Advertising gets the inquiry. Follow-up gets the job. Many businesses spend heavily on the first and leave the second to whoever happens to see the voicemail.
Respond while they're still looking
Homeowners with an urgent problem contact several companies. The first one to respond with a clear next step usually wins. Set a follow-up reminder on every new inquiry and work the oldest first.
Text only with consent
A form can include a checkbox asking permission to text about the request. Keep a record of when and how consent was given, honor STOP replies immediately and never text someone who opted out. Email follow-ups should include a way to unsubscribe.
Use a simple pipeline
Six stages cover most service businesses:
- New — arrived, not yet contacted.
- Contacted — you reached them.
- Qualified — in your area, a service you do, a real need.
- Estimate booked — appointment on the calendar.
- Won — record the job value.
- Lost — record a reason (price, timing, no response, went elsewhere).
Loss reasons are some of the most useful marketing data you'll collect.
Record money honestly
"Won value" is what the job is worth when the customer says yes. "Invoiced" and "collected" come later. Keep them separate so your reports don't count money you haven't received.