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Speaker 1 (00:03):

Welcome to the Solarpreneur podcast, where we teach you to take your solar business to the next level. My name is Taylor Armstrong and went from $50 in my bank account and struggling for groceries to closing 150 deals in a year and cracking the code on why sales reps fail. online teach you to avoid the mistakes I made and bringing the top solar dogs, the industry to let you in on the secrets of generating more leads, falling up like a pro and closing more deals. What is a Solarpreneur you might ask a Solarpreneur is a new breed of solar pro that is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve mastery and you are about to become one.

Speaker 2 (00:43):

Ok What's going on Solarpreneurs. We're back with another show and we've got at legend in the door to door industry. He's written multiple books now, and I'm super excited to have him on the show. We've got the one, the only Lenny Gray. So thanks for coming on the show with us today, Lenny. Absolutely. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks Taylor. Yeah, I'm super excited. And we were talking just, um, before the recording here, how I just finished your new book that came out and, um, I had been posting just a little, like, you know, highlights of it on my Instagram every few days. And it's crazy. We've been getting just message after message. What is that book? I've never seen a book like that, but it's sent off probably 50 messages and, um, should have put it in the title. Cause I kinda got sick of sending out the same message. It's the next door to door or door to door a millionaire.

Speaker 2 (01:34):

But yeah, so people loved it. So congrats on the book. Plenty. It's huge accomplishment right in a book like that. So no, thank you. I appreciate it. So I, uh, it's kinda funny when I wrote the first one, it was really to kind of get out of the door to door sales industry. I was kind of doing some other things and I thought that was kind of my stamp on the industry and it threw me back in, uh, more violently than ever. So I, uh, I jumped back in and again, the first book I wrote was eight years ago. So this is uh, eight years in the making and the second book. And it's definitely, as it says in the title, it kind of takes things to the next level. So a lot more experienced, uh well-versed door to door reps seem to appreciate the second book a lot better even than the first one.

Speaker 2 (02:16):

Yeah. Yeah. That's how I felt for sure. So yeah, I mean, it's gotta be a ton of work right. In a book like that. I mean, I've thought about random book, but I'm like, man, it seems like so much work. So where you always well, at what point did you decide that you needed to write even a second book? So I, you know, I was an English minor in college, so I figured I'd put that to good use maybe. I don't know, but uh, didn't really have, uh, you know, a desire to write a book necessarily, but boy, I just had so much experience in so many things and it kind of another motivation for me was when I first got into the door to door sales, like late nineties, right. Forever ago, I'm a dinosaur. But when I got into these, uh, into this industry, I mean literally the company I worked for handed me a training manual that was, you know, 10, 15 pages long.

Speaker 2 (03:04):

And I was like, that's it? And, and I felt so unequipped to go out and knock any doors. And so I, I just felt with that as my background and then also what I heard and what we still hear in the industry unfortunately, is kind of the lie cheat and steal your way to the top. Like I just, I didn't love that at all. And I, and I I'm just so anti that, that I thought, you know, what if I just put out what I did and just put it right there on paper and let people know that, Hey, you can sleep really good at night knowing you've, you've done door to door the right way. That was kind of my motivation for writing the books. Yeah. I love that. And for those that haven't, haven't checked out Lenny as much. Um, I mean we'll post this bio and everything in the show notes, but he sold, you know, thousands and thousands of pest control accounts.

Speaker 2 (03:51):

Um, been one of the top reps of all time. What's your record? Like 1300 pest accounts. Yeah. About 1200, something like that in the summer. Yeah. So primarily past, but I've now I run a consulting D 2d millionaire are kind of our consulting arm and I'll tell you, I I've consulted for just about anything and everything you can imagine, uh, to, to knock on somebody's door and sale. So it's, uh, yeah, there's a lot of similarities within industries. There's some nuances that, that are a little unique. Um, solar being one of them, you know, there's some uniqueness with solar, but, uh, but yeah, obviously been around the block a couple of times. Yeah. That's huge. And I came from pest control. Um, I wish I could have done better and pest control because I was, that was one of the guys that, uh, kinda sucked a pest control.

Speaker 2 (04:40):

I wish I would've had you train on me. I only did, like, I don't know, 150 accounts in pest control. So luckily it's gotten a lot better in solar for me, but one of the things I love about pest is, um, if you can come from pest, I feel like you can be successful in pretty much any door to door thing. Cause solar it's. Um, I mean, we're just setting up appointments typically when we're out knocking doors. So I was used to getting full, signed pest contracts out there. So I'm like, man, all I have to do is set up an appointment. This is easy. I don't have to have them sign anything today. I don't, I collect payment information sweet. So I just went out there and, you know, um, book, the ton of appointments, getting them to actually sit down and sign up, sign up for solar.

Speaker 2 (05:18):

That was kind of a different skill, but uh, for you money and all your consulting that you've done now with like solar, what are, um, I dunno, maybe some similarities, some differences that you notice, things that apply across the board, what are some things you've noticed with these consultants, different solar companies. Yeah. So, you know, I think the first thing is that the concepts that I teach in my books are, you know, for the most part universal, right? Like there's nothing about body language or meta-verbal, non-verbals, there's nothing that is out there that isn't applicable, not even just in door to door, but just in regular life experience. Right? Like there's just that, that you can do. And the ways you can frame your questioning and your, your, uh, your not just your questioning, but your value building and how you build up the service that you're selling is really universal in, in any kind of communication setting.

Speaker 2 (06:11):

And I think with my, my solar, uh, my solar consulting that I've done for reps and for companies, it's, it's, it's a lot of, it's kinda more of the same, honestly, that, you know, I don't try to stray too far from the principles that I teach in any industry. In fact, I consulted for a company years ago, um, that actually is valued right now at over a billion dollars. It's a, a no credit check finance company. And I consulted for them and wrote all their training materials and manuals and, and kinda got on board early. I think I was one of the first six people in the room at that company. And, uh, yeah, they started from, from just an idea back in 2000. It was just right after I wrote my books, my first book. So it must've been like 2012, 2013. I kind of jumped on board and, uh, for about a year and a half, I kind of put all their processes together.

Speaker 2 (07:02):

And it was very similar, even though it was B2B, it wasn't even door to door. It was business to business. And again, this company is an absolute rocket ship and now they're, they're valued at over a billion dollars. They sold like a third of their company for 330, some odd million, uh, back in 2019. And, and it's just fun to see that, to help companies to get to that point, regardless of their solar, their past their finance. It it's a lot of the concepts and principles are very similar. Yeah, definitely. And yeah, I know you've, uh, you know, done it all. You've sold past, you started your own companies. Um, do you still have your, your pest company or are you just doing primarily the consulting now? No, I've got my own pest company, still a Rove pest control. Uh, we've built that in some areas we've sold it we've started again.

Speaker 2 (07:52):

We built, we've sold, we're kind of back in growth mode right now. We're in five states about six offices, uh, in those states. And so we're yeah, we're, we're back running, which I think it gives me a unique, uh, you know, as far as my consulting goes that there's some uniqueness with that because when I consult for people, I'm running a business day to day, I'm not just saying, Hey, this is, this worked, you know, 10 years ago, or this worked whenever, like I'm literally running a business day-to-day right now knocking doors with sales reps going out in the field, like nothing. Nothing's too big for me, I guess. Yeah. That's awesome. And I love, yeah, I think it's so much more powerful being trained from that perspective being like, no guys, I was literally out last weekend and this thing works for me and I'm not just saying this 10 years ago.

Speaker 2 (08:41):

Um, so I mean, it's super power on something I try to do on my podcast is share. What's currently working as I go out on the doors, myself and close deals. Um, but that being said, I mean, you've been in this forever since 1998, right. When you first started. So I didn't even know door-to-door existed. Then I was like five years old at that point there weren't cell phones either crazy enough. Like the technology nowadays is probably what what's the most different of anything in the, in the industry to me like talking to people is kind of talking to people and you kind of have your, your skillset for communicating with people that hasn't changed as much as just the technology. I mean, it's just awesome. I mean, I literally remember logging my area on the back of a flyer. You know, I'd write the addresses of the homes and check it if I sold them or exit out.

Speaker 2 (09:27):

If I, you know, didn't sell them, they told me no. Or if I had a call back, I, I flipped their number and I literally was handwriting everything. It wasn't until I think my third year selling door to door that I even had a cell phone. And it wasn't a smartphone, obviously it was just a, a regular dial up cell phone. So yeah, I think technology has made the door to door industry even a little bit, a little bit. It facilitates even more sales. I mean, that's why you see these guys nowadays just killing it. And I think a lot of it has to do with, well, there's more material out there to be trained on. But then secondly is I think technology is just a huge piece and helping people to maximize their, their daily skin. Yeah, no doubt. I mean, it's crazy all the different tools and softwares we have, like, you know, the rep cards, the sells rabbit, all these different types of things then screw, you probably didn't have the segues and all that back when you first started.

Speaker 2 (10:18):

Right. I just had sneakers. That was it. Yeah. That was my, um, graffitis. Yeah, I know. Yeah. I started in 2012 and even then, um, they were just starting to come out with a few things, but they handed us, you know, our chunk of chalk and we were out there just chalking the neighborhood. Um, John X on big X's in front of the house is it said no everything. Yeah. So, um, yeah, it has changed a ton and definitely made it easier, I think. Um, but yeah, so Laney, I want to jump into kind of maybe a few specific things. I'm sure a lot of guys will go read your book, but, um, I want to share, maybe jump into a few things that I thought were super cool in your book that I learned. And then maybe you can like elaborate on a few of them and tell your experiences and kind of how you even thought of these things.

Speaker 2 (11:07):

Um, so I'm just going through a few of the sections of your book. And, um, one of the things in the first part you talked about like earning time and just being more time efficient, basically on the doors and something that I had never really thought of, um, was this whole three door rule where you're, you know, only if you don't talk to someone in three doors, you go, you, you know, you know, you look for someone that's for sure going to be there in the next 10. So I, that was really cool and something I didn't like, you know, talking about training about. Cause I had never really specifically thought of that. How, how did you come up with that for your guys? Was that just like, based on your experience and thought, oh, I'm going to, for sure get someone on the fourth door, how how'd you come up with these time efficiency things?

Speaker 2 (11:53):

I think that door to door sales to me is insanely boring. If I don't have somebody standing in front of me and you don't make any money, right? Like the only way you make money in door to door sales is you're actually talking to a homeowner. And so when I was out knocking doors early in my career and I just knock on door after door and nobody was home or I was just not getting a good response, like to me, it's like, I just, it was like I said, just insanely boring for me. And I just, I've always gotta be doing something. I'm just kind of one of those guys, that's always gotta be busy. And I just, I just hated that. So I just kind of decided, okay, if I knocked three doors and nobody answers, then I don't care if I have to walk a block or two blocks, I'm going to see kids playing out in the yard or a garage door open or somebody's out doing yard work.

Speaker 2 (12:38):

Just some, I got to just talk to a human being because I can only have conversations in my head for so long to where I just bore myself. So that that's kinda what it grew from. My three door rule is just, you know what, just go out and talk to people like, cause again, really you're only being effective. You're only making money. You're only having fun with this job if you're actually talking to another human being. Yeah. I think that's huge. And yeah. How many, how many people waste so much time just going door after door. And I think even with new reps, you've probably seen this too, any, but you get these new reps that are still like scared to go knock a door. And some of these guys, I can't believe it. They're like crossing their fingers. Sometimes that people don't answer the door.

Speaker 2 (13:19):

It's like, they feel like they're out working, but they're like, oh yeah, I'm just not having sex. They didn't talk to anyone, but I was still working. Yeah. Fire guy. Right. If I can just throw a bunch of flyers, then I'll feel like I'm, I'm being productive. So probably the wrong, probably the wrong industry, like come on guys. But yeah. So that's something that's been helping. Um, and just kinda like more specific for our guys because I always thought of that, but we never had like a set rule in place for our teams. Like, come on guys, go talk to someone for sure. After three doors. And I know you have some other sections, but anything else? Um, I guess as far as like managing time on the doors, anything else that have helped your teams and your guys out a lot for people you've consulted?

Speaker 2 (14:03):

Yeah. For me, a lot of it too is, is a big thing I preach on is what are you thinking about in between the doors, right? Like where does your mind go? I think the best reps that I've been around are the reps that in-between the doors they're looking for ways to improve their actually having those conversations with themselves about what happened on that last door. What could I have done better? You know, could, could I have maybe if I asked this question or man, I totally blew it when I asked that question, I asked that, yes, no question. That was horrible. Um, I gotta, you know, I gotta eliminate that. And so I think what's going on in your head space, in between doors is such a crucial steel because nowadays with our cell phones, right. Which I didn't have to bother me, uh, that being and beep and buzz and do all these things and you can have so many notifications from whatever social media platform you use or emails, text messages, you can just get bothered so much out knocking doors.

Speaker 2 (14:55):

It's how do you stay focused going door to door? How do you keep your head in the game? Cause all of us know that that have done this before, like door to door sales is 90% mental, right? Like 10%. Yeah. You're out knocking doors or you're out in the heat. I get that. It can be hard. That can be difficult. But the reality of it is the hardest thing is, is just having in your, in your head space, you know, making sure your, your heads in the game heads. Right. I got a guy pulling a lot out here. I think he's gone the other way though. Maybe I don't know. He might be coming towards us. Might have to run from the lawnmower. Yeah. This is real life. Now he's going to, he's going to hold right behind me and I think he's going to be out of here. So maybe we just give him a sec. All the Solarpreneurs could say hi to the lawnmower man. Yeah. It's not bad. Yeah. Lenny Lenny's out in the hood as we speak. So he might just go hit some doors after this. Why not?

Speaker 3 (15:53):

Why not? Actually, he's going to keep rolling.

Speaker 2 (15:58):

Um, it's not too loud. I can't, I can't hear it too, too much. It's probably fine. Okay. Um, but yeah. And then another, another thing as, uh, sorry, were you finished? Yeah, I was just going to say just one other thing that I talk about the book is the importance of, in my sense, worth lawn mowing and cutting lawns, you know, that section of my book and I've got a little bit of flack for that, honestly on like, uh, the DGD millionaire, YouTube channel and that kind of stuff like people, like how can you cut across lines? And I kind of share an experience that I had, you know, my only really bad experience cutting lawns, but that's another thing is just efficiencies in between doors. That's how I save a lot of time and I actually have a, a little equation I put in the book there, you know, if you're walking across somebody's driveway and down the sidewalk and up on the porch and you know, going that routine versus just cutting across the lawn, like how much time you could say in a three or four month period, it's mind boggling.

Speaker 2 (16:54):

Just how those seconds add up day to day. Yeah, that's crazy. And that's something that I know a lot of pests companies train in that, but when I got in solar, um, I told people, oh, you guys like none of the guys I worked with cut lawns and I was like, wait a second. You guys don't like cut across the lines. Like, no, you're going to make people mad. I'm like, like, come on guys. It's going to save tons of time that, especially for solar, I don't know. I don't know what it is about solar, but most solar guys aren't trained on that, I guess probably just cause we knock less doors then, you know, pest control and alarms where he used to be in, or probably the lazier sales reps and just knocking fewer doors. So I think that is a good thing that our solar guys need to hear.

Speaker 2 (17:36):

It's got to cross line, you know what I do if I, if I was selling solar and I was, um, cutting across lawns, I'd make sure when I'm cutting across lawns, that what I'm doing is I'm actually looking at the rooftop. Like I'm kind of doing a little bit of an inspection, right. And I'm seeing, you know, maybe where the sun's hitting the roof. Um, so I think, and then if you approach that home and somebody calls you out on it, like, oh, you were cutting across my lawn. It's really easy to say, you know what? I was just doing a quick inspection of your roof, you know, just kind of looking, uh, you know, at the sun angle or the, the roof angles and seeing if the solar panels would be really good for your roof, for something along those lines, to where again, I mean with the past, right, you're looking at the lawn and the grass and the ground, and you're trying to observe bugs.

Speaker 2 (18:27):

I think the same concept could apply in solar and it might help your pitch to somebody if you actually have some data on yeah. As I was kind of coming across your yard, I kind of noticed up here this, that or the other, um, I think it could, it could be used to your advantage during kind of that initial conversation. Yeah. A hundred percent. Yeah. Something we do is look at their electric panels. So that's almost the same concept because the electric panels, you can tell if someone has a red sticker on their panel, that means they have solar. And um, a lot of times, you know, you're not necessarily trying to knock, uh, most of the homes that do have solar. Um, so yeah, same concept, but I think anytime you can save some time and then point out that we have a tool we use to, that I've been talking about in the podcast app.

Speaker 2 (19:14):

So that's a sun seeker app. So you can show them basically the angles where the sun is hitting their roof. So yeah. I liked best strategy or cutting across the lawn. Yeah. If you do that, have someone approach, you pull up the sun seeker app and say, Hey, no, I was just looking at your roof. Here's actually how the angles are hitting it. Have you heard what's going on in the neighborhood? Did Cathy cross the street tell you? Um, so yeah, I love that part of your book and um, saving time. And then the thing that I thought was really good that you, uh, mentioned, I think in a later chapter is just like on training your reps is you have them send you like recordings. I know you're talking a little bit about that. Just kind of analyzing door after door. I know you talk about having your reps send recordings of their interactions.

Speaker 2 (19:56):

And um, that's been one of the number one ways you mentioned to, uh, help your reps. So do you have like with companies you're consulting, do you have, um, is that something you like have them do have all the new reps do is send recordings or is that like guys are struggling, you say, okay, you got a donut, this you bagel this day, you need to send a recording or what's your, uh, philosophy with that? Okay. So I think this is one of the most key points of how you, as a manager or as an owner of a company who can influence the most amount of reps in the, in the most efficient way possible. Right? When we talk about saving time, it could even be off the doors. And so for me, when I started requiring that of my sales reps to where you have to send me so much audio per day per week, whatever, I mean, I'll give you an example.

Speaker 2 (20:46):

So I was in Boston last week, uh, with my office, got, I don't know, a dozen or so reps there. And in the matter of probably six, seven hours while they were on the doors, I reviewed over 40 audio recordings from that group of reps. And I've had reps that since I've kind of tweaked a few things that they were doing, that you can only hear on the doors, you can hear in a role-play, right. You can only hear some things on the doors. Once I heard him, we've had these reps that were struggling to sell, you know, daily, they have sold every day since I was out there last week. And not that I credit the ads myself, but realistically, like you can do your reps a lot of favors by going on the doors with them. That's, that's a good thing. But I think even a more efficient, depending on how many reps you have to, the better approach would be how many of these reps can I influence today?

Speaker 2 (21:36):

And, and that could be done in higher volumes by actually requiring them to send you audio or video of them actually interacting with real, real people on the doors. Mm yeah. That's money though. When you're training new reps, is it like a set schedule where you say, okay, you're new, you have to send X amount of recordings or is it just kind of like based on the week, or do you have anything specific set up in your company where it's, um, they have to send a certain number? Or how does that work? Yeah, when they're, when they're new out, um, you know, they have to send their manager at least weekly and we try to get the manager that's there with them, day-to-day to, to knock with them. Um, Ben kind of more of the upper level training would be, you know, you've gone a couple of weeks, your managers kind of critique you that he's kind of given you everything that you could give you as far as advice and ways to improve.

Speaker 2 (22:24):

Well then if we need some higher, you know, higher guns to step in, or just a different point of view, then we'll ask the manager to go ahead and sand. Either me or some of my sales department heads, just some more experienced reps, then there'll be required to send audio to them, just to make sure again, to me how one person sales can be very different than how another person sales. So how a manager, what that manager hears versus what I may hear could be different and I might connect, or my manager might connect differently than, than another rep. So I think, you know, it's kind of that concept of, you know, you, you just surround people with goodness and greatness and then it's gonna rub off on them, uh, eventually one way in one regard or another. Yeah. Okay. I like that. Yeah. Something that are, um, I mean, companies I've been with, um, struggled to kind of figure out it's just like the schedule of how much should you have a near reps shadow?

Speaker 2 (23:21):

Like if there's a struggling, what do you do with them? Do you just say, try something else. So for you, as you've had your pest company, like, what does it look like for a new rep that's coming on first year or they don't have much experience? Do you have them shadow like X amount of times or how do you like onboard these new reps, um, to have success? And then I guess, what have you seen other successful solar companies that maybe you've consulted do that that's been working? So what we do is we actually have, I I've developed an online training program. Um, and my online training program is probably 40 plus hours of training. Plus I have three preseason events that we do training as well, that are probably another 12 hours. And so before anybody's knocked at the door, they've gotten, uh, at least they have the opportunity to a lot of it is up to them, right?

Speaker 2 (24:07):

The in-person stuff is, is pretty much a given everybody attends that, um, the online stuff is kind of at their pacing. Um, but yeah, you can have up to 50 hours of just, you know, training before you knock a door. And I I've written a training manual for my own company. That's, you know, another 170 pages long or something crazy. It's like book three. Um, so again, I, I wanted my experience with my reps to be very different than what I had as a rep when I first started, you know, back in the day in the late nineties, like I just want it to be totally different. So we have 50 plus hours that our rep could get in pre-season training. Then when they get out, they're really, I'm, I'm kind of more of the mindset that, yeah, shadowing is good and you know, a manager should get out with his reps that, that, that first couple of days, first three days, at least one time and probably weekly their first month on the doors, uh, second month, probably at least every other week, unless a rep struggling, then you go back to weekly.

Speaker 2 (25:06):

But I mean, again, for me, we just, we gotta put the time into each rep because every rep learns differently and trains differently. So they might do a little bit of shadowing, but for the most part, all the pre-season training has like videos and audio. And it's basically like they've been on the doors even without knocking the door. Gotcha. And then say, they're coming to shadow. They're still struggling. Um, w what do you have, do you have a system in place where it's like, okay, this isn't working for you, um, like, come show you shadowed, you know, X amount of times it's not working. What do you do with the reps that are struggling in just, you know, aren't getting, yeah. So I, you know, I think of one experience I had a few years ago with a rep who in all honesty probably shouldn't have probably most companies wouldn't have hired him.

Speaker 2 (25:53):

We hired him because he had a friend of a friend, right. It's kind of one of those guys. And I actually personally wrote a script out for him that he could just memorize because he just wasn't getting the concepts of like the initial approach and how to qualify people, those things I write about. So he just, he wasn't an understanding of it. So I literally just wrote him a script to fit his personality and who he was and what his strengths and weaknesses are. And that script worked. You know, he stuck it out. The whole summary didn't kill it by any means, but he made money more than he would have made, you know, working fast food, uh, you know, during the summer. So sometimes it just takes that customization to, and, and not that it's easy and especially for, you know, companies that hire hundreds and thousands of reps, it's probably an impossibility, but if your company's on the relatively smaller size, like my company, we don't hire more than, I mean, we'll be in the, of probably 40 to 80 hires a summer.

Speaker 2 (26:46):

Like that's all like door to door is an important part of our company, but it's certainly not the only way we grow. So the reason we've kept it at that number, one of the reasons is it's just, it's easier to manage and make sure every rep has a good experience. So I know a lot of solar companies are in that ballpark probably they're, they're not hiring, you know, hundreds of reps. It's tens of reps like I am. And so I think you have a chance to connect and, and train specifically to each rep. So, yeah. I love that. Yeah. It's cool. Yeah. I ask you these questions just because, um, I mean, this benefits me, this is a lot of stuff we're going through currently. So that's one of my favorite parts of doing the podcast. So I'm like, man, what are we struggling with with our reps right now?

Speaker 2 (27:27):

I'm going to ask, uh, you know, an expert about it. Yeah. Well, I love it. And that's, you know, that's the thing, that's what I love about this industry right now is for the most part, not like a hundred percent, but for the most part, most companies and most people are pretty open and want to help each other. Like we want to preserve the industry and give it a good name. And now there's people that are just proud that they knocked doors. Right. When, before when I started, it was kind, kinda like this, uh, I knocked doors, I know it's kind of greasy and grimy and I just, I'm kind of a loser because I just knocked doors. But now it's like, there's this pride like that I've seen in the last two decades take over now. It's like, yeah, I knocked doors. Like, I'm proud of that.

Speaker 2 (28:02):

And I think the more that sharing that's done and the more integrity in the industry, I think just the better, I mean, for me, if, whether it's my kids or grandkids or whatever, like I'd love for them to be able to knock doors. I think door knocking is like a microcosm of life. And there's so many lessons to be learned that help, uh, reps beyond when they're knocking doors. I'm more about building the individual than just making sure they have a, you know, a successful summer where they made money, but they had a light sheet and still to do it. I'd much rather just develop somebody to make them a better human being so that they can go off in life. When they're done knocking doors, heaven forbid they knocked doors as long as I have. Like, I don't wish that on anybody, but, um, but you know, if they go on and they become an attorney or they become a business owner themselves, or they become, you know, uh, uh, you know, they work at a business in the, in the sales department, whatever it is.

Speaker 2 (28:52):

Like, I just want them to be awesome. I'm going to give you one quick experience too, before the next question, if that's okay. So, um, a couple of Sundays ago, I was just at my church and somebody who had knocked doors for me happened to be visiting his family who was there. And he comes up to me and he, you know, he, you know, give a hug. Like he worked for me for a couple summers. I love the kid. He's like, listen, he's working at a software company, um, right now. And he's in the sales department at a software company. And he's like, listen, I just got to tell you, he's like, man, I'm going to make six figures this year in software sales. And he's like, I owe it all to you. Like, I credit you for teaching me the right way to do it.

Speaker 2 (29:29):

Cause I'm doing everything you taught me in software sales and I'm absolutely killing it. And I tell you, I mean, as I got to hold back the tears a little bit, I'm like, I'm just so proud. He's like, it's like another son of mine. I'm just proud of him. And that to me is what it's all about. Like, I couldn't care less if somebody works for me and it's one, one and done, right? Like to me, I'm going to put as much effort and energy into that one person. That's one year as I am somebody that's been with me for eight years, you know, I just, I want to develop individuals and people because beyond the doors, there's just so much more that you can learn and take from the door to door experience, uh, just into your life for personal growth and, and just betterment of, of you as a human being. Yeah. That's so cool. Yeah. You got to feel good about that. Um, yeah. I mean, it's happened too. It's one of the only reasons that kept this podcast going is just from guys saying, Hey, this, this helped me a lot. I love your podcasts because I've, you know, it's hard work to keep content like that going. I'm sure with your books do with like, if you, if you hadn't had so many people buy your first book, do you think you would have written a second?

Speaker 2 (30:34):

What that's like nobody's ever asked me that question, Taylor, that's a great question. I don't, I don't know if my motivation, let me think about that for a second. I don't know if my motivation to write. My second book book was based on the success of my first book. I, I think I felt like I left a lot out and I, you know, I'd get a lot of feedback from people that have said, man, you should have, I want you to write more inspirational stuff. Like I, I get all the tactical things. I didn't feel inspired or, you know, how do you deal with competition since door to door, still popular? Now it's like, I have a whole chapter devoted to competition. How do you get better? Or how do you make yourself better than the competition? How do you beat your competitors so to speak?

Speaker 2 (31:11):

Um, so I just felt like there was a lot left to be written. And honestly, what did it for me was, was COVID like I was in a homebound and I was stuck and I'm like, oh, I need to fill my time with something I'm going insane. So that's really, when I started writing that book, the second book was just kind of when I was kind of quarantined, I guess, at home with my family. So nice. Well, we're glad for COVID that, you know, sped up the process. Hopefully I have the outline written for awhile, but I, yeah, I didn't have any goals as far as when to actually put it out there. And I was just like, dude, I can, I can crank this now. Cause I got a lot more time at home than I used to. So that's awesome. But no, I love what you're saying just about, you know, how all the people that are sharing way more abundantly, because I mean, as you probably know, when it first started or even, you know, five, 10 years ago, there was nowhere near this amount of like information, you only learn from your managers now you got, you know, podcasts, you got books like yours, you got, you know, Sam tagger doing a lot of stuff.

Speaker 2 (32:13):

All these guys sharing their content. So it makes it so much easier to just learn and I'll have kind of more pride in the industry. Um, I mean I was buying shoes, just, I think it was two weeks ago and I was with my wife and she was like saying, she's like, she's like telling the shoe Solomon, Hey, he just needs some good shoes for knocking doors for going out in doors. And when she said that, I'm like, I like, come on Dave. He's not gonna know what that like don't embarrass me, but then, but then he was like, oh, that's cool knocking doors. Yeah. I got some perfect shoes there that I'm like, all right. I don't need to be embarrassed about knocking doors and take more pride in it. It's true. All this contents, you know, helping us give ourselves a good name, I think, um, definitely more positivity.

Speaker 2 (33:01):

Um, so Lenny was kind of section, the last thing you just mentioned is just the competition and um, for our Solarpreneurs or solar guys that listen, this, I think that is a huge thing in the solar industry, because as you probably seen, um, there's been tons and tons of alarm guys, pest control guys. A lot of them are switching to solar. We have huge commissions, so it's a great industry. Um, but that, especially I'm in San Diego, which is probably the most competitive solar. Margaret's definitely one of the most. So it's something we struggle with here, a ton and just like, oh, you're the fifth guy. Um, to the point where it's like, if we mentioned solar at a doorstep, we're getting the door shut instantly. So we've had to kinda, you know, change the way we approach things. Um, so for you, like as you've consulted solar companies, and I know it applies in pest control as well, what are some strategies?

Speaker 2 (33:52):

What are some things you do when you are getting, um, more competitive areas when you're getting no, you're the fifth guy at my door. Can you talk about some little strategies you've helped your guys with? Yeah, no, that's a great question. So I think the first thing is you just call it what it is, right? Like don't wait for the person to say, you're the fifth company to come on my door today or this week or this month or whatever, like just call it what it is. Like somebody answers the door and it's, you know, it's, Hey, they're just the solar guy. I know you've been hit up by, you know, 20 other companies in the last few weeks or whatever. Like don't, don't wait. And this, this is a principle that I teach. And, and a technique that I think is important is you don't wait for a concern for the customer to actually save extern.

Speaker 2 (34:33):

You, you bring it up first, right? If you can address the concern first, it just adds to your credibility. And I think your, the respect factor goes up for you as a, as a door to door sales rep, if you can already bring that to their attention. So we talk about name dropping, right? If he knows my name dropping principle from the first book. So if you name drop and if you can actually address their concern for them before they bring it up, like that's huge because you know, if I'm, if I'm the person answering my door and I opened my door and I see solar, then I I'm already looking for the reason why I'm, I'm going to turn that person down. And, and if it's somebody just had already come out or I already have, you know, solar panels, which obviously you can see on like pest control, which I love about the solar industry is you can see if somebody is already a customer.

Speaker 2 (35:15):

You don't have to find that out by having them tell you that, you know, you're the 20th guy to come knocking on my door, just call that like you see it like right out the gate and don't wait for that to come up. And then depending on your company and how your company different differentiates from the others, that's how you start to, you know, to build your case for your company versus the, that have come by and that have already approached them and have knocked on their door and talked to them about solar before. What, what is different about you and your company versus versus the other 20 people and consider this? Like, I just think an overarching principle for door to door sales is if I go to a door and it's, you know, in a 20 year old neighborhood, and I know for 20 years sales reps have been knocking on that door five to 10 a year.

Speaker 2 (36:02):

So we're talking to hundreds of sales reps and I, I kind of envisioned like the, the carcasses of the dead door to door sales reps that have been, you know, just shunned off the doorstep, just laying there, you know, by the side of the door. And I'm like, how can I be different? How can I bring a different energy, a different approach that these other hundred to 200 have been turned away for? How can I connect with this person and actually make it a better opportunity for them, for what I'm selling versus what everybody else has in the past. And I will tell you this strangely enough, and some people are surprised to hear this when I knocked doors, my goal isn't to sell everybody. I talk to my goal is to get people further along in the sale than I think anybody else has that has knocked on that door.

Speaker 2 (36:44):

So I don't care if I end up with a sale. What I like is even when I hear the, oh, you almost got me on this, I was so close. Like I I've said no to everybody, but I almost said yes to you like that to me is a win I'm like, cause I know nobody else would have got you that far. That means that I actually succeeded on that door. So sometimes you take those little victories when, you know, you connected with somebody on a different level than the other hundreds of reps that, that, uh, that have not like that's when you know, you're actually improving and getting better at doing this. Yeah. I love that. Reminds me of the guy in the Bible king, a gripper or something he's like almost converted me to Christianity. You almost converted me to solar quite we'll get there, but you almost got me.

Speaker 2 (37:26):

Yeah. Yeah, no, that's huge. And yeah, I mean, you talk about some of the strategies in your book and also just like, what I love too is you talk about like, you know, the demographics, um, just some different strategies you can utilize to, um, you know, talk to different types of people. That's something that's helped us out in solar with our teams a lot is just identifying the demographics you're good with. And then, um, like for example, we have quite a few Mexican guys on our team. They'll go hit up the Mexican neighborhoods and it's like, they're celebrities out there. They're speaking the language, they're having success with that. And then you talk about just like the ways you would sell the different demographic demographics of people, um, depending on who they are, you're going to treat them different white collar versus, um, yeah. What was that color?

Speaker 2 (38:13):

Yeah. Yeah. So things like that. And how do, and um, I mean, pest control, how can you talk about that a little bit with your strategy's demographics? Another thing we recognized in sores, like new move-ins Boulder homes that we're going to target differently and use that data to our advantage. So how are you, um, having your guys kind of utilize that different customer data? Um, how have you seen it and maybe solar companies you've consulted too. So yeah, in the book I break down, uh, three demographics that I think would encompass any person you're going to talk to not saying they're the only demographics we can kind of make those a little bit more granular if you, if you really want to dial it down for specific industry. But we talk about in the second book, I talk about, you know, blue collar, white collar, like you said, somebody who goes into the office every day, whereas a white collar is kind of more of a business person versus maybe the person that is, you know, a works blue collar.

Speaker 2 (39:07):

Maybe they clean houses like my mom did when I was growing up, my dad's a policeman. Um, you know, he's, he was more blue collar. Maybe that's what it is. Um, there's different ways to approach those types of people based on their, the economics and, and you know, how they live and, and those types of things. We talk about older people versus younger people. And I kind of break down the different generations, you know, and now we've got millennials that are owning homes are buying more homes than, than, uh, you know, boomers and generation X and in my generation and, and, and those types of things. So, um, I kind of break that down a little bit about how to approach those types of people. Cause somebody who is a first-time humble homeowner or home buyer, uh, you're going to treat them very differently than somebody who's been in their house for 20, 30 years or who has his own multiple homes.

Speaker 2 (39:54):

Right. Um, and then we talk about males versus females, which I think is a fun one too, because there's just different ways to approach men than there are women. Um, and I think it's it, you know, even just in the questioning, uh, the things that you ask, the assumptions that you make, you can take people a lot farther, male and female, just based on doing it, you know, doing the questions or asking the questions just a little bit differently. And so that's, that's kind of a fun one for me too, that chapter, that kind of goes into those, those demographic breakdowns. But I, you know, and I think for solar, like I said, you know, for me, sometimes you, you could go more. I would think that the blue collar white collar one would probably be the most applicable than at least I've taught in, in consulting with solar companies of how, how to approach those people when you're talking about a large ticket item, um, like a solar system.

Speaker 2 (40:43):

Yeah, yeah, no, that's great stuff. And then with, you know, the older folks, something we utilize in, or that I've learned from a lot of successful guys is just going on with the time management. If you notice people are, you know, older guests, guess what they're probably going to be home in the afternoon. So you're seeing the handicap stickers, stuff like that go to those homes in the afternoon. Cause, um, John and Julie that are, you know, in their thirties working class, they're probably not going to be home. Um, in the afternoons, that's something we've been, um, teaching our teams and our listeners too, is just utilizing that all the different information. And it's super nice. Now I'm going along with the technology. I mean, go on the Zillow app, you can see the new homes, um, you know, you have like the sells rabbit and the knocking apps they're showing you, most of these demographics found what, what their estimated income level is. Um, how many people are probably in the household, things like that. So I think that's another huge advantage we have compared to probably when both west started is, makes it so much more easier. If you can approach a house, be like, oh, you guys have what seven people in the house. Um, yeah. And you know, all this data and it just creates so much more trust. A lot of times you have a name, you have their income, you have all this different stuff.

Speaker 2 (41:58):

Yeah. And I think, you know, I, I think in ways that COVID has kind of changed the world a little bit too, is, you know, the different strategy of knocking afternoons versus evenings. I talk a little bit about that in the book that's, that's changed, right? I mean, COVID actually changed that for us to where more and more people are working from home and they can live whenever, wherever they want and work, however they want to work. And so I don't think, you know, back in the day and I shared this experience in the book about the company that I worked for that just let experienced reps just work prime time, you know, after five, one year. And it just, it was a complete disaster. And, um, nowadays, I mean, we're seeing sales numbers before five, o'clock being better than they've ever been. And a lot of that is just due to, I think reps are getting smarter and if they follow the three door rule, like we talked about and those types of things, but I just think there's more opportunities in the day now because people are working from home and have a little bit more flexibility in their schedule.

Speaker 2 (42:54):

So it's not just the older, the older folks that, that you necessarily need to target, even though that's a great demographic to target target during the day they're home most of the day. But I, I even think just that, you know, you're going to run into more just, you know, nine to five type people who now work from home and have a different schedule than they used to have. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. That's a good point. Yeah. Speaking of COVID, I mean, with your company, how did you guys change your strategy? What was it like knocking pest control with COVID last year? Did it affect your guys a ton or, oh yeah, it was a challenge. I mean, here, here's the interesting thing. So we got a late start because, um, you know, we, we wanted to make sure we sent a few guys out to different markets in some markets.

Speaker 2 (43:34):

Honestly, we didn't knock any doors because, you know, they're governors or whatever, you know, it was kind of putting the state's hands on what to do. And so some of our markets that, you know, the governors were just a little bit more, um, leery to have people out and about, uh, you know, maybe, maybe more, more blue states, you know, don't get into politics. But, um, so we, we couldn't knock in those offices. So, so we had to put people where we could knock. And then when we did knock again, we started probably a month later than we were used to, but our numbers, like our averages were off just off the charts crazy last year. Um, we lost a lot of reps though, because a lot of reps, you know, it's a pandemic. My parents don't want me knocking, you know, this, that and the other.

Speaker 2 (44:16):

So we did lose a lot of reps. We didn't have a ton of reps, like we would have liked, but the reps that stuck around and actually did it, we, we got them in the right state to knock. It was an awesome summer. Um, it was just shortened and, and like I said, it was just, it was different, but, but we made it through it, you know, just like everybody else. That's still out knocking this year. Like we did it and that's, that's an accomplishment, but it was, it was definitely different. No doubt. Yeah. Luckily things are getting a lot better, but that's what I noticed. I mean, with solar, um, some guys let them affect it more than others, but even in California, which obviously is one of the, um, you know, most strict states for COVID and everything, even here, it's like most areas after a couple months, people really just kind of like sick of being stuck inside.

Speaker 2 (44:59):

So, you know, I noticed that guys actually came to the door. It's like, they're like, oh cool. There's actually people that exists. Yeah. I'll talk to you. So it's like, almost like they're a nicer in, in, you know, some people freaked out, but, um, I was surprised with, even in a state like California, it was, you know, after a few months, most people just got kinda over it and sick of it. So I agree. Big thing. Yeah. Well, Lenny, last thing I wanted to ask you just before we wrap up here is, um, you've been in this forever. I'm, I'm sure experienced some huge highs and some lows. So what's been like your big, uh, I dunno, toughest thing you've had to go through maybe your biggest failure or something. Like, what have you learned from that to kind of keep you going and all this?

Speaker 2 (45:43):

Um, I don't, I think you're probably out of all the guys I've had on the show, you've probably been in this, uh, you know, door to door for the longest of anyone in my head. So you've gone through a lot. So can you tell our listeners what's a, I dunno, that biggest, low that you experienced and how you got through it, what you learned from it? Yeah, no, I love that question. So, uh, for me, it was probably my third year knocking. Uh, I was knocking in, uh, Jacksonville, Florida, and I had, I mean, that was my best summer, you know, at the time it was, I think I sold about 700 accounts that, that summer in Jacksonville actually got kicked out of the Jacksonville office, had to go up to Macon, Georgia for a month. Cause we sold too many accounts. Me and the other guy that we're selling in Jacksonville.

Speaker 2 (46:23):

It's kind of funny. Um, anyway, so, uh, so we were selling there and I had that summer, I had four zeros, so, and here's, you know, for somebody that's averaging seven plus a day to get a zero, you know, it's hard to do actually. Um, but I had four of them. And at that point when I started getting these zeros, I kind of told myself. And I think I read about this maybe in my first book a little bit, but I kind of told myself that, you know what, when I wake up every morning, I have the same number of sales as everybody else and that zero. And so I can let that negative momentum of yesterday, uh, carry over with me today, or I can just start fresh and I can pretend that every day or, I mean, that's the reality. I don't need to pretend, but every day I start out with the same number of sales as everybody else.

Speaker 2 (47:12):

And I'm constrained, I'm in control of my own destiny every single day. And so for me, it was just that perspective of going okay, can I have bad days? Could I have bad doors? Could I have bad hours or two hours? Can I have a bad week? Sure. You know, but at the end of the, I have a new opportunity at every door and every day to start fresh, to start over again. And I don't have to carry any negative baggage with me. I think in fact, in the second book I hit on that a little bit too, is just that the difference between carrying negative momentum and positive momentum. Because the funny thing to me is I'd have reps literally, um, I'd have reps that they're doing. Um, I'd have reps that were doing great. Like they'd have three or four sales pest sales, you know, before five o'clock and then they'd say, I'm good, Mike.

Speaker 2 (48:00):

I kind of hit my goal for the day. So I'm done. And I'm like, oh my gosh, what are you doing? Like you got this positive momentum going, like, keep it going. Cause I will tell you this, the fourth and fifth sale of the day, they're a lot easier than the first sale of every day. And, and that's the hardest sale to me. So if you're, you know, negative momentum can carry over if you let it. But the other side of that coin is the positive momentum. Like if you're selling, if you're in a group and it's kind of like, you know, can you imagine a basketball player in a, in a game if they're just on fire and they're just lightened it up, you know, three quarters into the game, they've got 35 points and they're hitting threes and they're finishing and they're hitting their free throws.

Speaker 2 (48:36):

And then they're like, all right, coach, I'm good. Like, I'll just play the next game. Like I don't need to play the fourth quarter. I'm good. Like that that's ridiculous. Right. Nobody would ever do that. Um, so I think door to door sales reps take themselves out of the game when they've actually got some good positive momentum. And so that's, that's like the worst thing you can do if you're knocking doors, even if you're getting people far, you're setting a lot of appointments and you just got things going. Like we all kind of get in that zone. Sometimes knocking doors, like never give up. I mean, I tell the story about my 4th of July, you know, back in 2000, I sold 23 pest accounts in one day. That was my personal record. And it was, and I had plans my wife, I was going to take her out to dinner on the beach and we were going to do all this.

Speaker 2 (49:15):

We had reservations and all that went out the window because I had sold 15 by five o'clock and I was just like, honey, I'm so sorry, but I got to keep going. And I just went till, you know, till after dark to hit this record and guess what? We went to dinner the next night, no big deal. Like it was still there. The restaurant didn't go away or, you know, sell out to the ocean, whatever. So, yeah. So anyway, I just think making those little sacrifices when things are going good is so important because you never know you could have 23, 1 day in that same year, I had zeros four times. And again, it was just, that's the nature of sales, right? It's mercurial and moves around. You never know what you're going to get. The weather is going to be bad. One day, it's going to be a little tougher, whatever it is, you just make the most of when it's going good.

Speaker 2 (50:01):

And when it's going bad, just don't carry that negativity over with you day to day or even door to door. Yeah. That's so powerful. And that chapter in the book was super cool. You talked about, you know, the basketball players. Um, and uh, I think that applies more than pest control probably to solar is because people can go out and sell a single solar deal. They make 10 grand in a single solar deal. So we got so many reps that go out, they sell one for the month. They're like, oh, I'm good. I just made 10 grand in a month. I don't need to do anything. It's like, it's like, imagine how much better. Yeah. Um, so yeah, it's a chop that so many guys fall on TV, especially in the solar industry. Um, so I think that's, um, something super powerful you talk about in the book for our listeners.

Speaker 2 (50:46):

If you can get in that momentum, don't be satisfied with one, especially if you're out there getting appointments, closing deals never be satisfied and make it a competition. I know is another thing you talk about in your books. So many, um, we appreciate all you're doing for the industry, your books, um, changed a lot of lives and yeah, there's going to be more and more people hitting us up asking them what book is that? So spread the word as much as we can. Um, so for guys that want to go buy it, I've got it here. People are watching the video. Um, can you tell people where to find out more about you and buy the book and maybe connect with you more? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So yeah, my books, uh, I've got any kind of version you'd want, I actually narrated the audio versions of both books.

Speaker 2 (51:29):

Those seem to do better than even the paperback now forever. It was, you know, the paperback out, sold everything, but right now it's odd. Everybody's likes audio and I get it. If you're driving from area to area, you can just pop me on in your car and you'll, he'll hear my voice. I recorded them. Um, in some vein, I think the audio book just recording, it was, you know, for eight hours or 10 hours, whatever they were, it was harder than writing it in some respects, it was kind of brutal. But, um, I just felt like my, my voice and the way I hit certain things and talk about certain things. I just thought it was more powerful. So anyway, I got the audio Kindle. Um, you can get the paperback, got a hard cover. Uh, all of it can be found on Amazon. That's really my, my main place, uh, where all the books are sold.

Speaker 2 (52:13):

Uh, my website is another place to connect with me. Um, Lenny gray.com. I've got a blog that I keep up very regularly, probably I don't know, 10 plus years of blog content that some of which is not found in my book. So if you want to hit up, I think that's just money, grade.com/blog. Um, I've got some additional training for purchase for people, probably more on the management ownership of the business that want to, you know, teach their reps what, to, what to learn in the pre-season before they actually start, start knocking doors. I've got some videos of my reps and me doing critiques of them on the doors that kind of stuff's on my, on my website as well. Um, I really, I mean, I'm on Twitter @LennyGray. I think Lenny B Gray Navy. Somebody got me first, I guess there's another one out there.

Speaker 2 (53:02):

Um, and then, uh, LinkedIn is another one, probably I'm most active, but as far as social media goes on on LinkedIn. So those are some of the ways to connect with them. Awesome. Well guys, go by the book. Um, it's helped me a lot. Hilltop helps help their teams and um, yeah, hit Lenny up, let them know you appreciate it and we'll come out on the show. We'd definitely appreciate it. And we look forward to seeing what you do, any, uh, any, you got three in the, in the plans, Lenny or in any future plans, you got more books or anything like that? I think so. I think so actually, somebody asked me that not too long ago and I, I, I've got some ideas with book three and actually what it'll be just, I'll just kinda throw it out a T and this is a big tease.

Speaker 2 (53:40):

Cause like I said, it was eight years between first and second book. Second book just came out this year. So, um, but it's going to be with these companies that I'm consulting for when I'm literally working with billionaires and how to make a billion dollar company. And so it's not just going to be based on door to door. I don't think you make billion dollar companies just on door to door. There's a lot of other facets of growing a business. And I want to include some of these entrepreneurs and business owners that I'm working with, that that are running billion dollar companies. That, that to me would probably be the next book that might be door to door. Billionaire is where we might need to go for book three. But anyway, that's kind of my thesis for it or kind of my, uh, my thoughts on it at least initially. Right? You heard it here first. So guys go Paul, any, he's doing awesome stuff for all of us knocking doors and changing the world. So thanks again for coming on the show any and we hope we have lots of guys connecting with you and we'll talk to you soon. Awesome. Thanks Taylor. So you guys,

Speaker 1 (54:38):

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The SOLARPRENEUR podcast is here to help you close more deals in the solar industry, generate more leads and referrals, and hopefully, have a much better time and situation.