Zain Jan’s Solar CEOs Review – 5 Main Issues with Selling Solar Panels

April 4, 2024

Solar CEOs is a solar business consulting program by Zain Jan that teaches you how to grow your solar business. You accomplish this by implementing the automation systems he uses in his 9-figure solar business. Tools they give you access to include his auto-booking system to help you save time setting appointments with potential customers, a custom roadmap and 1-on-1 help to get you to break through any obstacles you're currently having in your solar business. 

Most solar salesmen have issues closing deals each month. If you fall into that category, you'll get training in sales, marketing, recruiting, and have access to their automated text & email marketing sequences and even Zain's internal marketing team to help boost your brand. This Solar CEOs review will uncover if any of their training and tools will actually benefit your solar sales. 

You will also learn how the local lead generation business model offers a steady income each month without having to go door to door looking for customers or paying for traffic on social media.

Pros

Free CRM and tech build-out

They provide you with 12 months of social media marketing as a Diamond member

Diamond members get a personal brand shoot with Zain's team each quarter

24/7 VIP text support

Zain holds live coaching calls each week 

Lots of training on how to automate all aspects of your business

Learn how to reward your sales reps to keep them motivated

Cons

Expensive program

You won't earn a predictable income each month because you can't predict when homeowners are going to want to switch to solar power even if you're the best salesperson

Pricing Tiers

Solar CEOs offer 3 pricing tiers which are:

Gold (For companies looking for 100+ deals per month): $8,000

Platinum (For companies looking for 250+ deals per month): $16,000

Diamond (For companies looking for 500+ deals per month): $25,000

Refund Policy

Solar CEOs offers a 100% money-back guarantee if you don't get at least 25 new deals after implementing their program.

Training

Solar CEOs provides you with a 12 month, full scale solar representative training that educates you on sales and client acquisition; over 200 SOPs, scripts and presentations available for you to learn from and implement

Group

Private Slack group for Platinum and Diamond members in Solar CEOs

Origin

Zain Jan co-founded Solar CEOs in 2019.

Reputation

Zain has helped create and grow two 8-figure solar companies by the time he was 24 years old and Solar CEOs has helped over 350 solar companies. Zain Jan reviews are positive. We can say the same about the Solar CEOs reviews which are presented in a positive light.

5 Main Issues with Selling Solar Panels

1. Long Sales Process

The sales process for selling solar panels is long because it's not every day that people want to switch from electric power to solar. You must properly follow-up with them and convince them over time to make the switch. Some people may not see their neighbors do it, so they refrain from taking action. Others think it's going to be too much of an initial investment and can't see the long-term benefits. When on a sales call, you need to be prepared to answer all questions your potential customers may have. You'll need to ask them for their current electrical bills to explain how much money they might save each year, show them how metering works, and explain what they can expect during the entire solar installation process. Often, you will need to explain yourself multiple times and they may want to think about it for weeks or months. This entire sales process is long and will test your patience.

2. Competition

According to the National Solar Jobs Census 2021, over 255,000 Americans work in solar. This is more than double the number who worked in solar over a decade ago. With over $33 billion being generated in the industry in 2021, and the trend being that more people will start selling solar panels, it will become more difficult to close more deals and even more expensive to run paid traffic advertisements.

3. Takes time to put together a good sales team

Your best chance of closing deals is to put a good sales team together. Doing so isn't as easy as you might think because not every salesperson you hire is going to close many deals. It can take months for you to feel out your team and determine who is productive from who isn't. Some important factors you want to consider are if your sales team are self-starters, if they know how to deal with objections, if they actively follow up with potential customers, and if they believe in the product they are selling.

4. Prepare lots of proposals but close few deals

Part of the sales process is to put together proposals for your potential customers. Ideally, you want to personalize your proposals for your clients based on their needs and location. You may often create many proposals, but only close a few deals. This can be disheartening, and you may feel you're not making any progress. Many people quit selling solar for this reason. If you can create a general template where all you have to do is input your prospect's information and any other information that is pertinent to their needs, you may close more deals because you won't be spending much time on proposals. Assigning someone with this task can also help you run a more efficient business.

5. Lots of deals will fail because of people's credit

People's credit is a determining factor in if they get approved for a solar loan. It's good to know that many deals will fall through because potential customers just don't have the credit necessary to get it done. On average, you'll need a minimum credit score of between 600 and 650 for a solar loan.

What do you get with Solar CEOs?

Sales

During this 12 month long training, you get in-depth sales training to help you and your sales team increase the number of deals you close each month. Zain provides you with the exact phone script and process he uses in his business. You also get custom text and email sequences you can put to work immediately to increase sales.

How do solar salesmen make money?

Solar salesmen make their money through commissions. Most companies set up different payment structures that help determine how much commission a salesman will make on each solar installation. One company may pay a percentage of the margin. Another company will pay a commission off the entire sale. There are also companies that will pay based on the size of the solar system they sell. For example, $1,000 for each 6kW system sold. 

What are commissions like for a solar salesman?

Commissions for a solar salesman can range from 5%-20% of the total sales price of a solar installation. Those salespeople who are more experienced may earn a higher commission. Commission structure varies depending on the company, the market a company is in, and government policy.

What are common objections solar salespeople encounter?

Common objections that solar salespeople may encounter may include:

  • The cost: Potential customers may think the upfront costs of purchasing and installing solar panels are expensive.
  • Aesthetics: Customers may not like how solar panels look on their property.
  • Lack of knowledge about solar: Some customers don't understand how the solar panels system works or how they can benefit.
  • Reliability: Some customers may question if solar power will work for them because they live in an area with high cloud coverage.

Systems and Processes

One of the top ways to scale your business is by automating all aspects of it. In this program, you learn to automate your booking system, marketing, and more so that you can spend more time growing your business. There is even training on how to get your reps and employees to improve their processes and how to create an amazing work environment.

Recruiting

Putting together the best sales team is difficult. In Solar CEOs, they teach you how to conduct efficient interviews with potential sales reps, as well as how to hire, recruit, train and onboard your new reps.

What level of experience is required for a solar salesperson?

The level of experience required for a solar salesperson varies from one solar energy company to another. Some companies require their salespeople to have experience in customer service, solar sales, and marketing. Other companies may hire entry-level salespeople and provide them with training. 

Marketing

Zain's program offers you marketing consulting. They give you all the materials you need to build your brand to a point where you become an authority in the niche and your community. Depending on your membership level, you can take advantage of their marketing automation services too. Platinum and Diamond members get free marketing up to $20K per month in ad budget. 

How do solar salespeople generate leads?

Solar salespeople generate leads implementing text and email marketing, creating social media ads, cold calling and going door to door. There is even physical marketing material, such as pamphlets, they can create using platforms like Canva.

Who is Zain Jan?

Zain Jan is a successful entrepreneur from Boston, Massachusetts who went to Hingham High School and attended the University of Rhode Island with a Bachelor of Business administration, finance and economics. Zain Jan is 26 years old. As a young boy, his parents had little money to their names and lived in a small basement. From a young age, he knew he wanted to work and make money instead of going to school, which he hated. 

In January 2011, he worked at Staples leading the electronic sales department. Soon after, he began working in the solar industry with a small time solar company. When he was 19 years old, he started working as a sales manager for SolarCity, which Tesla acquired and rebranded as Tesla Solar.

In 2016, Zain moved on from SolarCity to his next solar project. He became the Chief Revenue Officer at Sungrade Solar. He helped that company do over 8-figures in sales. In 2019, Zain became the CEO and co-founder of Better Earth Solar, which is based out of Los Angeles, California, and is one of the fastest growing solar companies in the United States. 

To date, Zain has generated over $120 million (9-figures) for several solar companies and has not slowed down. He is also the chief executive officer of Solar CEOs.

Zain is not as active on the Zain Jan YouTube channel where he has over 2.71K subscribers, or on his Instagram account where he has over 266K followers.

Zain Jan Net Worth

Zain Jan has an estimated net worth of between $1 million and $5 million. 

How Zain Jan Built A $300 Million Business at 27 Years Old

Zain Jan's Background and Story

Zain Jan had a challenging childhood. He wasn't financially privileged as his other friends so he had to start making money early. At 18 he learned about solar energy and started a career at SolarCity. He did so well that he was quickly promoted to Chief Revenue Officer. This senior role helped him learn deeper about the solar business, including installation, financing, and software. It helped him understand the technical side of the business. 

How Zain Started Better Earth Solar and How The Business Is Doing Today 

Zain Jan started Better Earth Solar around mid 2019. The business focused on two aspects: selling solar-powered products and installing them. He sold 150 units in the first month and reinvested the capital and earnings to venture into solar products installation. 

Zain slowly expanded the business by acquiring a small mom-and-pop installation company. This helped them learn the business framework and earn their license faster. Because of this strategic move, Better Earth Solar became a 9-figure business while operating just within California. Now, they've expanded to other states including Texas, Arizona, and Florida. 

The Challenges Zain Encountered and How He Overcame Them

  • Talent Acquisition and Management: One of Zain's biggest challenge was finding and managing the right talent to grow a multifaceted solar business. His solution was to hire skilled professionals and build a capable and knowledgeable team.
  • Communication Issues: Another issue Zain encountered was maintaining good communication with clients. To address this problem, he developed a platform called Pangea for project management. It keeps customers in the loop throughout the process. 
  • Niche Industry: It was a challenge for Zain to offer installation service without any experience or background in it. So, he strategically acquired a small local solar installation company to quickly gain expertise and obtain licenses. Because of this move, he was able to offer installation services to his buyers. 

What's not mentioned in the interview: Zain did not mention how much he invested in the business and if he took out a loan to fund this venture. Solar installation is an expensive venture. You''ll need to raise between $90,000 to $290,000 as capital for this business. 

Better Earth Solar Reviews

In the Better Business Bureau, many customers gave Better Earth Solar reviews, claiming they were victims of a Better Earth Solar pyramid scheme. Still though, Zain's company did over $50 million in sales in just 2 years and there are many more positive reviews than there are negative. Zain's team addressed all negative reviews on the BBB, giving an in-depth explanation and solution to each customer's issue.

Solar CEOs Success Stories

Alexander Rodriguez and Alexis Gonzalez are the CEOs of Solar Panel Florida. They have been selling solar panels for some time, but they had issues scaling their business. Prior to joining Solar CEOs, they had a team of 25-30 sales representatives, but were only doing 5-8 deals per month. They realized they had to fire the ones who weren't producing any deals. After investing in Zain's program, they grew their team to 15 reps and, on average, they now do over 25 deals per month helping people lower their electric bill. They are thankful to the Solar CEOs course for all the weekly training and support they received.

Coltrane Charczenko is the president of Suncore Power in Arizona. He had a team of 15 sales reps that did between 15-20 deals each month. They wanted to scale into different states. After going through this program, they grew their business to over 40-50 deals per month while also expanding to nearby states such as Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, California, Texas, and more. Zain even gave them advice on how to correctly setup their company's payment structure. 

Do solar salesmen make good money?

Solar salesmen make an average of $95,427, according to a study by Zippia. The highest paying state for solar sales representatives is Washington, where the salary can be around $122,000. The lowest paying state for solar sales representatives is Hawaii, where the salary is around $57,000. 

What is the best state to sell solar in?

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, California is the best state to sell solar with 25% of the states' electricity being powered by solar (over 8 million homes are solar powered). The state investing over $70 billion in solar technology and offering a tax credit and property tax exemptions to residents has moved millions to make the switch.

Is Solar CEOs legit?

Solar CEOs is legit because they provide members with many tools that will help you run your solar company efficiently, focusing hugely on sales and business automation. It is an expensive program to join, but if you've got the money, everything you learn about sales and marketing will be beneficial to your solar business. The coaching calls and national sales meetings hosted by Zain each week are highly valuable because they keep you up to date with the most current methods and strategies that are providing positive results in the solar energy industry.

You even get to leverage their marketing team and tools, such as text and email marketing, to advance your business.

If you don't have thousands of dollars to invest, look elsewhere for guidance on how to sell clean energy.

Is selling solar panels worth it in 2024?

Selling solar panels is worth it because, in 2021 alone, the industry generated $33 billion in revenue. There is still an enormous demand for renewable energy. Despite that, there are many home and business owners who haven't made the switch. It's up to the best solar provider to have their salespeople sell those who haven't gone solar, on the benefits of energy efficiency with the solar solution.

Though you can make good money from selling solar panels, there is a better way to make money each month without having to spend money on ads to generate traffic, without having to knock on doors, without creating marketing material to hand out in the community or having to deal with the long sales process that comes with selling solar energy.

Why Local Lead Generation is Better than Selling Solar Panels

Local lead generation is better than selling a solar energy system because you are in more control of your business, your income is predictable each month, and it's easier to sell. 

Instead of selling a physical product and asking people for money upfront, you're providing a digital service (lead generation) that local small businesses immediately need. As long as your lead gen website ranks at the top of the search results, it will generate leads. You can send those leads to a business owner for a week or two before asking for any money and prove your worth to them. It's a perfect ice-breaker in sales.

Asking for money upfront can be very uncomfortable, but with local lead generation, you're coming to them with money in hand, in the form of leads, instead of asking for money.

I ranked the site below for tree care services in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, as a result, a local contractor has paid me $2000 each month on autopilot.

Local lead generation

All I had to do was send my eventual clients leads in advance to pique their interest. For over 7 years, this site has ranked on Google and I've rented the leads it generates each month without fail.

Over 7400 students have learned these skills and are building out their digital real estate empire. 

To learn how to you can earn a predictable passive income each month without being an expert salesperson, check out the local lead generation training program.

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Ippei Kanehara
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$52K per month providing lead generation services to small businesses

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  1. I really got very upset today when i went to my scheduled meeting trying to get into this people program and a guy named TREVOR SCOTT, was very rudely talking with me and he told me very unprofessional that we don’t need to waist our time and we have to finish the call when i was doing absolutely anything. Very bad and unprofessional person to attend a new potential onboard contractor
    I was about to signups until that guy talked to me like i was nobody. Sincerely a type of person lile him shouldn’t be on his position trying to sales this program to other contractors

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