How to Turn Enquiries Into Booked Jobs

Two trades get the same ten enquiries. One books three jobs, the other books six. The difference is rarely price. It is almost always speed, clarity and follow-up.

Reply quickly

Someone looking for a tradesperson usually contacts two or three at once. The first to respond properly has a big advantage, and for urgent work often wins outright. You cannot answer while you are up a ladder, but you can:

• Set up a voicemail that says who you are and when you will ring back.
• Send a holding text when you miss a call: "Sorry I missed you, on a job until 4. Will ring you straight after."
• Check messages at set times. Lunch and the end of the day, every day.

Ask the right questions first

Before you drive anywhere, find out what the job is, where it is, when they want it done and whether they have photos. It saves wasted trips and shows the customer you are organised. An enquiry form on your website that asks these up front does it for you.

Turn up when you said you would

It sounds too obvious to write down. But ask any homeowner and they will tell you about the trades who never showed. If you are running late, a text takes ten seconds. Being reliable before the job starts is the best evidence that you will be reliable during it.

Send the quote fast, and make it clear

A quote that arrives the same evening beats a slightly cheaper one that arrives a week later. A good quote includes:

• What is included, in plain words
• What is not included
• The price, and whether VAT applies
• Roughly when you could start and how long it will take
• Payment terms
• Your insurance and any guarantees

A typed, tidy quote looks more professional than a figure in a text message, and customers will pay more for someone who seems organised. If you are wondering whether to publish prices before the quote stage, see should you put prices on your website.

Follow up, once

Most trades send a quote and never mention it again. A short message three or four days later wins jobs: "Just checking you got the quote and seeing if you have any questions." People are busy, and often the trade who nudges is the one who gets the yes. Once is polite. Three times is pestering.

Do not race to the bottom

If you lose a job purely on price, let it go. Customers who choose the cheapest quote tend to be the hardest work. Reviews, photos of past jobs and a professional website are what let you hold your price, because they give the customer a reason to choose you that is not the number at the bottom.

Keep track

A notebook or a simple list is enough: who enquired, what for, when you quoted, whether you won it. After a couple of months you will see which kinds of enquiry turn into work and which waste your evenings.

Want more enquiries to practise on? Here are eight ways to get more work.