are able to track leads, use AI to quickly design commercial solar systems in both 2D, and 3D, predict power production, and more.
Key Features:
- Design Creation: Build commercial solar projects and easily configure solar panels.
- Run Simulations: Predict power production and simulate shading patterns.
- Attractive Proposals: Close more deals with beautiful proposals.
- Monitor Pipeline: Track leads and always know where you stand.
Salesforce
Best for: Customer relationship management.
You’re in sales, which means you’ve definitely heard of Salesforce. With it, solar companies can do … well, a lot. Track your pipeline, increase rep productivity with automation, engage prospects on a deeper level, forecast future results, and more.
Key Features:
- Sales Automation: Automate follow-ups and other tasks to close more deals.
- Deal Management: Monitor customers and pipeline stages to keep your best leads from falling through the cracks.
- Email Tracking: Connect with your top prospects via email and move them through the buyer’s journey at a consistent clip.
- Reporting: Get detailed insights you can use to improve rep performance.
AccuLynx
Best for: Project communication.
AccuLynx was made to help roofing contractors grow their businesses. But that doesn’t mean solar companies can’t use the tool, too.
With AccuLynx, your reps will be able to manage their relationships with prospects, share project details in a customer portal, simplify project management, and generate reports.
Key Features:
- CRM Tools: Track your leads, from initial contact to contract signings.
- Estimates: Create estimates with measurements, profit margins, and more.
- Mobile App: Access the information in AccuLynx from a cell phone or tablet.
- Reporting: Quickly gauge sales performance to find areas to improve.
- Project Management: Color-coded production calendars help sales reps see project progress at a glance.
JobNimbus
Best for: Proposals and design.
Like AccuLynx, JobNimbus wasn’t created specifically for solar companies. Instead, it was designed to help contractors of all types. Even so, the app can make the solar sales process easier because of its feature set.
Key Features:
- Increase Profits: Manage leads, project revenue, and collect payment faster.
- Get Organized: Calculate costs and send professional estimates in less time.
- Boost Efficiency: Automate tasks and access data from a mobile app.
EagleView
Best for: Proposals and design.
EagleView makes it easy to generate accurate proposals thanks to its industry-leading roof dimensions and shading analysis tools.
You can tap into this solar sales proposal software to access aerial imagery, which you can then use to properly assess the dimensions of a potential customer’s roof, as well as any obstructions in the area.
Key Features:
- Accuracy: Generate install-ready PV designs based on precise data.
- Convenience: Create reports for solar planning without getting on roofs.
- Coverage: Access aerial imagery for 94% of the U.S. population.
Benefits of Solar Sales Software
Now that we’ve covered the best solar sales software available, let’s talk about why you should invest in one of these tools. There are six main reasons:
Improved rep productivity
The right tool will help your reps get more done in less time. Features that automate data entry tasks, assist in the proposal creation process, and help field reps plan more efficient routes will result in more closed deals for your company.
Greater pipeline visibility
Who are your top prospects? If your reps don’t know the answer to this question, they’re probably not spending their time wisely. Solar sales software will help you and your team understand your pipeline so you can get the most out of it.
Faster proposal designs
Proposals don’t draft themselves. And every minute your reps spend in front of a computer is a minute they aren’t talking to customers. Solar software streamlines the proposal process, while helping reps maintain peak professionalism.
Better project visualization
To sell solar, you need to make prospects understand the benefits of this kind of energy. This is much easier to do when they can actually “see” the panels on their roofs and the ways in which they’ll transform their power needs. Fortunately, many solar sales software programs are able to visually simulate projects.
Increased close rates
What’s your ultimate goal? To increase solar sales. The right software will help you do this by giving you all the tools you need to engage customers, i.e. automated communication sequences, sales tracking metrics, and custom reports.
Better customer experience
Finally, solar sales software helps reps provide a better customer experience to every prospect they encounter. How could it not? When reps are able to easily communicate with leads and provide them the information they need in a timely manner, potential customers will feel respected and valued.
Close More Deals With Solar Sales Software
Ready to boost sales for your company? Invest in solar sales software so you can boost rep productivity, better understand your pipeline, design winning proposals in a flash, and provide top-level customer service.
The question is, which solar software should you choose? Only you can make that decision, but if you employ field sales reps, SPOTIO would be a good choice.
SPOTIO has the tools solar companies need to close deals. That’s why thousands of solar sales reps use SPOTIO every day to engage customers.
Learn more about SPOTIO and how it can help your company today!
