By Here’s how most service businesses run.
The phone rings a lot. The owner gets busy doing the work. He stops marketing because he doesn’t have time. Two months later the jobs run out. Panic. He runs a sale, knocks doors and calls everyone he knows. The phone rings again. He gets busy again. Repeat.
This is called the feast or famine cycle. It’s exhausting, and it keeps good companies small.
The fix is simple to say and hard to do: never stop prospecting. Always be marketing. Always be closing. Every day, busy or not.
Why busy is the best time to prospect
When you’re busy:
- You’re confident. Customers can feel it.
- You don’t need the job, so you don’t discount.
- You can raise your prices and still win.
- You can pick the best jobs and pass on the bad ones.
- You can build a waitlist, which makes you look even more in demand.
When you’re slow, you’re the opposite. You need every job, so you take bad ones at low prices. Prospecting while busy is how you stay out of that spot.
Know your number
First, figure out how many leads you need. Open the revenue goal calculator and put in:
- Your yearly sales goal
- Your average job
- Your close rate
- How many leads turn into estimates
Say you want $500,000 a year, your average job is $2,500, you close 35% and 60% of leads book an estimate. You need about 80 new leads a month, or 18 a week.
That’s your target. Now you know how much prospecting it takes.
The Core Four
Alex Hormozi says every customer you’ll ever get comes from one of four places. He calls them the Core Four:
| People who know you | People who don’t | |
|---|---|---|
| You reach out one by one | 1. Warm outreach | 2. Cold outreach |
| You reach many at once | 3. Free content | 4. Paid ads |
Let’s turn each into something you can do this week.
1. Warm outreach: people who already know you
This is the easiest and cheapest. These people already trust you.
Who: past customers, people who got an estimate but didn’t buy, friends, family, neighbors, other trades you know.
How:
- Text 10 past customers a day. “Hi Linda, it’s Jake from Jake’s Lawn. How’s the yard looking? We’re booking spring cleanups now. Want me to save you a spot?”
- Call every open estimate from the last 6 months. “Hi, I wanted to check in on the roof quote. Prices are going up in March. Want me to lock in last year’s price?”
- Ask happy customers for one name. “Who else on your street might need this?”
Why it works: People buy from people they know. A past customer is many times more likely to buy than a stranger.
2. Cold outreach: people who don’t know you yet
This is harder, but it never runs out.
How:
- Door hangers or door knocking around every job you do. “We’re working on your neighbor’s roof this week. While we’re here, want a free check of yours?”
- Postcards to the homes around your best jobs.
- Calls to property managers, landlords and realtors, who hire contractors over and over.
Example: A roofer finishes a job on a street in Maumee. That afternoon, the crew leaves a door hanger on the 30 homes nearby: “We just replaced the roof at 123 Elm. Same age homes, same problems. Free inspection this week.” Homes on the same street were often built at the same time, so their roofs age together.
Follow the rules: Many Ohio cities require a permit to go door to door. Calls and texts to people who haven’t said yes have strict federal rules. Check them before you start.
3. Free content: help people for free, at scale
Post useful stuff where your customers already look.
Ideas:
- A 60-second video: “3 signs your furnace is about to quit.”
- Before and after photos with a short story.
- A post in local Facebook groups answering a common question (no hard selling).
- A short guide: “What to do after a storm hits your roof.”
Why it works: Frank Kern calls it giving “results in advance.” When you help people before they pay, they trust you. When they need a pro, they think of you first.
Always end with a soft next step: “If you want us to take a look, text us.”
4. Paid ads: pay to get in front of people
This is the fastest way to grow, and the fastest way to lose money if you don’t track it.
Good places for contractors to start:
- Google search ads and Local Services Ads (people searching for you right now)
- Facebook and Instagram ads with a clear offer, aimed at your service area
- Postcards and mailers to targeted neighborhoods
Rule: Start small. Track every lead. Use the lead source ROI calculator. Only spend more when it’s working. Read Direct Response vs. Branding before you buy any ad.
The Rule of 100
Hormozi suggests a simple daily target: 100 of something, every day. 100 outreach messages, or 100 minutes making content, or $100 in ads.
For a small crew owner, 100 a day is a lot. So start with what you can keep up:
- Week 1: 10 contacts a day
- Week 4: 25 a day
- Month 3: 50 a day
- When you hire help: 100 a day
The number matters less than doing it every single day.
The Dream 100
Russell Brunson popularized an idea from sales trainer Chet Holmes called the Dream 100. Make a list of the 100 people or businesses who could send you the most work. Then build relationships with them, one by one.
For a contractor, your Dream 100 might include:
- Real estate agents (they need repairs before every sale)
- Home inspectors (they find problems that need fixing)
- Property managers and landlords
- Insurance agents (storm claims)
- Other trades who don’t do what you do (a plumber sends you the HVAC work, you send him the plumbing)
- Builders and remodelers
- HOA boards
Jay Abraham calls these host-beneficiary deals. Another business that already has your customers’ trust introduces you, and everyone wins.
How to start: Pick 10 from your list this month. Buy them coffee. Ask what their customers need. Offer to help first. Send them a referral before you ask for one.
Your daily prospecting routine
Put this on your calendar like a job. Do it before the day gets away from you.
Every day (60 minutes):
- 15 min: Text or call 10 past customers or open estimates
- 15 min: Follow up on new leads from the last week
- 15 min: Make one piece of content (a photo, a short video, a tip)
- 15 min: Reach out to one Dream 100 contact
Every week:
- Door hangers or postcards around every job you finished
- Ask every finished customer for a review and a referral
- Check your numbers: leads, estimates, sales
Every month:
- Run one promotion (see Lead Generation Plays)
- Check which lead sources paid and move money toward them
Always be closing
Prospecting fills the top. Closing finishes the job. Don’t let leads sit.
- Call new leads back within 5 minutes. (Speed to Lead)
- Follow up on every estimate until you get a clear yes or no. (Follow-Up System)
- Ask for the job every time. (Closing at the Kitchen Table)
Northwest Ohio seasons: plan ahead
Our weather tells you when to prospect for what:
- January to February: Book spring work. Sell maintenance plans. Contact your Dream 100.
- March to May: Storm season in Ohio. Roofers, tree services and gutter companies, be ready with storm offers.
- June to August: AC season. HVAC companies, prospect for fall furnace checks now.
- September to November: Gutters, leaves, furnace tune-ups, winter prep. Book your winter projects.
- December: Thank past customers. Gift card offers. Plan next year.
Always prospect one season ahead. When everyone else is busy, you’re already booking the next season.
The bottom line
Prospecting isn’t something you do when you’re slow. It’s what keeps you from ever being slow.
One hour a day. Every day. Busy or not. That’s the habit that turns a feast-or-famine business into one with a waitlist.
