”Teamwork Makes the Dream Work” —Dr John Maxwell

There is a high management cost for hiring people that are the wrong fit for D2D solar sales. Recruit people with the following character traits… 

COACHABILITY: This takes an individual who is intelligent and has humility. You cannot make someone more intelligent… however, you can easily teach an intelligent and willing Sales Representative a duplicatable process. 

• It takes humility and curiosity to be willing to learn from someone and to duplicate what they are teaching… and then, in turn, teach someone else. 

EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE: If a person does not have the emotion makeup and rejection tolerance to handle hearing ”NO” over, and over, and over again…. This job is not for them.

• A successful Sales Representative must have emotional neutrality to ”rejection” and understand and believe in the process, reps and volume needed to win in the “numbers game” world a D2D Sales Rep lives in. 
• Rejection >>> Immediate Reset… “Who’s next?”

COMPETITIVE DRIVE: A successful D2D Sales Representative must have an internal drive to put in the effort to achieve their goals. Someone with competitive drive will have a personal scoreboard and will track their numbers.

• A competitive Sales Rep will not talk about management pressure because their personal goals and accountability are far beyond any average standard. They have the drive to succeed when it’s tough... they got some “grititude”!

BONUS >>> ONE FINAL RULE: Never hire someone who has not done something hard for at least 6-12 months.

• Military, athletics, commission sales, manual labor, endurance sports, building something from scratch all correlate strongly with D2D success. 

Purpose: Take a candidate from initial application → interview process → onboarding → “door ready” (trained, verified, and deployed).

Goal: Consistency, clarity, and speed in moving qualified reps through the 4-step interview process.

Objective: Identify, contact, and schedule promising candidates for the Alignment Meeting. This process is done by the recruiting team.

Process:

1. Initial Message: If they respond positively → send Calendly link or schedule manually.
2. Tag in CRM/Tracker
   • Status: “Scheduled Alignment Meeting”

Purpose: Build connection, qualify as a fit and focus on F.R.O.G. + Discovery.

Structure

Intro / Frame (1 min)

• Say hello… tell them you appreciate them and thank them for taking the time to meet with you today. 
• “This initial interview is about a 15 minute call….it is just to see if what we do lines up with what you’re looking for.”
• “First, I’d like to get to know a little about you, talk about your experience and goals and then answer any of your top of mind questions.…. If we both feel we’d like to move to a second in-person interview… at that time we will discuss the details of the position including compensation and job expectations.“

F.R.O.G. Method (5-10 min)

• Family: “Where’d you grow up? Family here or elsewhere?”
  
• Recreation: “What do you do for fun?”
  
• Occupation: “What kind of work have you done recently?”
  
• Goals: “What are you working toward right now?

Qualifying Questions (3-5 min)

• “What got you interested in Got Watts? What motivated you to apply?”
  
• “What do you think makes someone good in sales?”
  
• “What are some important goals you have when it comes to sales?”

Next Step
If aligned → Schedule Expectations & Compensation Meeting (Manager’s Calendly link)
If not → Thank and close out

• Keep in mind, we will be going over the details and compensation of the sales position in the second interview… but do you have any top of mind questions you’d like to ask before we schedule your in-person interview?

     You say: “I would like to schedule a second interview with you…”

• “This role is not for everyone”
• “We care more about reliability than resumes”
• “Showing up on time is the first requirement”
• “If you’re unsure, don’t schedule — that’s okay”

Schedule Interview: Option close, “is tomorrow at 9AM or 2PM better for you?”

Text them after the call:

“You’re scheduled for an interview on {{Day}} at {{Time}}.

This is a performance-based sales role.

Reply YES to confirm or NO to cancel.”

Purpose: Set clear expectations and filter for commitment.

Structure

Recap Alignment connection:

• “You mentioned your goal was to make [X] and get into something performance-based — I think this could line up.”

Use the interview questions to find out the following about the potential Sales Rep…

• Coachability and Humility
• Emotional Resilience
• Competitive Drive

Explain the Model:

• Role: Start as Setter >>> Closer >>> Field Sales Manager >>> Sales Manager
• Use Sales Rabbit to show territory management expectations
• Weekly schedule
• Pay structure
• Team expectations

Set Expectations:

• “This is a full-time door-to-door sales role. You’ll be outside, talking to people daily. It’s not easy — but the ones who push through win big.

Soft Close if You Like Applicant 

• “If we move forward, will you commit to giving it a real 30-day shot?”
  
  

Next Step
If bought in → Schedule Door Sales Presentation Role Play and Culture Buy-in
If hesitant → Reiterate or close out

Purpose: Praise the effort and success of initial hard work memorizing the door sales presentation. Sell the team, lifestyle, and job offer.

Goal: This is where they decide to join. Managers have flexibility — emphasize your team culture.

Structure

• Introduce the Culture: “We don’t just hire reps — we build teams. We train together, win together, and travel together.”
  
• Show the Lifestyle: Team wins, group chat screenshots, events, competitions, etc.
  
  
• Talk Core Values: Accountability, Integrity, Loyalty
  
  
• Ask for Buy-In: “Read the D2D section of the Solar Sales Success website.
  

Next Step
If yes → Schedule Onboarding and Training Class

Purpose: Prepare for launch. All documents must be completed. 

Checklist

• Review pay agreement, W9, and onboarding docs
• Apply for HIS License
• Add to Group Chat
• Complete onboarding together
• Schedule training class
• Send training material

Below is a practical, field-tested interview framework you can use to predict success in D2D solar—not just likability. This is built for Northern California solar, where rejection volume, long sales cycles, and self-management separate winners from churn.

D2D Solar Representative Interview Questions

(Mapped to a Rep Scoreboard)

In the in person interview, remember to first warm up with your potential Sales Rep. Create an emotional connection. Look at the structure of the second interview above in the Recruit Talent overview section.

TRAIT 1: COACHABILITY & HUMILITY 

Interview Questions

1. “What’s something you were doing wrong in your last role—and how did you find out?”
2. “When was the last time you changed how you sold something?” (If they have never sold in the past create a hypothetical analogy and ask them how they would handle it).
3. “If I watched you knock doors for a day, what would I critique first?” (If they have never knocked before ask them wheat they feel will be their greatest challenge knocking doors).

What Top Reps Say

• Can self-diagnose weaknesses
• Mentions mentors, managers, or scripts
• Comfortable admitting mistakes

Red Flags

• “I didn’t really get feedback”
• “I just do my own thing”
• Defensiveness or vague answers

TRAIT 2: EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE (Rejection Tolerance)

Interview Questions

1. “Tell me about a time you were rejected repeatedly in a sales or competitive environment. What did you do the next day?”
2. “What goes through your head after the 10th ‘no’ in a row?”
3. “Have you ever wanted to quit something hard? Why didn’t you?”

What Top Reps Say

• Talk about process, reps, and volume
• Show emotional neutrality, not bitterness
• Use phrases like “reset,” “next door,” “numbers game”

Red Flags

• Blames leads, territory, or people
• Over-emotional stories
• Avoids specifics

TRAIT 3: COMPETITIVE SELF-DRIVE 

Interview Questions

1. “How do you track your own performance? (If they have not sold in the past, ask them if they feel tracking their goals it’s important and why?)
2. “What numbers do you know off the top of your head from your last role?” (If they have not sold in the past, are their any goals you have tracked in the past and how did you do at achieving your goals?)
3. “When others stopped working, what did you do?”

What Top Reps Say

• Knows conversion rates, volume, income
• Talks about personal goals, not management pressure
• Mentions staying late, extra reps, follow-ups

Red Flags

• Doesn’t know their own numbers
• Motivated mainly by external accountability
• Comfort-driven schedule

Explain the Model:

• Role: Start as Setter >>> Closer >>> Field Sales Manager >>> Sales Manager
• Use Sales Rabbit to show territory management expectations
• Weekly schedule
• Pay structure
• Team expectations (4 > 3 > 1)

Set Expectations:

• “This is a full-time door-to-door sales role. You’ll be outside, talking to people daily. It’s not easy — but the ones who push through win big.

Soft Close if You Like Applicant 

• “If we move forward, will you commit to giving it a real 30-day shot?”

Use this immediately after the interview.

1. Coachability and Humility – 40 Points

• High level of intelligence (0-10)
• Accepts feedback openly (0–10)
• Can articulate learning moments (0–10)
• Willingness to follow systems/scripts (0–10)

• Under 25 = Hard to Manage

2. Emotional Resilience – 30 Points

• Handles rejection calmly (0–10)
• Past examples of persistence (0–10)
• Mental reset ability (0–10)

• Under 18 = High Churn Risk

3. Competitive Self-Drive – 30 Points

• Tracks metrics (0–10)
• Demonstrates internal motivation (0–10)
• History of over-performance (0–10)

• Under 20 = Average Rep Ceiling

Hiring Decision Guide

• 85–100 → Hire immediately (potential top 20%)
• 70–84 → Trainable, solid rep
• 55–69 → High management cost
• Below 55 → Do not hire for D2D

One Final Rule (Learned the Hard Way)

Never hire someone who has not done something hard for at least 6–12 months.

• Military, athletics, commission sales, manual labor, endurance sports, or building something from scratch all correlate strongly with D2D success.