Winning Customers at InterSolar in San Francisco

Act Local, Act Different

InterSolar promises to become one of the most important trade shows for the solar industry in the USA.  Held in San Francisco this year (July 14-16), it is notable not so much for its size (smaller than WindPower by far), but for the international participation.

This just proves how competitive the USA marketplace is --- solar products manufacturers in the USA compete not just among themselves, but with producers from China, India, Japan, and of course, Europe.

The same is true in reverse, of course.  Japanese entrants into the USA market are faced with both local and global competition.  Whether you are at InterSolar as a newbie, or already selling in the USA, the key to success is the same...Act Local, Act Different.

• Act Local... There is no substitute for familiarity.  Buyers want comfort.  They want security.  They want to deal with someone who is like themselves.  Buyers have certain expectations based on culture, language, custom, and tradition.  In the Southern part of the USA, for example, business transactions move a bit more slowly.  There is a lot of relationship building.  In New York or Chicago, its all about business -- "let's talk the deal"!    If you transplant a New York Yankee into the South, he'd likely be run out of town.  The same is true of transplanting a Japanese company or Indian company (or UK company) into the USA...  Sometimes, we Americans just do not have the patience to learn your business culture. 

  Having a local presence, a USA office, and American customer service, is not an option --- its a necessity.

• Act Different... In any market, you cannot get ahead by joining the pack. Sales success come to those who stand out from the crowd -- who promise something different, something specific, and something powerful.  The USA market is so large, that success comes not from serving it all, but from serving a small piece of it well.  Be the best at one area -- the simplest to install roof-top residential PV systems under 5kW, for example -- rather than selling "rack mounts".  Success will come faster, and sales will be more profitable.

You may say that these two ideas are at odds with each other -- how can you be "familiar" and "different" at the same time?  Being Local is about a physical presence.  Its about trust, accessability, follow-through, and relationships.  Being Different is about your sales pitch, the product benefits, and the brand promise.

Read about more specific ways to sell solar products in the USA in my last post, "Selling Solar in the USA".