Selling From the Empty Basket

By Shane Arnold, Delta Australia 

Delta Australia PVI, Melbourne, Australia, March 4, 2020- It’s no secret that there is a lot of tough times being dealt with right now. I don’t want to say the “C” word so I won’t, but let’s not ignore the fact that this is something that has the power to break countries and devastate the families of those affected.

For solar in Australia, where the 5kw inverter reigns supreme, the panic buying has reached a critical high. First, for securing solar panels, then the rail to mount them to the roof and then the electrical components. The inverters are now the target and as I write this short piece, the last Delta 5kw in Australia has been sold. 

Soon distributors will run out of their stocks and the industry will slow down. The phone will soon ring with callers asking when the next stock is due to arrive and when can I supply alternatives. No doubt this will include opportunities with those who were not considering Delta prior to the shortage. We are humble and welcome these calls but it’s our loyalists who will be supported.

The fact is Delta has exceptional relationships with our customers and furthermore we maintain a great relationship with their customers. Communication and service are key to rewarding our customers who have been the most loyal to us over the past 8 years in the Australian market.

Alex and Michelle Marcoux from Advanced Solar Technology in Western Australia are the longest consistent retailer of Delta inverters in Australia. They were very proud to tell me they have taken our advice and purchased the last 5kw Delta inverters from our key distributor. This will deliver a huge advantage, as they will be able to power through the drought of stock until more arrives while keeping cash flow ongoing.

So now the challenge starts, i.e. selling from an empty basket. The challenge of limited stock sporadically arriving is to keep up the communication, collate the information and advise clients what to order and for when. This will allow Delta Australia office to assist the retailers in knowing who has stock and when it will arrive. This brings a great value to our partners knowing we are right there with them the whole way.

We work together with Delta team in Taiwan and the factory to make sure the products are delivered in a timely manner. If any delays are going to occur we will have the information channelled back to all clients so they can make their changes. This is a very long series of events that are relying on each and every one of us to work together within Delta and outside of Delta to make a success.

Essentially this is the time to fully leverage the Delta Corporate Culture to achieve success.

We have high quality products and an agility to meet the market needs which are swiftly changing in the Australian market. But it is the 4th and 5th cultures that are important. TEAMWORK! Working with our internal teams and our clients will lead to success. Then Customer Satisfaction will follow and we want to make sure not only our immediate customer is happy but ALL customers down the line too.

I want to take this moment to thank all of our team mates in Delta, partners and end users for working with us for the past 8 years and I am looking forward for many more years to come.

About the Author (Guest Contributor)

Shane Arnold

Originally from Perth, I had moved to Melbourne with my family in 2017 and joined Delta Australia as Regional Manager for PVI. Still miss the beaches in Perth but loving the vibrancy in Melbourne. Ask me anything about Straya and Australian solar power industry. It’s not what you think it is. Connect with me on @shanefromdelta on IG.

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