Pearl Network Contractor Energy Service Partners (ESP) is a family-owned business with over 100 employees and an extensive network of independent subcontractors and authorized dealers. As one of the largest solar installers in California, ESP has proudly serviced over 16,000 customers to date.
ESP credits their success to People, Process, and Passion, which appropriately also doubles as their tagline. “It's thanks to the processes we've built to run at just about any scale and the passion we have for getting the job done right and then finding out how to do it even better next time,” said Danny O'Malley, ESP Director of Marketing. “We're privileged to touch the lives of hundreds of people every month!”
Pay It Forward
ESP does far more than improve customers’ homes, though that’s no small feat in and of itself. With an admirable commitment to make the world a better place, ESP donates a portion of the proceeds from every install to a charitable organization benefiting the local community or around the world. As a nod to the lightning symbol in its logo, ESP’s charitable arm is named Beyond the Bolt.
“We're very grateful that we get to extend our impact beyond clean energy and utility savings for homeowners into many other areas to help the people in our community and beyond,” said O'Malley. “The genesis for our Beyond The Bolt initiative was exactly that — we could be satisfied that we're saving the planet while we help people save money, but why stop there? We all have the opportunity to make contributions that have ripple effects, no matter the magnitude of the action that starts the chain reaction!”
ESP’s donations have benefited noble organizations, such as the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank; the Friendship Foundation, which supports families with children with special needs; and A Place Called Home, providing youth programs and support for Los Angeles families.
Creating Customer Demand
Although solar provides numerous advantages to a home and its owners, many homeowners still don’t understand its full benefits. “Solar is really the best home improvement project you can embark on because of the savings and added property value, when appropriately documented, such as with Pearl.”
To spread this good news, ESP provides essential solar education to homeowners. “There are a lot of moving parts in a solar project, and you never know if someone is going into it with a pre-existing notion that doesn't match up to reality,” said O'Malley. “We started the ESP Proper Project Expectations podcast to help with that, as well as a massive overhaul of our knowledge base, but we've only scratched the surface! Basically, if you want to save money and save the planet, solar is a no-brainer, and we're always thrilled to provide additional info to anyone curious about specific aspects.”
ESP's knowledge base answers key customer questions, such as how long solar installation takes, what different types of contracts entail, and tips for homeowners to monitor their system.
Leave Selling to the Experts
“Since we believe in focusing on what we do best, which is installing solar with high speed and quality, we don't have an inside sales team,” said O'Malley. “That's where our Independent Authorized Dealer program comes in — if you are licensed as a Home Improvement Salesperson in California, you're welcome to apply! Anyone who we believe fits our core values can become a dealer. We'll give you training, onboarding, and a suite of resources to help you sell more solar, and then once you get your first signed contracts, we'll show you why we're the best choice of installation partner in the state. From there, it's rinse and repeat!”
Profit opportunities, for ESP and its sales associates alike, don’t stop there. By also providing whole-home roof installation, ESP doubles its service offerings and revenue opportunities.
“Having both options lets a salesperson be extremely flexible,” said O'Malley. “If the homeowner doesn't want to bite the bullet on the full solar and roof package, falling back to a roof only option means the salesperson can still make a little money and the homeowner has peace of mind to cover the basic need of shelter over their heads.”
Initially, ESP only provided roofing services when a solar project required it, but realizing the tremendous revenue opportunity, ESP began offering standalone roofing services as well.
ESP’s Introduction to the World
Of course ESP doesn’t leave all the heavy lifting to its sales associates; the company recognizes the impact and importance of quality marketing to attract new customers. Two main components play lead roles in ESP’s promotional efforts.
The first, a professionally shot and edited video, captures the entire process of adding solar to a home, including design, acquiring permits, and panel installation. The video tells the story of a particularly special installation, that of Gary Gietz’s, CEO of ESP.
“We worked with a small agency that we had a good prior relationship with to put that piece together, and we have also used them for a couple other projects since then,” said O'Malley. “That's definitely our flagship piece, none of our subsequent video projects had quite the same budget or scope!”
Second, ESP’s website is artfully designed, logically organized, and robust with content. “The website was created by a different company than the one that created our video, but they've been a great partner of ours to help deliver on our vision for a great web experience!”
Websites often provide a company’s first impression to a customer, making it an integral part of earning new business.
Joining the Elite
O'Malley and some of his colleagues discovered Pearl Certification when working for a previous employer. There, they learned how joining the elite Pearl Network can increase sales, drive revenue, and distinguish a company from its competitors. “We knew the value of the partnership so we jumped at the chance to get ESP into the elite Pearl Contractor Network,” said O'Malley.
Thankfully, Pearl made joining the network an easy process. “Pearl onboarding was smooth and pretty painless — as soon as we figured out how to get our CRM to deliver the necessary information, it's all been automated since day one,” said O'Malley. “It's great to know we have access to the resources anytime through our dashboard, as well as contacts at Pearl we can sync with regularly.”
Perhaps the main reason ESP joined the Pearl Network is the third-party certification. “The best reason to join Pearl is getting third-party validation of your hard work,” said O'Malley. “Anyone in any line of business knows how hard it can be to show that you really ARE the best and not just SAYING you're the best like literally every other business in the industry. Pearl offers that ‘second voice’ of authority that can be immensely valuable — ‘We're the best, but don't take our word for it.’ If you’re considering joining the Pearl Network, ask yourself, ‘Am I doing the best work I can right now, and do I believe I'm at the top of my industry?’ If the answers are yes, then apply for Pearl and get that certification so you can prove it! Your customer will thank you later!”
