10 Strategies To Convert More Home Service Leads To Booked Jobs

Having more leads is just one of the ways to grow a home service business.

The truth is, what really matters is what you do with those leads once they come in.

You may be receiving dozens of calls from homeowners interested in plumbing, HVAC, pest management, restoration, electricians, mold removal, or any other service, but unless these calls are converted into bookings, additional leads won't help.

Successful home service companies focus on the whole process, starting from the first call and ending with the scheduled appointment.

Here are 10 strategies that will help you convert more home service leads into bookings.

1. Answer the Phone

This seems obvious, but it's one of the key opportunities for home service companies.

People tend to get in touch with the contractors when something needs to be fixed as soon as possible. In case you don't answer, a good number of potential customers will simply contact the next company in the list.

This means that each missed call could potentially become lost business.

Try to have someone answer your calls whenever possible during business hours. For after-hours calls, consider using an answering service or another option allowing you to talk to a real person instead of voicemail.

The sooner you reach the customer, the better your chances are of keeping the opportunity.

2. React to a Call with Urgency

Homeowners usually contact the service companies because something needs to be addressed now.

While your phone reps shouldn't scare everyone with the idea that the problems are really serious, the customer should feel that their concern is treated seriously.

Instead of saying:

"We might be able to get somebody out sometime this week."

Use something more positive:

"Let me check our schedule and see what we can do for you."

Small changes in phrasing can significantly affect how confident the customer feels about scheduling with your company.

Prompt reaction is also necessary for web leads, text messages, and after-hours calls. If the client reaches you and gets no answer for several hours, there is a big chance they've already contacted some other contractor.

3. Don't Ask Customers to Repeat Themselves

Nothing is more frustrating than having to explain the same problem several times.

Ideally, all the necessary information should be received once in order to eliminate unnecessary repetitions.

Collect the following data during the first conversation:

• Service that the customer needs
• The location of the customer
• Problem description
• Best way to reach the customer
• Preferences regarding the time of the visit
• The data that your technician needs to know before visiting

A smooth process will make your company look more organized and professional.

It may also help your techs to be ready before visiting.

4. Schedule the Appointment - Not the Whole Project

One of the mistakes is trying to diagnose, price, and explain the whole project over the phone.

It is hard to understand everything that needs to be done without the site inspection in many home service industries.

The main aim of the first conversation should be getting the qualified customer onto the schedule.

Ask enough questions to understand what they need, explain how your company can help, and smoothly proceed to scheduling the appointment.

You don't necessarily have to solve the problem of your customer during the initial phone call.

You need to provide them with a reason to hire your company to do it.

5. Don't Start the Conversation with the Price

The price matters, but it shouldn't be the only reason someone hires your company.

If the first thing the customer hears is a dollar amount, there is nothing else they can compare your company with.

First of all, try to understand what's going on.

Ask what problem they are experiencing, how long it has been going on, and explain how your company can help.

Once the customer understands the value of your service, the pricing discussion will become much easier.

It is especially important if a customer asks something like:

"How much is it going to cost?"

Rather than guessing, explain what the technician needs to see to provide an appropriate recommendation.

6. Provide Them With Specific Scheduling Options

Try not to make the client decide on the scheduling themselves.

Instead of asking:

"When would you like us to come out?"

Offer two or three scheduling options.

For instance:

"We have an opening Tuesday morning or Wednesday afternoon. Which works better for you?"

Providing options will make the decision easier and the conversation smoother.

The simpler the process of booking is, the higher the chances are to succeed.

7. Train People Who Answer the Phone

Your marketing has done its job making the customer call.

Now it's time for your phone team to make the deal.

Anyone who takes the calls should be able to:

1. Understand what the customer needs
2. Ask relevant qualification questions
3. Explain the services of your company
4. Deal with objections
5. Move towards booking
6. Gather all the necessary customer information

You don't necessarily need scripts. On the contrary, sometimes people sound much more natural without them.

What is needed is a process to follow.

Everyone who answers the phone represents your company.

8. Listen to Calls and Analyze What Can Be Improved

Call recordings are probably one of the best training tools that home service companies have.

Listen to successful and unsuccessful calls.

Pay attention to the moments where the course of the conversation changes.

Did the customer loose the interest after hearing the price?

Was the appointment offered?

Did the person answering the phone sound pressed?

Was the next step explained?

Often, even very small changes can significantly improve the booking rate.

The idea is not to criticize your employees, but to analyze what is going on, improve your training and understand what customers want.

9. Track Bookings and Jobs - Not Just the Leads

The volume of leads itself doesn't show how well your marketing is working.

Imagine getting 100 leads from one source and 40 leads from the other one.

At first glance, it looks like the first source performs better.

But what if only 5 of those leads become clients while 15 of the 40 leads from the second source turn into booked jobs?

This is why home service companies need to track not only the number of leads, but the number of appointments and jobs.

Look at:

Leads -> Qualified Calls -> Appointments -> Completed Jobs -> Revenue

The closer your marketing is connected to the revenue, the easier it will be to understand what budget allocation you should use.

10. Focus on Lead Quality

The increased number of leads doesn't guarantee the growth of the number of customers.

A contractor receiving 30 calls from customers needing his service may get much more benefit than the contractor receiving 100 bad-matched leads.

That's why lead quality should always be taken into account.

Find the sources providing you with leads of clients actively searching for your services in your territory.

And then use a booking process to get them booked.

Quality leads + Quality booking process = More jobs

There is no magic trick transforming every lead into a client.

The growth usually comes from improving different aspects of the process at the same time.

Answer more calls, respond faster, train your staff, make the booking process easy, track which opportunities turn into jobs, and make sure your marketing provides you with the right clients in the first place.

At Service Local Pro, we help home service businesses get more inbound opportunities through pay-per-call marketing. Rather than focusing on the generation of the leads volume, we concentrate on connecting the contractors with the clients actively seeking their services.

Combine those opportunities with the strong booking process, and your marketing will have much bigger chances to become revenue.

Quality leads. Quality process. More jobs.