Contractor Lead Follow-Up Tips

There’s a big emphasis these days on learning how to nail a qualified contractor lead, and deservedly so. What is severely lacking, however, is instruction on post-lead etiquette. By this I mean that far too many home improvement professionals don’t do enough to acknowledge and thank those who generated the lead.  Too many contractors turn a blind eye to the help that is freely given by others.

Of course I’m not talking about paid, online contractor lead services. You’re already paying these folks for their services so a formal thank you is not necessary in my opinion. I’m speaking more about those situations where a previous customer, a friend, or a neighbor went out of their way to recommend your services to someone else out of the kindness of their heart. I’m talking about the folks who toss you free leads day in and day out without thinking about it. These people are so very important in the larger scheme of your business growth, and it behooves you to find a way to thank them.

Now, thanking these people with a letter or phone call is a great start, but let’s be honest here – money talks. You need to make it a priority to compensate these great people for helping you out. It could be a check or even a gift card for $50. The means are less important than the result. Just make sure to get some green in their pockets and they will be more thankful than you even thought possible.  You should do this for family members, too!  Of course they will still send work your way whenever possible but by showing them some tangible appreciation it will go a long way in advancing both your business and your relationships.

In fact, they’ll be so impressed that you sent them a monetary thank you that they will begin to sing your company’s praises even louder than before! Suddenly that previous client who sent one lead your way per month will start sending you two or three. You might think this is a cynical view but it’s just reality. When people are motivated by a financial incentive they will do things for you that will blow your mind. This phenomenon is even more pronounced during difficult economic times, and unless you've been living under a rock then you know that we're in one of those times right now.

Another way you could handle this is to offer big discounts on future work for referrals. Maybe a $50 gift card is not a big enough incentive for a wealthy individual, but if you were to offer them 10% off their next remodel of $10,000 or more they might suddenly tune in. The point is that you can tailor the offer based on the specific situation. What might be attractive to one person may not be a big deal to another. Just find a way to show people that you appreciate them and their efforts and you will be repaid many times over.