Solar Energy Marketing
I like the sun. I enjoy the sun. The sun makes me feel good. I took a class on industrial marketing the fall of my junior year. I liked it, and I found it really interesting. What that class did was get me interested in renewable energy sources. It wasn't your typical marketing class. It was old school, the cool kind of class with an ex hippie teacher who sat at the front of the class on a table and just talked. That's all we did, talk. Read books on the environment and how we were destroying it, and talked about it. I enjoyed it, and it opened my eyes to a lot of things going on in the world.
This is not about what's going on in the world. I'll save that for the news, the fake news, and whatever else is out there that reports. This is about my world, and the jobs opportunities in it, or not in it actually. This story is about my experience with solar energy, and for a change, it's not terrible. It's another example of the types of jobs out there and sometimes the lack of communication that goes along with it.
I was getting restless. I hadn't found anything for a while, and I felt as though i was hitting some sort of dead end with the job search. I wasn't finding the companies I wanted to on the job boards, and it seemed like no one was replying to my emails and applications. I had hit a rut. So I decided to be proactive. Since that class in college, I had wanted to explore the opportunities of solar energy. I had prepared some presentations regarding solar panels and it's energy efficiency, and I wanted to see if I could find a job in that market. After all, it has to be growing, and if the Sun explodes, well we're all sort of screwed anyway.
I set out to find myself a solar panel company. I hit up trusty Google, and started typing away. I eventually found myself on a website with a listing on all the renewable energy companies in Georgia, and for every other state in the US. For reference, here is the link:
I got on the Georgia web page, and starting counting the companies in Georgia that were involved in solar energy. One by one, I went down the list and applied with each company. Some didn't have positions available, some did. Regardless, I went them all emails, saying that I was a recent graduate from Clemson and that I was seriously interested in solar panels and that I could share their vision with the future. It was all true, it was the one product that I really cared about, and I knew I could sell it and believe in it. That's a lot more I can say for some of the other companies I've been interviewing with.
I applied with about five companies specializing in solar energy. Some looked more interesting than others, but they all had the same idea: save money, do the environment right, save energy. I sent out my resumes and kicked back to relax for the day.
About a week later I get a call from a guy. His name is Tom, and he is with Solar Energy Marketing. This was exciting. My wildest dreams of working with a start up company and making millions was coming true. I spoke with him briefly on a Monday, but he said he was in meetings all day. He told me he would call me on Tuesday to schedule a phone interview.
Tuesday morning comes and promptly at 10 AM (when he said he'd call), I get a call from Tom. This time I'm relaxed. I like the product already, I believe in it, I know a little bit about how solar energy and panels work, and I'm not nervous. I was the one who contacted him, out of thin air, about working for his company. He has to feel good about that- only someone who is really motivated and driven would proactively try to find a job like that.
We get on the phone and start talking. He asks about college, what I did there, if I had fun, and how I became interested in solar energy. I relay back all the important information to him and we get to talking about the product. He sells a turn key solar hot water heating system. The scenario is this. There is a company, calledEner -Works, that manufactures solar hot water heaters. Tom started a company that uses this product to sell to customers on his own. He has the support ofEner -Works but can run his business his own way. There is one employee: him. he has one customer: himself. He says that the business is starting to move along, and that he can definitely see the growth potential in this industry.
We continue about the company and the industry for about 45 minutes or so. I'm feeling comfortable talking with him- he speaks very well and sounds smart over the telephone. I think I could do this, and I think he knows I can too. We're nearing the end of the conversation, and the moment arises when a decision has to be made whether to continue talking. I had already told him that even if a position does not end up working out, I would still be interested in the industry. I basically gave him a free out if he didn't want to talk to me anymore. Tom did want to talk with me, however, and asked when was convenient for me to meet him. I had nothing else to do that day, so I told him that later on in the afternoon would work for me. It fit his schedule, and we decided to meet around 2 PM.
Solar Energy Marketing is a small operation. Tom is the only employee, and subsequently, he works out of his home. This means I was going to met Tom at his house inAlpharetta and he would show me the system and how it works. He gave me some directions on the phone, and I head out there. It was about a 50 minute drive out to where he lived- in a high end neighborhood with lots of foliage and pretentiousness. I wasn't sure what to expect, and whether to just walk up or call him before I got to his house.
While I'm still driving, I get a call from another guy from Woodgrain Distribution. I had applied there about 3 days prior and he was calling me back to invite me to an interview. I told him I'd love to meet and we decide to meet at 2 PM the next day. Multitasking! This way of the Solar thing explodes, I have something else lined up.
I pull up to Tom's house- it's a nice stucco house with lots of trees in front perched up on a small hill. I gather my folder and pen and go to the door. I knock on the door and Tom answers. He is about 50, 6', and the standard build for most middle class 50 yearold's . He invited me and in to his office- a dining room that had been changed to an office. There was some work being done in his house so it was somewhat messy, but that was no problem.
I sit down and he sits at the chair next to me. We start talking about the business he used to be in- the Vice President of North America for a large electronics manufacturer. He went on to show me a 30 page scrapbook of pictures and clippings of his father. He went on to explain that his father had invented some product for television and that's how his interest was sparked in solar panels. We talk for about 30 minutes, trying to get a feel for the company and what he is currently working on. Then we go see the product.
I'll say it here. Hot water solar heating is the future. Time stamp it. July 24, 2007. He took me out to view the solar panels on the roof- they look like wider skylights that people install for their kitchens. Except the solar panels are all one distinct color, they don't jut out as far as skylights, and they do something more than just provide some natural light. I was really impressed with how they look. We talked about how the solar panels work- there's a piece of material that heats up and heats a liquid inside coils. The liquid goes down through the house and to the device that hook up to a water heater. The heater is hooked up to the water line- the coils heat the water and place it on the top of the water tank. When water is used, it takes water from the top and works its way down. This means that the sunnier it is, the hotter the coils, the hotter the water, the less use of either electric or gas heating to heat water. Less energy use, less cost. Whew.
Whether or not you understood that, it's a really cool concept, and Tom walked me through it for the next 45 minutes or so explaining how the entire system worked. I thought it was a viable product to sell, and I could see it incorporated to a lot of new houses. Tom and I were on the same page here.
We go back up to Tom's den/office and talk for a but while longer. We seem to be agreeing that I could be a good salesperson for Solar Energy. The conversation ends with Tom telling me that he will start writing up a Sales Agent plan for me and that he will send it to me in the next few days. I thank him for the interview, and we part ways.
I continue the rest of the week with my regular interviews, none of which were as interesting as Solar Energy. I sent Tom an email telling that I appreciated the interview and that I was still very much interested in the position.
A week goes by and I don't hear anything from him.
Two more weeks go by and I send him another email saying that I am still interested in the position and if there was anything I could do to show that I would be a good salesperson for his company. He send me an email a few days later saying that he is still working on the plan and that he will have it done in a few days. I'm getting skeptical, but I still have some hope left.
I never heard back from him. I guess his plan took longer than expected. It's a shame too, because I was really interested in the position. Sure, it was straight commission, but I would be working with a product that I really thought had some potential. Tom was a really nice guy, just a bit bogged down with work I suppose. Even though nothing materialized with the job, it was one of my better experiences. I just wish there was a little better communication going on between us. Maybe he'll get his act together someday soon and I can show everyone the true possibilities of solar power.
Here are the websites if you're interested in viewing them for reference:
www.solarenergymarketing.com
www.enerworks.com
http://energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byGeo/US/byS/byS.shtml
Enjoy!
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