If you’ve ever tried selling a solar PV or battery system, you already know: this isn’t just about watts and warranties. It’s about navigating human behavior, technical details, financial calculations, and about five layers of internal politics.

The good news? You don’t need to be a magician to sell this stuff.

But you do need the right tools – mental, digital, and conversational – to move from casual interest to signed contract without feeling like you’re dragging a dead weight the whole way.

Here is a set of real tools and habits that make the messy reality of PV/BESS sales manageable and often, a lot more successful.

Let’s dig in.

1. Understand What Your Client Actually Wants (Spoiler: It’s Not Your Product)

Clients rarely come to you saying what they actually mean. They’ll ask for a quote, a system size, or a “rough idea of costs.” But what they’re really looking for is a fix to a pain they haven’t fully named yet.

Some are trying to cut energy bills, others are under pressure to meet ESG goals, avoid grid instability, or just keep up with competitors going solar.

Your job is to pull those hidden motivations to the surface.

What that looks like in real life:

Instead of launching into a system overview, say:
“Walk me through why you started looking into solar or storage. What’s the context?”

That question alone can open the door to all sorts of useful detail – whether they’re facing rising tariffs, hitting a growth ceiling, or trying to unlock subsidies before they disappear. And once you have that, everything else you say can tie back to something they care about.

If you start by pushing panels, you’re already off-track. Start by listening, and you’ll often end up co-creating the solution instead of trying to convince them of it.

Keep filling CRM or a shared notes doc for every client, update it after every call. Don’t rely on memory – it’s a trap.

2. Stop Burning Hours on Proposals That Get Ignored

Every salesperson has sent a proposal they were proud of… only to hear crickets. That can mean three things:

1. You sent it too late.
2. It’s not relevant.
3. You sent something that didn’t actually help the client make a decision.

Most proposals are written like technical documentation. Full of data, but not usable.

Clients don’t need to see everything to say yes. They need to clearly understand:

• What it is?
• What it solves?
• What it costs?
• How it pays off?
• What happens next?

If that’s not obvious within the first 2 pages – or worse, buried in a 15-page PDF – they’re not reading it.

A better way:

Create a modular proposal format. A one-pager intro with plain-language value (cost reduction, CO₂ offset, risk reduction), followed by detailed sections only if needed. This way, you can adapt the level of info to the person you’re talking to. CFOs might want numbers. COOs might want timelines. Sustainability leads might want carbon data.

Also: timing. Aim to send proposals within 24 hours of the request. That keeps momentum alive and shows you’re organized.

Real talk: If you wait 3 days to send a quote, don’t be surprised if they’ve moved on or forgotten who you are.

3. Make Things Visual (Because Most Clients Won’t Read Your Text Anyway)

Let’s face it: 90% of your clients don’t think in kilowatts. They’re not electrical engineers. They’re businesspeople, managers, or sustainability coordinators who are trying to juggle a hundred things.

When they look at your proposal, they’re not looking for “depth”, they’re looking for clarity.

How you help:

Use simple visuals to answer the questions they don’t know how to ask:

• “What does this look like on our roof?” → Use drone shots or satellite overlays.
• “What’s the real cost?” → A bar chart comparing their current and future energy spend.
• “When does this start saving us money?” → A simple payback graph with a clear breakeven point.
• “Is this worth it?” → Show total lifetime savings or carbon reduction in plain terms.

Where to make them:

Tools like Canva, PowerPoint, or Visme work well. Even screenshots from OpenSolar with some light edits can do the job. You don’t need to be a designer; you just need to explain things in a way that’s visually digestible.

Pro move: Prepare a basic “visual asset pack” you can reuse for every lead. Customize, tweak, and send fast.

Bottom line? If your visuals can explain the offer without you being in the room, you’re winning.

4. Don’t Freeze When Clients Ask Technical Questions

We’ve all been there. You’re rolling through a conversation, and the client suddenly asks something like,
“How long does the BESS hold power if there’s a blackout at 6 PM?” or “Can this system be upgraded if we install EV chargers next year?”.

And your brain just… stalls.

Now, you don’t need to be an engineer to sell solar, but if your response to every technical question is, “I’ll check and get back to you”, you start sounding less like a trusted advisor and more like a middleman.

What to do:

• Create a living FAQ doc with answers to the most common questions. Keep it updated. Share it with the team.
• Know your core products just well enough to explain them in plain language: battery chemistry, degradation rates, warranty terms, grid behavior, time-of-use optimization, etc.
• When you don’t know something, be transparent—but own the process:
  “Good question. I want to give you a solid answer, not guesswork. Let me double-check specs and I’ll circle back today.”

Real-world fix:

Set aside 30 minutes every week to study your tools. Read one new datasheet. Test a new calculator. Watch a webinar replay. The goal isn’t to memorize everything, it’s to reduce the number of times you freeze mid-call.

Clients respect when you’re honest. But they remember when you’re helpful on the spot.

5. Build a Follow-Up Rhythm That Doesn’t Feel Robotic

You sent the proposal. It’s been three days. No reply. Do you follow up? Wait longer? Call them? Let it die?

This is the part of sales that feels the most uncomfortable, but it’s also where most deals are lost.

People aren’t ignoring you because they’re rude. They’re busy. Their boss is away. They’ve had ten other priorities since you last spoke.

Your job is to stay on their radar without becoming background noise.

How to follow up without feeling awkward:

• Always offer new value in the follow-up:
  • “Just saw a new local incentive – might change your numbers.”
  • “Had a similar client sign off last week. Want me to share what they looked at?”
  • “Here’s a simplified payback summary, based on your usage pattern.”
• Use reminders, not guilt trips. Don’t say, “Just checking in.” Say:
  “Wanted to make sure this didn’t get buried – totally understand if the timing’s shifted.”
• Automate the boring parts. Use your CRM, Notion task reminders, or tools like Mailtrack to keep you on schedule.

Better move: Before you end a call or meeting, set the next step. “Let’s reconnect next Thursday – does 2 PM work?” That alone will change your close rate.

6. Learn on Purpose (Not Just When You’re Struggling)

This industry moves fast. Battery prices drop. Tariff structures shift. Net metering laws change.
What made sense in January might be irrelevant by June.

If you’re only learning when you’re stuck, you’re already behind.

Build a weekly learning habit:

• Block an hour a week to catch up. Literally schedule it.
• Read two articles from PV Tech, SolarPower Europe, or Energy Storage News.
• Watch a short product demo or webinar from your favorite inverter or battery supplier.
• Take a free mini-course or deep dive.

Better yet, take a course that actually gets into the sales process, not just the tech.

Like this one:
👉 B2B Sales & Business Development in the PV Industry

It’s built for people who already get the basics (and more) but want to start closing bigger, more strategic deals with real-world tactics that actually apply to solar and storage. No fluff. No generic sales tips.

Wrap-Up: You Don’t Need to Be a “Salesperson” to Sell Well

You don’t need to be slick. You don’t need to be pushy. You just need a structure that works.

You need tools that help you understand your client, pitch the solution clearly, answer their real concerns, and keep things moving forward – without burning out.

The truth is, the PV and BESS market is full of potential right now. But it’s also full of noise, misinformation, and half-baked offers.

If you can cut through that with clear thinking and smart tools, you’ll be the one they trust when it’s time to sign.

And if you’re ready to seriously sharpen that edge, take a closer look at this course:
B2B Sales & Business Development in the PV Industry

Because shortcuts don’t always mean cutting corners. Sometimes they just mean knowing where you’re going.