Finding Your "Man On the Inside"

One of the first big questions we hear from new Surge members:

“Who am I actually supposed to talk to inside a company?”

Fair question - because selling commercial solar in 2025 is a totally different game than selling residential systems. It’s not just about understanding your buyer’s mindset or delivering a killer pitch. It’s about knowing who you’re really selling to… and more importantly, who’s going to help you sell it from the inside.

Enter: your deal champion.

Here’s the short version:

Your champion is your inside sales agent. They’re already on the company’s payroll but they believe in your project so much, they start fighting for it like it’s their own.

John McDonnell from SunRenu (one of our top EPCs) put it perfectly during a training SurgeCast:

“If you want your deal to close, you need a champion.”

👉 Watch the full training here.

Think of them as your co-pilot.

Your inside advocate.

Your “Mission: Possible” mole (if we’re being dramatic).

This person may have come to you already looking for a solar solution… or they may have just connected with your vision, seen the numbers, and realized what’s possible. Either way, once you’ve got a champion, your path to close gets exponentially easier.

Now that you know your goal is to find a champion - the real question becomes: who can become that champion?

When you’re prospecting, you want to aim for someone who:

✅ Has influence with leadership

✅ Understands or manages the company’s financials

✅ Is motivated to cut operating costs

✅ Is open to sustainability and ROI-driven projects

The usual suspects include:

These are the people who either make decisions or directly shape them.

According to John, CFOs are often your best bet: they see the cost savings fastest and can clearly calculate the ROI.

But don’t overthink it just focus on who picks up the phone or responds to your message. The moment someone is open to hearing what you can do and agrees to send over utility data? That’s your foot in the door.

You secure one champion.

They loop in a second.

That second convinces a third.

Now you’ve got momentum, and the decision-maker (CEO, owner, board, etc.) just needs to greenlight the final proposal.

That’s how commercial deals close in 2025.

You don’t go knocking on every door. You knock on the right door and let your champion walk you through the rest.

Let’s be real: energy costs are higher, decision-makers are savvier, and sustainability is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a priority.

Commercial leaders aren’t looking for a feel-good solar pitch. They want:

You can give them all of that - but only if someone inside is helping make the case.

So go out there and find your champion.

Next up: how to earn that first 15-minute conversation… and get your hands on those utility bills that unlock it all.