What happens
when a lead
comes in.

Answer if you can — a live answer beats a callback every time. If you miss it, call back within 15 minutes. The prospect is calling 2–3 contractors simultaneously. Speed wins.

You get an instant email at yourrevenueengine@gmail.com. Respond within 5 minutes — even "Got your message, calling you shortly" beats silence. Log them in your CRM immediately.

"Hey [name], this is [you] — saw you reached out about [job]. You got a few minutes?" Don't pitch. Ask questions. The person asking questions controls the conversation.

Four questions: What's the job? What's the scope? When do they need it? What's the budget range? Don't skip this — it tells you whether to invest time writing an estimate.

Green flags: specific scope, realistic timeline, referral source. Red flags: already got 5 quotes, telling you what it "should" cost, impossible timeline at an impossible price. Not every lead deserves a full estimate. A 50% close rate means your pricing is correct.

"I'm not the right fit for this one but [name] does great work at that price point." That referral builds goodwill — and occasionally comes back as a future client when their budget grows.

Same day. Itemized scope, clear total, payment terms, 30-day validity window. One sentence about your process or guarantee. An estimate that looks professional closes at a higher rate before they even read the number.

• Day 1 — 60%: “Hey [name] — based on what we talked about, how does the estimate line up with what you were expecting?”
• Day 3 — 70%: “Hey [name] — when we talked you mentioned [their timeline/situation]. Has anything changed on your end since then?”
• Day 7 — 75%: “Hey [name] — I’ve got a slot opening up next week and I’m deciding whether to hold it. What’s standing in the way of moving forward?”

Most competitors follow up once or never. These questions surface the real objection, create consequence around inaction, and recover 30–40% of jobs that would have gone cold.

If they go cold after day 7 — don't chase. Move to CRM nurture. One in three cold leads converts within 6 months with consistent, non-pushy follow-up. Set a 90-day reminder and touch them seasonally.

Log them with job type and date. Seasonal touches work: "Spring is our busy season — wanted to give you first shot at our schedule before it fills up." Stay in front of them without being annoying.

• Day 0: "Everything look good?"
• Day 1: Send Google review link directly
• Day 30: "Still holding up?"
• Day 90: Referral ask

Five Google reviews puts you ahead of 80% of local competition. Ten makes you the obvious choice.

One client done right — with the full sequence — generates reviews, referrals, and repeat work. A service business with 10 loyal repeat clients and a review engine doesn't need to advertise.