The four numbers that tell you
For last month, count:
- Enquiries received — everything that came in, calls included
- Enquiries actually contacted — where a person made real contact
- Quotes sent
- Jobs won
The biggest drop between adjacent numbers is your problem. It is a fifteen-minute exercise and it usually surprises people.
What each gap means
Few enquiries received, most of them contacted and converted. A genuine lead problem. You need more visibility, and spending on it is justified.
Plenty received, far fewer contacted. Not a lead problem. A response problem, and buying more leads makes it worse — you will pay for enquiries that go the same way.
Contacted but few quoted. Either qualification is wrong, or something in the first conversation is losing people.
Quoted but few won. A sales or pricing problem. More leads at this ratio just produces more unaccepted quotes.
The most common finding
The gap between received and contacted, and it is almost always larger than owners expect.
It is caused by ordinary things: enquiries arriving out of hours with nobody assigned to the morning, notifications landing in an unwatched inbox, everyone assuming somebody else picked it up, and forms that quietly stopped delivering.
The test worth running today
Submit an enquiry through your own website. Then call your own number from a mobile at lunchtime.
Time both. What you learn in ten minutes frequently outweighs a month of ad spend.
Why this matters commercially
Suppose you receive 40 enquiries and win 8. Doubling your leads to 80 costs real money every month and, at the same rate, wins 16.
Raising your close rate from 20% to 30% on the same 40 wins 12 — for free, immediately, and it also makes every future lead worth more. Then, if you do buy more leads, they arrive into a business that converts better.
The order matters: fix conversion first, then buy volume.
What actually raises conversion
Answer faster. The single biggest factor for service businesses, because customers usually contact several companies.
Follow up quotes. Most are sent once and never mentioned again.
Be easy to say yes to. Clear pricing, an obvious next step.
Reviews. They work before the conversation starts.
Getting a straight read
Bring the four numbers to a call on 832-338-2926 and the answer is usually clear in twenty minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell whether I need more leads?
Count enquiries received, enquiries actually contacted, quotes sent and jobs won for last month. The biggest drop between adjacent numbers is your real problem.
What is the most common finding?
The gap between enquiries received and enquiries actually contacted — almost always larger than owners expect, caused by out-of-hours arrivals, unwatched inboxes and forms that stopped delivering.
Why fix conversion before buying leads?
Because raising close rate from 20% to 30% on your existing enquiries is free and immediate, while doubling lead volume costs money every month and produces the same ratio.
What test should I run today?
Submit an enquiry through your own website, then call your own number from a mobile at lunchtime. Time both. Ten minutes often outweighs a month of ad spend.