The Solar Enquiry Playbook
A homeowner gets their power bill. $400 a quarter. They think: solar panels. They Google. They ring 3 local electricians to ask about quotes. The first one to pick up and have a conversation wins.
Solar install: $6,000 to $12,000 depending on system size. Solid margin, steady work. But here's what most electricians don't realise: the person calling about solar is already thinking about energy independence. They're ready to spend. And the second half of that conversation—the battery angle—is where the real money lives.
The Upsell That Never Happens
A solar enquiry comes in at 10 am. You're in Toorak fitting a new switchboard. The call goes to voicemail. You call back at 3:45 pm. By then, the customer has already taken a quote from someone else—someone who answered, talked through options, and mentioned batteries.
You lost the solar job ($9,000). You also lost the battery conversation entirely. Multiply that by 5 missed calls a week and you're looking at $225,000 in lost solar + battery revenue per month.
Most electricians don't track this. They see "lost solar jobs" and blame competition or price. They don't see the invisible losses: the upsells that were never mentioned because the call never happened.
The Math on Batteries
Here's what a customer typically looks like when they call about solar:
- Already convinced solar is worth it
- Thinking about peak energy usage and bills
- Open to hearing about batteries if positioned right
- Financially ready to spend (they're already committing to $6–12k)
A battery system fills the gap: daytime solar charges the battery. Evening/night/blackouts, they draw from storage. Grid independence. Higher resale value. Protection from future power bill rises.
A customer who says "yes" to a $9,000 solar install is saying "yes" to energy independence. A $12,000 battery system is the obvious next step. It's the same customer. Same conversation. Different product.
Why Phone Answering Matters for Solar Companies
Solar leads are warm. The homeowner has already made the mental leap: "I'm going to spend money on this." They're not window shopping. They're calling 3 electricians to pick one. Speed to pick up is the first filter. Availability is the second.
If your phone goes to voicemail, they're already dialling the next person on the list. You've not only missed the sale; you've missed the conversation that builds the upsell.
Solar companies that answer fast, take good notes, and schedule promptly get the job. And they get to have the battery conversation. Companies that don't answer? They don't even know what they're missing.
The Compound Effect
Let's imagine you're a mid-sized electrical contractor. 2–3 solar enquiries a week. Average system: $9,000. Half of those enquiries turn into batteries: $10,000 each.
If you answer every call: 2.5 enquiries/week × 2 conversions × ($9,000 solar + $10,000 battery) = $95,000/week. Over a year: $4.94 million.
If you miss half your calls: 1.25 enquiries/week × 2 conversions × ($9,000 solar + $10,000 battery) = $47,500/week. Over a year: $2.47 million. You've left $2.47 million on the table by not answering the phone.
CallSorted.ai ensures solar enquiries don't slip through the cracks. Every call gets answered by a real person who understands your business. Enquiries get logged. Quotes get scheduled. And you get to have the solar conversation—and the battery conversation—with every lead that calls.