Assunta Martino joined Smart Ease eight years ago as its very first employee.

She’s not the type to wax lyrical about her contributions, so we thought we’d do it for her!

Since joining Smart Ease, Assunta has been instrumental in growing the business to where it is today. Her no-nonsense attitude, encyclopaedic knowledge of the commercial solar industry and ability to foster lasting relationships have made her an invaluable asset to both Smart Ease and her Channel Partners.

Looking after Victoria and South Australia, Assunta works with over 390 Channel Partners, and has helped secure funding for over 3,500 decarbonisation projects. Quite the impressive environmental achievement when you consider the cumulative carbon savings!

What’s been the highlight of your time at Smart Ease so far?

Seeing the company grow, both in size and capability, and being part of that growth has been really rewarding. In eight years we’ve launched in four different countries, expanded our team and built a really great network of Channel Partners, many of whom I’ve worked with since the very beginning.

I feel like I’ve been able to grow with the company as well. When I started, I was green – I knew nothing about the solar industry. STCs, LGCs, inverters…it was all just jargon that went right over my head!

But over time, as my industry knowledge grew, I really started to understand and appreciate the work we do. It’s really fulfilling knowing that we’re working towards a more sustainable future for the next generation.

What has kept you at Smart Ease for eight years?

Knowing that what we’re doing serves an important purpose has been a big factor.

I don’t think, as a country, we do nearly enough when it comes to protecting our environment, so I’m quite proud to work in an industry that actually does that and is helping us get to Net Zero.

What is the best thing about your role?

That’s an easy one — I have the best partners around. I feel very lucky to have worked with many of them for many years and to have built some solid relationships.

Working so closely with my partners for so long has been quite special, and getting to the point where I can call them friends.

One of my Channel Partners rang me yesterday and I could hear his son in the background. I asked how old he was and he said 19 months. I remember the day he was born!

What has it been like working in a male-dominated industry?

It really is a very male-dominated industry. But I actually think that suits me.

I have quite a strong personality, and I think that a lot of my Channel Partners respect me for that and just trust that I know what I’m talking about.

What has been the biggest change you’ve observed in the renewables space over the last eight years?

Interestingly, in the last 12 months, I’ve really noticed the sheer number of EVs on the road and it’s quite remarkable how quickly that happened.

In the early days, we were doing a lot of solar and lighting projects, and EVs weren’t really spoken about. Nowadays there’s so much interest in EVs!

Even speaking to my daughter Isabella, who is 17, her dream is to have an EV car. And you see the number of Teslas on the road. There wasn’t a single one eight years ago. So that’s been an obvious change.

What are you particularly proud of?

The Studio Schools project is something I’m very proud to have been a part of.
GenOffGrid, who was our Channel Partner on the project, and Studio Schools were easy to work with. Everything came together smoothly despite it being quite a big project and in such a remote area.

I recently saw a photo on LinkedIn of the GenOffGrid team with some of the students onsite and it just brought a big smile to my face.

It was one of those feel-good projects that you’re really thrilled to be involved in.

How do you relax or wind down after a big work week?

A home-cooked meal and a glass of red. Fridays at our house is fish and chips night, so I do look forward to that when the week comes to an end.

What motivates you to bounce out of bed and come to work?

Most mornings I’m up at quarter to six for a 30-minute run – that gets me out of bed!

And the opportunity to learn and grow my career is what keeps me motivated. I also really enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, so I think I’m wired to keep myself busy with work.

What traits do you think make you an effective salesperson?

I like a challenge, I’m ambitious and I’m driven.

For me, there’s nothing better than having 6–8 applications in a day and being able to say I’ve been successful!

What’s one piece of advice you give to your CPs?

Always present a solution to your customer.

Remember that you’re not selling equipment – you’re selling a solution:

●  Acquiring equipment with a Payment Plan can help to solve the customer’s cash flow.
●  Reducing an energy bill can help to solve the problem of rising energy prices.
●  Transitioning your fleet to EVs can help to solve the problem of rising fuel costs.

And so on…

In every sale, you need to be presenting that solution!