To close more sales as a contractor, measure your close rate by lead source and by salesperson, find the stage where jobs leak, and run every sales appointment the same way: the right people at the table, questions before the tape measure, options presented on site, and a clear ask for the decision. Cutting your price is the last lever, not the first.
This guide covers the close-rate math, where jobs leak, the appointment itself, replies to the five most common objections, and a weekly review that keeps the number moving.
How do you calculate your close rate?
Close rate = jobs won ÷ estimates presented, in the same period.
Count estimates presented, not leads. A lead who never booked an appointment tells you about your marketing and your phones, not your selling.
Example: last quarter you presented 60 estimates and won 21 jobs. 21 ÷ 60 = 35%.
One total hides the story. Split it two ways. Example numbers, made up to show the method:
| Lead source | Estimates presented | Won | Close rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referral | 12 | 7 | 58% |
| Repeat customer | 8 | 5 | 63% |
| Google Business Profile | 18 | 6 | 33% |
| Paid lead service | 22 | 3 | 14% |
| Total | 60 | 21 | 35% |
| Salesperson | Estimates presented | Won | Close rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | 25 | 12 | 48% |
| Estimator A | 20 | 6 | 30% |
| Estimator B | 15 | 3 | 20% |
Now you have questions worth asking. Does Estimator B get the paid leads while the owner keeps the referrals? Then it’s a lead-mix problem, not a skill problem. If both run the same mix and one closes half as often, sit in on that person’s next three appointments.
What’s a normal close rate? No single number holds across trades. An urgent repair and a $60,000 remodel competing with two other bids are different sales. The benchmark that matters is your own number, by source and job type, against last quarter.
Where are you losing jobs?
Count each stage for the last quarter and write the conversion between stages. Example numbers, made up:
| Stage | Count | Conversion | If this is low, look at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leads | 100 | Marketing and lead quality | |
| Appointments run | 55 | 55% of leads | Speed of reply, booking on the first call, no-shows |
| Estimates presented | 48 | 87% of appointments | Estimates that take days or never get written |
| Won | 16 | 33% of estimates | The appointment, the options, the ask, follow-up |
Fix the biggest leak first. Here, 45 leads never got an appointment. Getting 10 more of them to the table, at the same 87% and 33%, adds about 3 jobs a quarter without another dollar of marketing.
Your version:
| Stage | Count | Conversion | Biggest reason we lose them here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leads | |||
| Appointments run | |||
| Estimates presented | |||
| Won |
If the top row is the problem, start with how to get more leads for contractors. The rest of this guide is about the bottom two rows.
Reply fast, and book on the first call
A lead who waits a day for your call may already be calling other contractors. Set response times:
| Lead comes in | Reply within | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Phone call, business hours | Answer live | Book the appointment on that call |
| Missed call, web form or lead service | 15 minutes | Call first, then text if no answer |
| After hours | Text that night, call next morning | “Thanks for reaching out. We’ll call you by 9 a.m.” |
End every first call with a date on the calendar. Offer two specific times: “I can be there Tuesday at 4 or Thursday at 10. Which is better?”
Before the appointment: three things that decide the close
1. Ask who decides, on the booking call.
“Besides you, who else will be part of the decision on this project?”
If it’s a spouse, partner or property manager, book a time when both can be there. One person alone can say no, but often can’t say yes.
2. Send a confirmation text the day before.
“Hi [Name], this is [your name] from [Company]. Confirming tomorrow, Thursday, at 4 p.m. for your water heater replacement. You and [second decision maker] will both be there, right? Reply C to confirm or call me to move it.”
The “both be there” line catches a missing decision maker a day early.
3. Prepare like it’s a job.
- Check the address: age of the house, past work you did there, photos they sent.
- Bring pricing for the common options, so you can quote on site.
- Have the proposal, deposit terms and signature process ready on your phone or tablet.
Run the appointment the same way every time
A repeatable structure is what lets a second salesperson close like the owner. For a typical one-hour residential appointment:
- Set the agenda (5 minutes). “I’ll ask some questions, look at the space, then show you options and pricing before I leave. Sound good?” That last line tells them a decision is coming.
- Discovery (15 minutes). Sit down before you measure anything, and write the answers down.
- Inspect (15 to 20 minutes). Walk it with them, take photos, and explain problems in plain words: “This valve is corroded. That’s why the pressure drops.”
- Present options (10 to 15 minutes), tied to what they told you in discovery.
- Ask for the decision (5 minutes).
Discovery questions:
| Ask | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| “What made you call now?” | The real trigger: a failure, a house sale, a bad winter |
| “What happens if you don’t do this?” | How urgent it is, in their words |
| “What would a great result look like to you?” | What to lead with when you present |
| “Have you had anyone else out?” | The competition, and any bad experience to address |
| “Is there a budget range you’re trying to stay within?” | Which option to recommend |
| “Once you’ve seen the options, how will you decide?” | The decision process, and anyone still missing |
Present the options on site. Three prices emailed two days later leave the customer comparing numbers alone, with nobody there to explain the difference. Walk them through what changes between options, in their words: “You said the hot water runs out in the morning, so here’s what each option does about that.” How to build them without three estimates: good, better, best pricing.
Quote on the spot when you can. Repairs, replacements and work priced from your price book can be quoted at the table. For jobs that need engineering, permits or several trades, set a date to present in person: “I’ll have it ready Thursday. Can we sit down at 6 so I can walk you both through it?”
Answer the five common objections at the table
An objection at the table is a question you can still answer. Find out what’s behind it and answer that. Don’t drop your price for the same work; change the scope instead.
| They say | Find out first | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| “I need to think about it.” | What exactly they’re unsure of | “That makes sense, it’s a real decision. Usually it’s the price, the timing, or something about the work itself. Which one is it for you?” |
| “Your price is high.” | High compared with what | “Compared with what you expected, or with another quote? If it’s the budget, I can show you what we’d change to get closer. Option 1 does that, and here’s what you’d give up.” |
| “I’m getting other quotes.” | What they’ll compare on | “Good idea. Check that each quote includes permits, haul-away, the warranty and who does the work. Can I leave you this list so you can line them up side by side?” |
| “I need to talk to my spouse.” | What questions the spouse will have | “Of course. What do you think they’ll ask? Would a 10-minute call with you both tonight help, so you don’t have to explain it secondhand?” |
| “Not right now.” | Budget, timing, or a soft no | “When would be the right time? If we sign now, I can hold this price and schedule you for that date. If you’d rather wait, I’ll check back on the date you choose.” |
Then stop talking. If the objection still stands, agree on the next step before you leave: who calls whom, on what day. If they go quiet after you leave, use the sequence in why your estimates get ghosted. For word-for-word scripts from first call to close, see the contractor sales script.
Ask for the decision
“Let me know what you think” isn’t a close. It hands the next step to the customer. After the options and questions, ask:
“Which of these options feels right for you?”
When they pick one:
“Great. If you’re ready, I can get you on the schedule today. It takes a signature and the deposit, and I’ll have a start date for you before I leave.”
Then be quiet, even if the silence feels long. Every appointment ends with one of three outcomes, written down before you get back in the truck:
| Outcome | What happens next |
|---|---|
| Yes | Signature, deposit and a start date today |
| Not yet | A specific next step, day and person: “I’ll call you both Thursday at 6” |
| No | Ask why, and record the reason from your fixed list of lost reasons |
Offer financing the right way
On larger jobs, a monthly payment option can turn “not right now” into “yes.” Offer it to every customer the same way, as one more option.
- Use a licensed lender or financing program. The lender sets the terms and approves the customer. Ask what disclosures it handles and which ones are yours.
- Mention it in discovery, not after the objection: “Some customers pay in full, some use our financing. Is that worth showing you?”
- Quote only the lender’s numbers. Never a rate or monthly payment you don’t have in writing.
Before signing up with a provider, ask: what does it cost you per financed job, how fast is approval, when are you paid, and what happens when a customer is declined?
Take the signature and deposit on the spot
A “yes” that waits until tomorrow for paperwork can turn into “we’re still thinking.” When they say yes:
- Read the scope out loud and confirm the option and the price.
- Collect the e-signature on your phone or tablet.
- Take the deposit by card or payment link. Some states cap how much you can take up front: see contractor deposit laws by state.
- Give a start date window, or say when the office will call to schedule.
- Say what happens next: who calls, when materials are ordered, what they need to do before day one.
A sale signed at the customer’s home can carry a cancellation right. The FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule gives buyers three days to cancel certain sales made at their home for $25 or more, and the seller must tell the buyer about that right at the time of the sale and give two copies of a cancellation form. Some sales are exempt, and your state may add its own rules for home improvement contracts and deposits. Ask your attorney which notices your contracts need. This section is general information, not legal advice.
Review your close rate every week
Fifteen minutes, same day each week, with everyone who runs appointments. One row per salesperson:
| Salesperson | Appointments | Estimates presented | Won | Close rate | Open estimates | All have a dated next step? | Top lost reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes / No | |||||||
| Yes / No |
Three questions:
- Which open estimates have no dated next step? Each gets an owner and a date before the meeting ends.
- What was the top lost reason? If it repeats three weeks running, fix it in the appointment or the proposal, not the price.
- Is anyone’s close rate falling for a month? Check their lead mix first, then ride along.
If the owner closes well but has no time left to run every appointment, that’s the signal to add a salesperson: how to hire sales reps for a trade business.
Your next action
- Calculate last quarter’s close rate: total, by lead source and by salesperson.
- Fill in the funnel table and circle the biggest drop.
- Ask “Who else will be part of the decision?” on every booking call, starting today.
- Put your discovery questions on one card and use them on the next five appointments.
- End every appointment with the decision question, and record yes, not yet or no.
Where MotionOps helps
MotionOps keeps the appointment, the proposal and the deposit in one place, so a yes at the table becomes a scheduled job:
- On Site Assessment: schedule sales visits with checklists and photos, then turn a completed visit into a proposal.
- Field Proposals and Optional Line Items: build the proposal on site and give customers choices.
- Online & In-person Approvals: collect the signature at the table, or send the proposal for approval online.
- Deposit Payments: collect the deposit before work begins; it’s applied to the final invoice automatically.
- Lead Source Breakdown: see how each lead source performs.
Start with your next appointment: try MotionOps free.
