All Episodes

September 15, 2023 • 41 mins

Dive deep into an electrifying saga that unfolds in the picturesque landscapes of Hawaii, right at a juice hut. With the zest of a pedal-powered smoothie bike, Steve Reynolds didn't just quench thirsts but ignited an insatiable passion for solar energy. Hailing from the construction world, Steve harnessed the sun's power, crafting a legacy that today stands tall in the renewable energy sphere. If you've ever wondered about the journey of a man who's shaken the solar industry from the shores of Hawaii to the bustling cities of the East Coast, then this episode is your golden ticket.

Together, we embark on a whirlwind journey that sees the unstoppable rise and potential of solar energy, tracing the game-changing moments that have driven its explosive growth and boundless accessibility. Witness firsthand the global shift as nations like Australia, Germany, and China rise as solar champions, changing the narrative and future of energy consumption.

In a world that's rapidly moving digital, Steve illuminates the power of virtual solar sales and the crucial role of ethics in sealing the deal. With his masterful tales, he underscores the monumental influence of storytelling in revolutionizing solar marketing and advertising. And while strategies are vital, it's Steve's unyielding passion that truly shines through - a fervor so infectious, it'll ignite your solar spirit.

Envision a world bathed in the warm, sustainable embrace of solar energy. Marvel at the profound environmental impacts and the brighter, greener tomorrows it promises. So, if you're ready to unearth Steve's secrets, dive deep into the future of solar, and harness the power of relentless drive, this episode is your blueprint. Prepare to be energized, inspired, and awakened to the boundless opportunities solar energy offers. Plug in, power up, and let Steve Reynolds guide you through the sunlit corridors of solar supremacy.

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, hello, welcome to another episode of Solar
Sales, uncensored.
I am your host, aaron Browning,and I'm so excited for today's
conversation with the one andonly Steve Reynolds.
I know I say it a lot A lot ofthese guests that we're bringing
to you are the best of the best, the brightest minds in solar,
and so many of them are monthsin the working or in the making,

(00:22):
rather to get them theirschedules lined up with ours and
vice versa, and this is one ofthose Steve and I constantly are
talking, communicating, tryingto get the stars to align, and
we have done it today.
I just said, the privilege ofmeeting Steve flesh to flesh.
We've been.
We've been Zoom partners, we'vebeen online partners, but we
just got back from a nationalsolar convention where we both

(00:44):
actually shared stage time.
Steve sold the show.
He absolutely killed.
It got glowing reviews.
He for those of you that don'tknow, I'm going to have to share
his background in a second.
He was one of the pivotalleaders in solar for Hawaii.
He really helped them take theadoption rate to almost 30%,
which is mind blowing.
I'm going to steal his languagehe calls it the postcard for

(01:05):
solar, but he's now transitionedover to the East coast,
primarily in the New Jersey,pennsylvania, connecticut
markets, because he's ready forthe next wave.
He's already done it once.
I say it all the time.
He knows how this movie ends.
So without further ado, steve,how the heck are you my friend?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Oh, another sunny day in paradise.
Thanks for the glowing review.
Aloha Mahalo, Stoked to be here, Glad we could finally connect
in real person, in real life, inperson.
It's also being able to bevirtual and digital and have
freedom of location and time,but it is super amazing to get
actually.
There's so many people haven'tactually met in person, so it's
great to actually connect, pressthe flesh and vibe and feel

(01:43):
people's energy and get pumpedup for for the next season, that
quarter next year.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
I love that man.
It's a really good point.
I didn't realize how much Ineeded that convention.
I really didn't, not even somuch for the nuggets and
everything else that goes alongwith it.
It's what you just said.
It's giving someone a hug, it'sheart to heart, it's shaking
hands, putting names to peopleand everything else.
It did feel different, though.
I felt like we were already soconnected from all of our
virtual stuff.
But it was powerful man.

(02:08):
It really was.
I totally agree.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah, it is we're going to use know a bunch about
people and then you meet them inreal life.
I don't know if it takes someof the magic away or whatever,
but it's like Tony Robbinsconference.
It's all stuff.
You can read the book, you canlisten to the podcast, but
there's something about goingthere drinking the Kool-Aid
Grant Cardone he says don't justdrink the Kool-Aid, swim in it.
So it's cheesy, it's stuff youalready know.
Like my girlfriend or, I guess,fiance now I wake up every day

(02:32):
and try to listen to TonyRobbins or something to get you
pumped up, instead of socialmedia or the news or whatever.
And she's dude.
I could be your motivationalguru.
Make your freaking bed.
Go do some pushups like quit BSin yourself.
But there's something aboutdrinking that Kool-Aid and
getting that energy and it'slike a shot in the arm where
it'll get you infused for maybethree to six months until the

(02:54):
next in person event and thentake it back and do that work
yourself.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
So Wilson, so Wilson.
By the way, I say it all thetime and it's one of the harder
lessons I have to learn.
It's very hard to be a profitin your own hometown, so you
might have to let your fianceknow that, although she knows
what to do, sometimes it takesan external source.
Man, my wife reminds me of that.
All too often.
She will come back from anevent.
I've been telling you that foryears.
By the way, full disclosure isnot a good job.
That's not how she talks.
That's my rendition of it.

(03:20):
So I don't get in trouble.
Steve, if you don't mind me, Iwant to jump right in.
We got a lot of content tocover.
Our audience is going to beecstatic for what they're about
to get.
It's going to be anothermasterclass.
Can you give people a quick 60second kind of background of how
you got started in Hawaii, whatthat looked like?

Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, so I'm originally from the East Coast
went out to Hawaii 2008, 2009,was doing construction out there
.
I grew up doing constructionkind of old school blue collar
roots, and I was out there and Iput together.
We had, like this, a littlefood truck called the aloha
juice hut.
I was like chopping coconutswith a machete.
We were making smoothies.
I had somebody build a littlepedal power smoothie bike we saw

(03:55):
on on Shark Tank and had alittle solar panel that I would
use for the radio and chargingmy cell phone and finally got a
corner office with a view right,sitting right by the beach,
little Halley boy out there inthe islands, and I loved it and
I think I made pretty goodsmoothies.
But more people were interestedin the pedal powered bike and
plug in their phone into thesolar panel and, like you said,

(04:18):
I saw it like a light went off.
It's like Hawaii is a postcardof the future, maybe five to 10
years ahead of everyone.
And so I got started there andI was generating leads from the
juice hut go to lots of eventsfirst Fridays art things, music
festivals and then there wassome guy local mom and pop or
more like two trucks in a truckpaid us 10 bucks an hour to go
knock on doors and I quicklysaid nothing against our door

(04:40):
knockers.
That's a solid hustle.
But if I'm going to knock doors, I want to knock on the biggest
doors on the island.
So I started reaching out toall the resorts, the, the
Costco's, the Whole Foods, andstarted jumping into commercial
as well as residential.
So that's how I got started.
And then I came back to theEast Coast for Christmas really
for the holidays planning on itbeing two weeks and I talked to

(05:01):
my granddad who's the OG ofsales and I think he made it to
seventh or eighth grade and gotkicked out of school and he went
door to door selling homeimprovements in like the forties
and he worked his way up tobecome a VP of sales and he's
just like my guru and mentor andhe's listen.
If that hippie bullshithappened in Hawaii excuse my
French maybe it's a one off.

(05:22):
If it happens in California,whatever.
But if the top people doingsolar are Walmart and Wall
Street and Fortune 500, americaand the US military, it's only a
matter of time before thisthing pops off around the world
and on the East Coast and mostof the people are in Boston to
DC.
That's where a lot of the bigmoney was, and you got to
remember 10, 15 years ago, Iguess it was 2009,.

(05:44):
Whatever year we're in now,solar in the last decade has
literally gone down 90% for thecost of the equipment.
So, like all technology, itstarted out super expensive.
So really only your richhippies and early adopters could
afford it, like NASA and a richhippie with a beach house in
Hawaii, just like when flatscreen TVs first came out or
cell phones or any technologyreally the early adopters, the

(06:06):
guy camped out for the newiPhone or new Tesla.
In this last decade the pricehas plummeted.
The incentives have gotten evenbetter.
Electricity used to berelatively cheap.
The reason it popped off inHawaii is they were paying 40
cents a kilowatt a decade ago.
So now that's starting tohappen and so now it's only a
matter of time and it'shappening now, right?
So we've had a 90% decline inthe equipment and feel free to

(06:30):
chime in anytime because I go inon my soapbox and go off and
tell you my life story butbasically the equipment has
gotten exponentially cheaper.
So the rate of adoption hasgrown exponential, right, and
the human mind we think linearright One, two, three, four.
Exponential is one, two, four,eight, like it doubles.
So that's starting to finallypop off, to go from early

(06:51):
adopters to early mainstream,and every single technology and
good idea in history has donethis.
It's purely economics, likesolar is just math.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
I think one of the guys go ahead Real quick because
we have two audiences we havethe traditional podcast and then
obviously, we stream it toYouTube as well, hopefully for
those on the YouTube and I'llsay it for those that can't see
it visually he did that hockeystick curve and that's what I'm
looking for every time Ievaluate opportunities and
companies and growth, and that'sexactly what he just did.
The other thing I want todissect is what he just said.
It's really important.
I view Hawaii.

(07:20):
Let me back up.
I have always said and I say itprobably every episode Steve,
success leaves clues.
You want to be successful.
You just got to look around.
You got to find the people thatare doing it.
And what I love about what hejust said Hawaii for me is like
the four minute mile.
It showed what's possible.
It showed what's possible.
So I want to know and this isuncensored, so you can yell at
me later why did you chooseConnecticut?
Like, why are you on the EastCoast?

(07:41):
What was important about thosethree states New Jersey,
pennsylvania, connecticut to youfor the next wave of growth?

Speaker 2 (07:47):
Great question.
I love how you brought up thefour minute mile, and I think
that was the Tony Robbins quoteabout.
Success leaves clues right,Like all this stuff, and I'm
gonna get my bookshelf right.
Everything I'm saying I didn'tcome up with any of it, it's
just you find the people thatare successful and what they're
doing shamelessly copy and tryto replicate it and scale it.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
And it was-.
This original work isundetected plagiarism.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Say that again.

Speaker 1 (08:08):
Original work is undetected plagiarism.
That's all it is.
I got a bookshelf behind me too.
It's available information.
Just go freaking, take it.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
There's nothing new under the sun.
Same as solar is a hundred yearold technology.
It was first discovered in the1830s.
But again, like my fiance says,like I could distill that whole
book down to you and a lot ofit's a mindset shift.
The four minute mile was amindset shift.
Mindset shift, the same asvirtual sales, and we'll touch
on that later.
It's impossible, no one's gonnabuy, no one's gonna do that.
When I saw like a 20 year oldhipster kid sell a hundred

(08:37):
thousand dollar Tesla in a mall,my mind was blown.
I'm like whoa, I'm never goingin someone's home again.
Like we have these cell phoneswe carry around everywhere,
right, everyone does everythingthat way.
So it's a mindset of once yousee it's possible, then it
becomes inevitable.
And the thing about that hockeystick curve like I got into
solar as the hippie tree hugger,even though on a four on video
I cut my hair, my dreadlocks andall that kind of stuff A big

(09:00):
reason why I went out to Hawaii.
But it's purely economics.
Solar is just math.
I think it was JC Rangel or oneof the Brunassos that said
solar is like an IQ test.
If you don't get the numbersare so straightforward If you
don't get the numbers, either Idid something wrong or the
homeowner is unreachable.
But it's.
Once you see those numbers ofexponential growth, it's
unstoppable.

(09:20):
So that's short story long.
Why came back to the East coast?
Right, because Hawaii is thatpostcard of five or 10 years
into the future.
It went from less than 1%adoption when I left it was 10
or 15.
The utility started fightingback against that metering.
Then we had to introducebatteries, which is now
happening in Cali.
You look at Australia, they're,in some places, 60% solar.
You look at China.

(09:41):
You look at Germany, germany'sNorth of Maine on a map, they
produce twice the solar as theentire US combined.
And that's some of the history.
That why we're doing all thisright Like the energy vibe that
happened in Germany.
A lot of guys I can geek out onthe history.
It's not really important interms of sales and mindset and
scaling up business, but I thinkit's important for solar pros

(10:02):
and not bros to know the historyof what we're doing.
Right Like this technology isnot new.
It's one of the first things Isay whenever I meet a homeowner
is like you said, nothing newunder the sun, right, like we
couldn't have gone to the moonwithout solar panels.
And sorry, conspiracy guys onYouTube, the earth is round and
we went to the moon.
It's been on every satellitesince 1958.
Jimmy Carter had solar panelsin the White House in the 70s

(10:23):
during the oil embargo.
We first discovered thisprinciple in the 1830s.
Like you, shine sunlight onmelted sand, silicon, and
somehow it makes electricity.
Right?
So it's not rocket science,it's just physics and chemistry.
The exponential is that it usedto be so expensive that only
NASA could afford it for asatellite or your little
calculator.
And once that price started tocome down, it's only a matter of

(10:44):
time until you hit what theycall the tipping point.
Another really great book,malcolm Gladwell.
And it's not every singletechnology in history.
Right, the car Henry Forddidn't event the car, it was a
crazy, expensive, weird toy forrich people.
Right, he said if I askedpeople what they wanted, they
would have said a faster horseand buggy.
Like at first, only the richcould afford it.
And then, as the price comesdown, then once you cross that

(11:07):
tipping point is exponential,growth is inevitable.
Right, it's unstoppable.
Just like flat screen TVs whenthey were 10 grand, now they're
a couple hundred bucks.
Cell phones this cell phone hasmore computer power than
everything at NASA combined andit fits in our pocket a million
times cheaper.
So I guess back to your point.
I came to the East Coastbecause that's where most of the
population is, in Boston, theDC, and they haven't quite hit

(11:30):
that wave yet.
And it's, the wave is coming.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
Yeah, it's on tap man and most of the states here on
the East Coast and usually Ikeep the East Coast quiet,
that's where I call home, butthat's a big majority of my
business but it is uncensoredfor most of our markets here and
they're also SREC states, manyof them.
We're below 3% market share, soit's wide freaking open.
It's funny too.
You brought up Australia andtheir 60, 70% adoption, whatever
it is.
The easiest appointment I'veever ran and I was probably two

(11:54):
months into my solar journeylast year was a guy from
Australia living in Virginiawhere I get on the sale, and I
just missed it.
This is uncensored.
I'll be honest, I completelymissed it.
Never sold to someone inAustralia and he goes stop, I
don't want to be sold.
If I'm a human being, I have tohave solar and I said I need
more Australians.
It was a freaking lay down.
He had already been educated onit, had already been trained.
The other thing you said wedon't have a ton of time to go

(12:16):
on this, but I think it'simportant is how the prices have
come down.
Our job is top sales people andthat's what we are.
That's who our audience is.
Most people aren't aware of theprice drops Like they're still
thinking.
That's a lot of myconversations, steve.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
They're still thinking theycan't afford it.
And so we have to do a betterjob singing this song,
controlling that narrative,letting people now know that

(12:36):
it's at their fingertips Doesthat make sense?

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Totally yeah, and that's the greatest thing is
it's more of an education and aconsultative thing, and I think
the reason why some of the Utahboys did so well they did some
things in terms of ethics notthe best, but it's.
I never saw a solar was never asale or a widget.
You're converting people.
It's an evangelical conversionto a different way of thinking.
The numbers speak forthemselves.

(13:00):
The biggest problem with solaris it sounds too good to be true
.
What's the catch?
Nothing's free.
What do you mean?
It gets dark at night, like allthose objections we were
handling, and if people canactually sit in the seat and
hear about it.
There's another great solar lady.
Check out Debbie Dooley fromthe Green Tea Party, where solar
was illegal in Florida, theSunshine State in Georgia, and
Debbie Dooley was this like TeaParty wing nut and she got

(13:21):
together with Greenpeace.
So not to get into the politicsat all.
I can't stand it, but just theidea of she was far conservative
, greenpeace, far liberal cametogether and she said this is
crazy, right, that solar isillegal.
What's more, check her out.
It's basically how to sellsolar to conservative minded
folks.
She's what's more conservativethan consumer choice over
monopoly tax credits, supportingthe military, supporting local

(13:44):
business, manufacturing energyindependence.
And then she got together withGreenpeace.
Hey, what's more liberal thanall that and helping the
environment and the rainforest,and everybody likes to save
money.
But her quote was her dad was apreacher and so you can have
the best message in the world,but if you don't get butts in
seats to hear it, it falls ondeaf ears.
That's our thing is how can wetalk to more people?

(14:05):
And once they hear the message,it's really a no brainer.

Speaker 1 (14:09):
It goes back to what you said.
It's an IQ test.
I've never heard the otherthree say that.
I say it on every presentation.
I tell people all the time.
I let their guard down.
I'm not here to sell you, I'mhere to administer an IQ test.
We're about to find out howsmart you are.
Steve and I literally make ajoke and they're like they'll
sort of sit up in their chairand I'm like, oh, it's already
sold.
It's already sold.
The other thing too is and Inever said this on the podcast
I've been a solar only a year,so you crushed me and expertise

(14:29):
and all that.
Part of the reason you're here.
I have never in my life andI've owned several multi-million
dollar businesses.
I've sold a lot over the years.
I've never sold anything thatdid not add an additional
expense to someone's bottom lineand it took me about a month.
I'm not the sharpest guy towrap that around my head.
If I sell you a house, I gottabuild the value for why you need
to take a mortgage, why youwanna buy an investment property

(14:50):
, life insurance, a car.
Same thing With solar in mostmarkets it's not.
You're already paying one billto your electricity company In
many markets.
I'm gonna cut it by 40% andjust reallocate it to yourself
Like it blew my freaking mind.
It is like fishing withdynamite.
Thoughts on that.

Speaker 2 (15:07):
Yeah, that's the craziest thing.
Like when I first got doing itstarted 14, 15 years ago now at
Solar City, which became Tesla.
It was so expensive.
There was only a PPA or a leaseright and so there was people
and we were going against.
They're paying 15 cents and wecould sell them 12 cents with an
escalator.
There wasn't even flat ratesand I would do a lot of sales
trainings there because not totoot my horn, but I was always

(15:30):
crushing the sales contests.
There's a lot of things that Istink at just ask my fiance but
that was something to me.
It was like cause, I believedin it passionately.
Like coming from the hippie,save the planet, help people
right.
Like it was to me something Ibelieved in, right.
Like I drank that Kool-Aid hardfor what solar represents and
we can get into that later andwhat it ultimately means and
world peace and kumbaya.

(15:51):
But ultimately about in termsof the economics, and a lot of
the guys were complaining like,oh, we're only saving them two
cents or this, that and theother.
I'm like dude, the PPA or thelease is not a sale.
You're not selling shit.
Excuse my French, I'm notselling anything.
You're getting them to switchtheir service, like cable to
Netflix.
Right, all you're doing is it'scashflow positive day one.
There's no investment, you'resaving money.

(16:11):
And because of the power ofcompound interest.
Right, because the, which meansthe utility rates are going up
at 5 to 7% historically everyyear for 100 years.
They've tripled since 2000.
This year places are doublingand tripling right, 70% in Texas
, 100% in Connecticut anotherreason I moved there.
So you're really starting tosee massive savings where and I
always use lots of analogies.

(16:32):
Right, because no one knows whata kilowatt is.
So to me I'm telling a story.
Right, people selling is nottelling, it's storytelling.
Right, people buy on emotionand they justify it with logic.
Another thing I borrowed fromTony Robbins or whoever who
knows I wish I came I didn'tcome up with that but the idea
of like analogies andstorytelling.
Because if you just make thatproposition of a widget of

(16:53):
you're paying X, we're Y, wehave the 400, blah, blah, blah,
blah, no one cares about thatcrap.
Right, people are worried abouttheir life, their business,
whatever they're doing, andthey're busy.
But if you can get them to sitdown and say I make the gas
analogy Imagine we had a timemachine.
We could go back to the year2000,.
Gas as a dollar a gallon.
What if I gave you a gas cardfor 95 cents forever?
Most people's initial reactionis big deal, who cares about a

(17:14):
nickel, I'm busy.
If you use 10, 20,000 gallonsor kilowatts, that'll save you a
couple hundred bucks, 500 bucks, a grand not a big deal money
in your pocket.
The big exponentials we'regonna lock that in.
And as electricity has gone upat 4% to 7% and I make a joke
about Jimmy Buffett RIP and I'malways asking them, I'm trying
to get them to respond with likesocratic questioning what's

(17:34):
that guy Buffett, the law of 72?
And I'm fishing for them to sayWarren Buffett.
But I'm like oh yeah, jimmyBuffett, I'm thinking about
Jimmy Buffett, it's after five.
Blah, blah, blah, always askingquestions and I get deep,
probing questions to get anemotional response it's
involvement.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
it's involvement too, versus just you talking.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, you wanna get like.
Right now I'm just likerambling and talking because
we're trying to share 10 yearsof knowledge in 20 minutes or
whatever, but with them it wouldbe completely opposite.
If you were the homeowner, Iwould be interviewing you.
We wouldn't even talk aboutsolar yet.
We'd be talking all about, likeKaiser Sosei and the usual
suspects.
Everything I need to know aboutyou is on your wall, right?
So you'd be.
We'd be talking all about yourkids and your fishing trip and

(18:13):
your dog and what people arepassionate about.
Because if you look atadvertising and marketing, it's
all about deep psychologicalthings to create a desired
emotional response Some guyriding down the car with the
wind in his hair and a prettygal or a guy.
And when they're selling likecigarettes or a washing machine,
right, solar doesn't haveadvertising and marketing.
There's internet stuff.

(18:33):
It can't fit on a 30 secondSuper Bowl ad.
So we are the advertising andmarketing and we are the
storytellers and because of thatthere's such great margins
because, like you said, at twoor 3%, the early adopters
already they already did it.
There's a massive people outthere that don't even know about
it or they think it's tooexpensive or it's some hippie
scam that gets dark at night.

(18:54):
So if you can get those peopleto sit down and hear the story
and tell them the analogieswhere, as electric is rising
exponentially and you're notover time, even a PPA will save
you the average person 20, 30,40, 50 grand with zero
investment.
And then what's the catch?
Nothing's free.
What are you talking about?
The sun's free energy it's whywe have life on earth.
That shines down and makesplants grow.

(19:15):
We can eat that for energy,ferment it for fun after five
o'clock.
Ha, that's beer and wine.
Even the gas in your car isplants and dinosaur bones.
It comes.
It's fossilized sunlight.
So the only cost for solar isthe technology, which has been
around a hundred years.
It's military equipment.
That's not some hippie-dippy BS.
But what happened is it's gonedown.
It's gotten so cheap literally90%.

(19:36):
There's any catch, which Ithink is the best part, is tax
credits and rebates andincentives.
I don't know about you, mrHomeowner, but everyone hates
taxes, everyone hates thegovernment, everyone hates the
electric company, everyone hatespaying bills.
So we have such an easy storyand back to your original thing.
Sorry, I go off on tangents,but we're not even selling
anything.
The PPA or the lease is noteven selling anything.

(19:57):
Hey, mom, I tell stories, right.
I was visiting my parents.
A commercial came on TV.
Hadn't seen commercials in 10years.
I'm like mom, why are youspending $100 a month for cable?
Netflix is $15 and nocommercials.
I like to watch my shows.
They don't care about thecontent, the shows, the phone
call, the energy of cell phonesbetter than a landline and it's
cheaper.

(20:17):
And Netflix is cheaper thancable.
Solar is cheaper than theutility.
But most people don't know thatright and then you gotta
reprogram.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
Yeah, totally.
I do.
Wanna transition over to twoother topics that I know you are
world famous on.
One is and this is a big onewith our audience.
We are seeing this transitionevery single day is virtual
sales, and I know you and Ishare this in common that we
were doing virtual before.
It was sexy before COVID.

(20:45):
Talk to us about virtual, yourtransition, what it means to you
, matt.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yeah, not to sound like a hipster, but we were into
this band before.

Speaker 1 (20:52):
It was cool.

Speaker 2 (20:53):
I can't wear skinny jeans.
I've been in the Viorasweatpants after COVID got a
suit coat on, but Viorasweatpants I discovered it by
accident.
So in the early days of solar,first was door knocking.
I quickly realized that wasn'tfor me.
It's a super honest, hardcoreway to do it.
It's if you do it the right way.
So if you're into door knocking, check out what's his name
Mike-.

Speaker 1 (21:13):
I got mad respect for the door knockers.

Speaker 2 (21:14):
Michael Donald, no matter what he's like the OG,
two megawatts a year knockingfreaking doors.
But so that wasn't for me,right?
So then I got when I got backto the East Coast was with Solar
City and we would haveappointment set.
So we would have shout out toSunshine Dan, we should get him
on here.
He was the best in the entiresolar city at setting
appointments.
So the center closer model, sohe'd be at Home Depot or Costco

(21:34):
setting up appointments.
I'd go drive an hour each way totheir house, pet their dog,
spend a couple of hours and signthem up.
And it was great, I was lovingit.
I had the little tiny solarcity car no Tesla, but you're
driving all over and people areunqualified.
And so I discovered it byaccident.
I had three appointments set upand I had a fever and I could
barely talk, if you can imaginethat.
And so I like called up hereand I get can I reschedule our

(21:57):
appointment?
Make sure you just have yourelectric bill.
We'll go over that.
We can look at your house onthe satellite.
And he's oh, I got my electricbill right here and texted it to
me without me asking and I waslike, oh, all right, and this
was pre-zoom.
This is the phone.
We can look at your house onthe satellite.
We can cover the valueproposition.
Here's how it works.
Blah, blah, blah.
We can install it for no cost.
Tax credits, yada, yada, andlike people could receive the

(22:18):
value proposition over the phonejust the same.
Now there might be some morebody language and breaking bread
at the kitchen table, but a lotof times, especially post
pandemic, people are morecomfortable being in their
sweatpants.
They don't have to clean uptheir house and some guy coming
into their house, Like we do itwith everything else Amazon and
Netflix, like we're used to that.

(22:38):
So it's like you said.
It's really a mindset shift.
And I discovered that byaccident I was getting yelled at
for that.
I got in trouble.
They're like we pay you to gointo people's houses.
You can't do this.
I'm like I sold three from mysweatpants with a hundred degree
fee when I could barely talk.
What are you talking about?
So I started getting a lot ofreferrals, which is, I think,
the way to go, like in thisbusiness, to copy real estate.

(22:59):
And then Elon took over SolarCity and he said we're not doing
Costco or Home Depot, we're notdoing door knocking, Find your
own leads.
We have a billion dollar brandand they hadn't quite
infiltrated.
So I started going to be an eyein Chamber of Commerce and
really copying real estatepeople of all of a sudden I
don't have leads, I'm not beingfed.
So that's where I came up withlike hunting and farming and

(23:20):
fishing for lead gen.
So let me copy real estatepeople and go for them.
But it was really I discoveredby accident and once that light
bulb let's talk about that for asecond.

Speaker 1 (23:29):
So, first and foremost, I tell people all the
time my background is realestate.
It's where we made our fortune.
Blessed for it.
I'll probably never leave it.
This reminds me of real estate20, 25 years ago.
It really does.
So one challenge I have formyself, my business partners
what were we doing to build ourempires in real estate that we
could take over here?
You're the first solar pro I'veever heard, even acknowledged
that, and I think you are ontosomething, and now we just

(23:49):
shared it with everybody, whichis a little bit scary.
We're going to come back to thelead gen, but I do want to ask
you a question what is a mistakeor two that you think newer
people transitioning to virtualsales are making that aren't
having the close rate, aren'tgetting the sales you're getting
?
Is there something they'redoing where they're treating it
more like traditional belly tobelly at the kitchen table?
Is there any nuance or any likea nugget or two that you could
share with the audience on that?

Speaker 2 (24:12):
I think, like you said, it being a mindset shift,
and so my biggest thing isconnecting with people.
Maybe we connected before thisand we're just getting right
into the meat potatoes, but if Iwas, if we were doing this and
you were the prospect, I wouldbe just asking you questions,
talking about you and havingthat same rapport.
So I think something like 90%of communication is body
language.
So if you're not on a Zoom andyou're just over the phone,

(24:34):
there's a huge amount oftonality and mirroring people
right, like when I first wentout to Hawaii, I was fast
talking like slick East Coastguy and people like who the what
?
No, so you know if you don'thave to copy them, totally of
low-high, broad as a kind.
But there's regionaldifferences of people, trust, no
contrast, people like them.
So there's a lot in tonalityand body language and mirror,

(24:55):
not body language, but mirroringthem.
And I still love to cold calloccasionally and just calling
people up and right away,assuming like we're old friends,
like people.
I think people get, whether it'sat the kitchen table or the
Zoom or the phone.
They get all like uptight in asolar thing.
Hi, this is Mr Aaron.
I'm calling about your extendedwarranty for your car Click.
I still call people like heyAaron, what's going on, how's it

(25:16):
going, brother?
And for a second, a splitsecond.
Whether you're in the HomeDepot, whether you're at an
event, whether you're at achamber of commerce, whether
you're cold calling on the phone, whether you're knocking on
someone's door, I call it likethe pop song, right, three
minutes and 33 seconds.
Pop songs are that lengthbecause that's the human
attention span.
I was surprised that peoplehave a span for podcasts but
basically three seconds or pointthree seconds to disrupt their

(25:39):
pattern, right, to throw themoff, kilter, right.
So, if you have a chance to getyour 30 second elevator pitch
in to earn your three minutevalue proposition, to then earn
the 30 minute plus consultation.
So, yeah, I guess the biggestthing is just act natural, like
you're hanging out and talkingwith your friends, and also you
have to have confidence andtonality and ask them questions
and have a process.
So have a process where you'reassuming the next steps.

(26:02):
He's a little bit greasy, butthe Wolf of Wall Street guy, the
straight line selling, right,there's a system every time that
I'm gonna follow, like mygirlfriend is, we're at the
conference and I'm recruitingUber drivers.
She's like, all right, get thedo the pitch.
And I'm like, hey, this pitchis why we're sitting on a beach
on Tuesday sipping Pina Coladaswhere everyone else is like
miserable at a cubicle farm.
But I get her point, causeshe's heard a million times.

(26:24):
But have your pitch and yourprocess down and I'm taking you
somewhere.
So that's what he's saying,with the straight line is
socratic questions.
I'm asking you questions toelicit a certain emotional
response, to take you to thenext step that I want you to go.
So it's important to be ethicalabout this, right, but sales and
advertising and marketing istotal psychological manipulation
.
That it's like Jedi mind tricks, right, the original

(26:47):
advertising and marketing wasillegal to use on American
citizens.
It was developed during WorldWar I and II, right, like where
the military will put people ina room and break them down and
build them up and feed themdrugs, and it's all based on
psychological manipulation.
Now, if you're selling peopleblue jeans, that's harmless
enough.
If you're selling them reversemortgage to a retired grandma,

(27:07):
not cool.
So to me it's important thesethings are so powerful that we
use it ethically and morallylike we're dealing with our own
grandmother, right, and?
But yeah, I don't know I'mrambling, but yeah, nothing is
different.
Communicate with them and havea process, a systematic process.

Speaker 1 (27:21):
Key word.
Right there is what you justsaid systems.
I just did a masterclass onthat on a podcast of Wally
earlier this week.
That's a key word that we keptsaying, so I'm glad you
referenced it here.
Two of the things, too, thatyou came up with your intro
about you and I being buddy I'llwear my homeowner consumer hat.
I don't wanna be awkward, Idon't, and that's all humans.
I'm speaking for all of us.
It's Tony Robbins talks aboutit, so I'm gonna go along with

(27:43):
that until I can figure out mymind.
How do I know, steve, I don'twanna like for most people, like
maybe 10% are like sorry, whothe heck are you?
Most of us aren't saying that.
You're like yeah, steve, how areyou?
And he just got through thebarrier.
He just knocked down that firstgate, that first domino.
I freaking love that dude.
Another thing you said and youare the first guest sorry,
previous guest who has evenreferenced this and it's not

(28:06):
saying they don't believe in it.
I'm not going there, I'm gonnaget a hate mail for it.
But talking about sellingethically, can we talk about why
that's important to you and whyyou've now said it three or
four times so far in thispodcast?

Speaker 2 (28:17):
Definitely.
I love how you mentioned Wallywas talking about the dollar for
every.
No, having that mindset it wasso great.
Like I'm like in real life Idon't name drop but I like love
so many of the guests you've had.
Wally was amazing to see, tosee you ball to a story.
Some of these people's story ofwhat, of doing solar the right
way and being like of service tocustomers and their community

(28:38):
and fulfilling dreams likecoming over.
So to me, like the ethics of itis so important and like my mom
said one time we were onvacation in Florida, I cold
called.
I also do lots of commercialstuff or homeowner same
difference and I cold called.

Speaker 1 (28:51):
I was like oh hey.

Speaker 2 (28:52):
Aaron, how's it going ?
Sorry, I missed you.
Give me a shout when you getback.
Blah, blah, blah.
And my mom and girlfriend werelike you don't know that lady.
That's not ethical.
What are you lying to them?
I'm like no, I'm not lying toher Like I want to help her home
save 50 grand or help theirbusiness save 50 million
potentially.
I'm just like I'm talking tothem like I know them.
And then the lady called backon leaving a message A lot of

(29:15):
people don't leave voicemails.
I'm old school and so shecalled me back.
She's oh, was it at theconference?
I was like oh, no, cause Iresearched.
Oh, I saw your white paperabout such and such.
And she was like doing cannabisand food growing business and
we talked for 45 minutes Like wewere best friends, right?
Oh, that's interesting and I'mgenuinely interested.
There's another guy his name's,escaping me, but the way to be
interesting is to be interested.

(29:36):
So I'm legitimately interestedin other people Like not just so
I can sell something or have atransactional, like Jaybud said.
I'm legitimately the guy thattalks to strangers.
That also annoys my girlfriendsometimes, like if I sit next to
you on the train or therestaurant.
I'm legitimately interested inpeople's stories, right, and
asking them two and threequestions deep, not just.
Oh, you like football, I likefootball.
Cool, like we are tribal,primitive social creatures and

(29:59):
we need to.
A dog sniffs you out right away.
Right, can we fight?
Or the other F word Right away.
A dog knows Humans are the same.
They dance around.
What sports team do you like?
What?
Where'd you go to school?
What politics?
What?
Blah, blah, blah.
Right, can I trust you?
Can I break bread with you?
Or are you trading poisonberries and you're going to come
burn my village down?
So that's what people aredancing around with.

(30:20):
But I guess to your originalquestion of ethics is to break
bread with people Like I'm oldschool, like I came like an OG
hippie.
Even though I cut my hair, Igrew up blue collar, like doing
construction.
So I was out in the job sitelike since I'm five years old
with my dad like mixing cementand carrying blocks and bricks.
So like that to me I neverwanted for anything.

(30:40):
I guess I'd say solidly middleclass was blessed, super blessed
and lucky.
But learned from like oldschool construction guys of.
Like your word and yourhandshake, right, tony Montagna,
I got my word on my balls, Idon't break them for nobody.
Let's make money.
I'm not going to screw you,don't screw me.
So solar is such an amazingbusiness.
It's growing exponentially.
There's these real estate,neurosurgeon, drug dealer level

(31:04):
commissions right.
So, like everyone, can eat andget abundance and have an
abundant mentality.
But do it where it's a win,where you're helping the
customer, you're helping thingslike that and do it the right
way, right.
And it's like cannabis beinglegalized right.
There is a roots to this.
Like old school hippie save theplanet, help people, heal

(31:24):
people, do good things, make amore peaceful, prosperous,
abundant world right.
And then all of a sudden itbecame legal and there's big
money and hedge fund bros arethrowing billions at it.
That's great.
I want solar to go mainstream, Iwanted to go exponential, I
want everyone to have solar.
But with that money we had aninflux of some of the Utah crowd
or some guys maybe sellingother stuff insurance or meat or

(31:47):
whatever pest control and theymaybe never learned the right
way or they don't know theorigins of it and they just see
a quick buck.
And, like you can almosteveryone I meet I know I can
help them with a PPA save 20, 30, 40 grand with ownership, save
typically 60, 80, 100 grand.
Get a 10 or 15 grand tax credit10 grand or so if you're in an
SRX state.
So I know almost everyone Imeet.

(32:09):
I can help.
But if you're a retired grandmathat can't use a tax credit,
I'm not gonna sell you $5 a wattsolar and then your good
thing's gonna balloon.
Or I'm not gonna sell you a PPAwith an escalator that's gonna
get you upside down.
If you live in the forest andyou're so like 90% of people you
meet are good candidates youcan help.
Don't screw people over, evenfrom a selfish perspective.
To have a longevity 14 years inthe business, probably 90% on

(32:32):
referrals I don't have to knockdoors anymore because of doing
the right thing, helping peopleout, like my dad doing
construction of, like handshake,like you didn't need
advertising back then, like I'mgonna do a good job for you.
Hopefully that's gonna turninto two or three or 10
referrals to make a win to helpeverybody out.
I remember when I first cameback from Hawaii not to belabor
it too much, but I was like it'ssolar really started to pop off

(32:54):
and I was talking to mygranddad and I was like, oh,
this is amazing, it's this realthing.
It's so cool, but I don't wannacome across as like a cheesy,
like greasy used car salesman.
He literally slapped me acrossthe face, not embracing violence
, respectfully and lovingly buthe's you stupid, spoiled little
shit.
If you believe in something,it's your ethical and moral duty

(33:14):
to help sell it.
Ethically and morally, do itthe right way.
But he's the salesman is thetip of the spear.
If you don't sell, the guy inthe factory doesn't work, the
guy driving the truck doesn'twork, the construction worker
doesn't work, the people in theoffice, the admins, all of that
stuff is the tip of the spear.
So if you can go out and helppeople, do something you believe
in that helps the planet, helpthe people, everyone can make a

(33:37):
little bit of profit along theway.
It's a win-win all the wayaround.
I think solar is one of the fewthings that does that, because
a lot of things are greasy,right, like insurance or
investments or.
But this is something you couldethically help so many people
and get financial abundance foryour family and your community.
And it says it on the shirt,right Like be of service.
So that's my nickel or twocents.

Speaker 1 (34:00):
I love it, man, and really that could be a whole
podcast.
My humble opinion a year in.
But having said over and over,this reminds me of real estate.
I think we're just scratchingthe surface on the unethical
aspect when you're throwingaround real estate size
commissions.
By the way, I tell you, Irecruit a lot of people because
most people think real estateagents roll around but neck at
$100 bills.
So do solar pros.
I'm going to tell you, it drawspeople to the field, to the

(34:22):
industry, that don't have ethics, and I love that you're talking
about it.
I'm going to be bringing onmore conversations centered
around that because we want tokeep the integrity here.
I also love that you said this.
I haven't heard anyone else sayit.
If we do make large commissions, we're doing a great service.
But, more importantly, if theclient can win, the world can
win.
Whatever your view is on that,so can we.
Everybody can win, and that'sreally what solar offers.

(34:45):
That, I think, is almost likethat unicorn.
It just makes it so freakingunique.
So we're so blessed.
And, wrapping up, if you don'tmind, can you share, I don't
know, maybe your top three orfour lead gen buckets that you
play in?
I know, referral is 90%.
What?
Where else are you gettingleads?

Speaker 2 (35:00):
So I look at lead genks like hunting, farming and
fishing.
For a while I got fed withleads in the early days from the
guys at Costco, so I didn'thave to learn that skill.
But then, once that dried up, Iquickly had to jump in and see
fearless referrals, new modelsof selling, to read that book
and copy real estate.
So hunting to me is coldoutreach.
Basically, talk to everyoneeverywhere, all the time.

(35:21):
Everywhere you go Be pitchinglike popcorn, peanuts, cold beer
everywhere you go all the time.
So that's door knocking, coldcalling, which surprisingly
still works.
Door knocking.
There's 20 year old kids fromUtah who make a two, three, four
, five, six plus 100 grandknocking two or three hours a
day.
It's an honest way to earn aliving if you do it the right
way.
Of course, don't wear a vestand hard hat and pretend to be

(35:44):
the utility.
Don't do that shit.
Do it the right way.
It's already a great deal, butso yeah.
So door knocking, cold calling,going to events, networking
although that could fall undermore farming, right?
So just cold outreach.
Talking to your Uber driverUber drivers are some of the
best guys.
Shout out to Cam, who's on myteam, who's one of my best
salespeople in top 20, 30 in thecountry in the company from

(36:07):
talking to an Uber driver andthen I would look at so that's
cold outreach, right Pound inthe pavement and then hunting,
farming, fishing is more likeadvertising.
So online lead gen age data isa kind of a good hybrid.
We don't have to spend the bigbudget.
There's a guy from Australiawhat the heck's his name?
He's got a bunch of stuff onage data.
He's worth checking out.

(36:27):
Josh, something, josh King, Ithink.
So online advertisement,facebook, youtube, buying age
data, people that opted in.
But also IRL, like in real life.
So I love going to events andnetworking.
So Chamber of Commerce, b&i andthe tip, every town Google
business networking near me.
Go out there and press theflesh.
These are the movers andshakers in your community that,

(36:48):
instead of sleeping in, get upearly for a coffee or whatever.
They're the people that are thesame people on the Little
League charity boards, thevolunteers.
It's the people doing things inyour area and have them become
kind of ambassadors for you.
I love, in the early dayssetting up at events.
I love music.
I'm going to concerts all thetime.
It's my hippie church orwhatever.
So I'd much rather say to knockon someone's door where they're

(37:09):
like pissed off that I'mbothering them.
Go to a music festival wherepeople are in a good mood Maybe
they're having a little vino orsomething, some sacrament and
there's food and fellowship andhey, I'm gonna my fishing.
There is a raffle, so I have anonline raffle.
I also do this with channelpartners, so, like local coffee
shops, pizza things, put out myfree raffle, have a raffle wheel

(37:30):
, a free water, free candy,maybe a free face painter to
lure not in a Cosby sense, butto draw in the kids so you can
talk to their parents, and sothey're filling out the raffle.
As they're doing that, I handthem a solar phone charger.
This thing has made me well,forget money, but this thing has
made my career.

(37:51):
Get a handheld solar phonecharger.
Hand it to everyone you meetwhen you're at an event.
Put your hands in your pocketso you give your three-third,
three minute pitch right anddon't let them give it back
until you're done doing yourpitch right, cause they can
visualize oh, this charges yourphone, oh my house, blah, blah.
As they're doing that, theyfilled out your raffle ticket.
They're now in there.
You can drip on them, you cando newsletters, you can do all

(38:13):
that, but you wanna set severalappointments at that event right
then, and there pitch them onthe solar idea And-.

Speaker 1 (38:19):
I gotta say it, man, what shows at everything you've
set, it's your passion for whatwe're doing and that you can't
fake.
It's not fake until you make it.
I truly believe in the heart ofhearts that this is a good
thing and everybody has to haveit, and I think that passion it
like oozes out of your pores,man, without sounding creepy.
But it just does and it'scontagious.
Like I, you're so passionate,you're so jacked, you're so

(38:40):
excited about talking aboutsolar that, even if that wasn't
your thing, I'd wanna know moreand honestly, I think that's
your secret man.
That's your secret sauce fromthe outside looking in, that you
just can't fake.
It is a gift.
So keep doing it.
Real quick and you didn't knowwe were gonna say this, but I
love for people to get incontact with you.
I know this is gonna breakrecords again.
Is it cool if I throw yourFacebook on the podcast
description so people can reachout if they have any questions?

(39:02):
Wants to know more?
Wanna book you for other things?

Speaker 2 (39:04):
Please do.
Yeah, I guess on the interwebs,Steve Reynolds, I'm old school
and behind on the technology soI'm working on getting some
YouTube stuff.
We're trying to get up and dosome training for, like our team
, we're building on the Eastcoast and around the country, so
I'm always like happy to helpanyone anytime.
Like if you have questions, ifyou're on our team, not on our
team in our industry Old schoolgive me a phone call.

(39:26):
My number's 484-782-4372.

Speaker 1 (39:31):
My phone Love that did not know he was gonna do
that.
He's crazier than I am becauseI will not give on.

Speaker 2 (39:35):
I don't care if they're Russian hackers or
whoever wants to get my data.
Here's a solar surfer 2020 atGmail.
I made it up back in collegewhen that seemed like the future
, and I like to forget 2020.
Another little hack.
Maybe don't everyone do this,but I take these and I hand them
out to like electric car people, right?
So plug your car into the sunor whatever.

Speaker 1 (39:54):
For those listening.
He just held up his businesscard, a little marketing piece
that he can leave behind.
Make sure you check out theYouTube.
That's sick dude, really,really sick.
I speak for audience.
I can't thank you enough, man.
I know this has been, I think,months in the making and I can
see why it was well worth thewait.
You delivered, man.
You came from contribution, youtook the gloves off, you peeled
the curtain back.
We applaud you for it and thankyou For those listening, our

(40:16):
audience, whether on the podcastor YouTube.
We do this for free.
Steve came out of the love ofhis heart to give back, to help
drop a bomb or a nugget onsomeone else.
The least you could do is, ifyou got value, is to like, share
and subscribe to the podcast,to the channel.
Send this out to someone who'sthinking about getting it
started in solar, maybe anothersolar professional who hasn't
had the level of wins that Steveis talking about, please.
That's all we ask.

(40:37):
I hope each and every one ofyou have a fantastic day.
Be good, be safe, steve.
Thank you so much brother.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
Aaron, thanks so much .
I appreciate having me onspending some time.
It's great to connect.
I want to connect more afterthis.
We could chat all day.
I'd love to buy you a coffee orkombucha and pick your brain on
some things and just want toleave folks with this parting
idea right?
Got this from the bookAbundance by Peter Diamantes.
But imagine a world wherethere's like American made or we

(41:02):
live all around the world, soanywhere in the made solar
panels, charging homes andbusinesses, electric cars, so
you could power your house, yourbusiness, your school, your car
, essentially for free from thesun after about a five year
payback.
Imagine a world without oil,wars and terrorism, a peaceful,
prosperous planet with abundantenergy, abundant food, abundant

(41:23):
medicine, like solar powered 3Dprinters like replicator and
Star Trek.
Imagine an abundant world wherepeople's the Maslow's hierarchy
of needs, where your base needsare met without having to mine
and dig and burn down therainforest, like just tap into
the sunshine and we can evolveup that Maslow's hierarchy of
needs to things that reallymatter about being human, like

(41:43):
art and music and community andfun, and so plugging into the
sun, it's a lot more fun to runon sunshine.

Speaker 1 (41:50):
I love it, man.
That's a wrap.
We will see everyone next week.
Be good, be safe, god bless.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.