Home > Companies > Thought Leaders > “There’s a tremendous opportunity and interest in growing renewables”, says Jeff Kirchick, VP of Sales at Colossus.

“There’s a tremendous opportunity and interest in growing renewables”, says Jeff Kirchick, VP of Sales at Colossus.

Media 7 | February 11, 2022

Jeff Kirchick, VP of Sales at Colossus, is a proven sales leader, author and a speaker. In his latest interview with Media 7, he discussed Colossus’s innovative solar software and its impact on the climate tech landscape. Read on to know more about his thoughts on AI in CX and the benchmarks of a successful marketing and sales strategy.

With only 4% of eligible homeowners possessing solar power, there’s a tremendous opportunity and interest in growing renewables.

MEDIA 7: Congratulations on your new role at Colossus! Could you tell us something about the company and how does your work contribute to mitigating climate change?
JEFF KIRCHICK: As the residential solar industry continues to grow, Colossus works alongside solar companies of all sizes to provide expert solutions that support their businesses while accelerating solar adoption at scale. With only 4% of eligible homeowners possessing solar power, there’s a tremendous opportunity and interest in growing renewables. We’re just at the beginning of this “sun rush,” and Colossus has helped top solar companies across the nation reach more customers and lower their soft costs. The solar + storage market is growing at a tremendous pace and installers are faced with many challenges including rising customer acquisition costs and fierce competition. To support this rapidly evolving industry, Colossus has developed a portfolio of products to meet the needs of businesses at the forefront of the market’s rapid expansion. Colossus's innovative solar software and marketplace helps companies of all sizes integrate, optimize, and digitize their workflows to foster business growth and streamline the deployment of clean energy.


M7: That’s really intriguing. Colossus recently announced $36 Million Series-A Round funding. What are the core values that drive the company to be one of the leaders in Climate-Technology landscape?
JK: Our driving force at Colossus is to reimagine the fragmented and rapidly evolving solar marketplace through a unique portfolio of technologies, services, and partnerships. And our recent funding enables us to offer the solar industry best-in-class solutions that are enormous in scale, importance, and impact. We continue to be inspired by the power and promise of cleantech to improve environmental sustainability. We partner with solar + storage companies of all sizes to provide modern software and services that streamline their businesses. We are passionate about working alongside our partners and peers to help drive better outcomes and create a more sustainable future together.

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Colossus has helped top solar companies across the nation reach more customers and lower their soft costs.



M7: Cleantech is of utmost importance for environmental sustainability and you are doing a great job accelerating the moment with the help of your platform. What problems do you solve for your customers with your CRM software?
JK: Our dedicated solar CRM software serves enterprise companies and small to midsize businesses, providing innovative solutions that help streamline the solar sales process. Our solar software helps companies of all sizes integrate, optimize, and digitize their workflows to foster business growth and the adoption of clean energy at scale.

We also help companies optimize their solar sales process by generating fast and accurate proposals. With our solar proposal tool, you can increase your team’s productivity by leveraging customizable templates with instant editing capabilities that streamline your proposal design process and help reduce costs. We offer customizable solar proposal templates with instant editing capabilities, integrated financing with top lenders, and easy-to-use system design tools designed to help you close more deals.


M7: Few years down the line, how do you see technologies like AI and Machine Learning changing the world around us? Especially when it comes to customer experience?
JK: I think we often hear about AI and Machine Learning is responsible for people losing jobs. That may be true, but every time we have made this type of progress, it has led to efficiencies in innovation that create new opportunities. And many people do not think about applications for AI to help people rather than replace them.

Trust is always bred through human-to-human interaction. We need to start thinking about applications for AI that bolster human-to-human interaction. In the CX world, there are technologies that tell agents what to say in real-time based on successful historical outcomes. I expect to see more of this.

Read More: Maria Loupa, Senior Account Director at Waters Agency says, “PR is much more than just filling the sales funnel”


We need to start thinking about applications for AI that bolster human-to-human interaction.



M7: That’s Interesting. Speaking of successful outcomes, What, according to you, would be an ideal framework for marketing and sales teams to derive business success? What are the benchmarks of a successful marketing and sales strategy?
JK: Communication. Ultimately, there are a lot of KPIs and metrics that are nebulous or difficult to measure. For example, you may sign up a customer but you may never know what impact your drip campaigns had on their decision-making over the last year or if seeing your banner at a tradeshow booth was the impetus for them to even learn about your brand, to begin with. Ultimately, all successful sales and marketing relationships are about communication and each side understanding what they own and focusing on doing their job.


M7: Last but not the least. As a proven sales leader and a thought leader in the space, what word of advice do you have for sales professionals starting out in a digital era?
JK: Be thoughtful and consistent. If you put content out on a daily basis, you will get noticed as long as it is thoughtful and authentic. I hate all of this canned inspirational stuff I see on LinkedIn. Speak from the heart, be your authentic self, and provide value regularly.

ABOUT COLOSSUS

Colossus is an enterprise software and service company focused on accelerating the clean-energy movement. Founded by industry leaders, Colossus aims to reimagine the fragmented and rapidly evolving solar marketplace through a unique portfolio of technologies, services, and partnerships that work together to streamline the deployment of clean energy. Colossus helps solar companies across the nation reach more customers and lower their soft costs by leveraging proprietary data and technology. Colossus’s innovative solar software and marketplace helps companies of all sizes integrate, optimize, and digitize their workflows to foster business growth and the adoption of clean energy at scale.

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