Converting Your Lead Into An Opportunity

Alright, crew - one of the next biggest questions we hear on repeat:

“How do I actually get the utility bills?”

This is where most new commercial reps get stuck. But don’t worry - we’ve got you.

Surge pro Mike Layser, repping Arizona like a boss, broke it down for us in a free training you definitely want to check out.

👉 Watch the full SurgeCast episode here.

Mike joined Surge and within two weeks had 7 qualified ops in the pipeline. Naturally, we asked him to share his process. Below is your head start - key takeaways and golden phrases included.

This is your first mindset shift:

You’re not selling panels or inverters - you’re offering insight.

Mike doesn’t lead with a pitch. Instead, he walks into a business, church, or nonprofit and asks: “Who’s the good steward of your utility bills?”

Then he explains he just wants 90 seconds of their time - because they’ve been shortlisted as a good candidate for a solar cost-reduction analysis (yes, he pre-qualifies prospects by scouting roofs on Google Maps!).

That one-two combo does two things:

✅ It positions you as a resource - not a pushy salesperson

✅ It builds curiosity and opens the door for a conversation

Your goal here is the same as always: start identifying a potential deal champion.

Ask for the person responsible for paying or managing electricity bills. This is your warmest path to data - and often, a natural segue to someone with financial insight or influence.

Once you’ve got a name and a moment, keep it simple. Don’t oversell. Don’t overexplain.

Instead, Mike keeps it to something like:

“I’d love to see if I can reduce your electricity costs. Can I take a look at your utility data to run a quick feasibility model?”

Friendly. Straightforward. Helpful.

Once rapport is built, go ahead and ask for 12 months of utility bills.

Explain clearly: “I’ll need those numbers to determine if your property qualifies and what kind of savings might be possible.”

If you can get interval data (15- or 30-minute usage patterns), even better - that’s critical for accurate commercial modeling. But don’t overcomplicate it. Just ask for the bills.

From here, you’re nurturing your future deal champion.

This is the person who will walk your proposal through the building on your behalf. They’ll pass it to leadership. They’ll vouch for your credibility. They’ll point to the savings, the tax benefits, and say, “Why wouldn’t we do this?”

The trick? Make them a believer. Show them value. Educate them. Connect with them. Once someone inside is just as excited as you are, they’ll do the heavy lifting of internal selling for you.

Once you’ve secured the bills and received a proposal from your Surge team, it’s time for the collaboration.

Mike’s go-to move: “This is Chris - he’s really my MVP in making this happen. He’s going to walk you through what this opportunity could look like.”

Now, your mentor takes center stage. They deliver technical insight, run through the numbers, and answer questions.

You? You stay present, supportive, and keep reinforcing value:

✔️ Long-term savings

✔️ Immediate incentives

✔️ Energy independence

✔️ Doing good while doing well

By following Mike’s lead, you’ll start securing utility bills and relationships with real staying power - which means more successful closes, better proposals, and a thriving 2025 pipeline.