- Owned and Operated Weekly Insights
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- Lead Problem or Sales Problem
Hey,
You don’t have a lead problem, you have a sales problem.
I found myself repeating some variation of this in the most recent OAO podcast episode.
Most owners blame poor performance on lead flow, but the real bottleneck is sales execution.
Eliminate that bottleneck and your sales will grow. Pretty simple.
Before we dive headfirst into the lead vs. sales problem, there’s another way to boost sales and revenue: get serious about upping your call center game.
Last year, we implemented a new tool from our partner, Avoca, in the call center. And the numbers are no joke:
Booking rate’s locked in at 85%
Call quality jumped from 40% to 95%
Easily handling 400+ calls every week
Book a demo (tell them John Wilson sent you) and then come back here to learn more about your potential sales problem.
Let’s Talk About Sales…
Because in the trades, most people think they have a lead generation problem.
But more often than not?
They’re just not selling well.
They’ve got enough calls. Enough demand.
The issue is what happens after the call is booked.
It’s the sales process. The options presented. The belief behind the offer.
And that’s where most companies leave money on the table.
What’s moving the needle inside top plumbing companies right now?
It’s not magic sales scripts or flashy CRMs.
It’s basic sales fundamentals. Done right and done consistently.
Operators are leaning into:
Call-by-call coaching that catches weak options before they hit the homeowner.
Dedicated sales roles so techs aren’t forced to juggle installs and closes.
Clear KPIs like conversion rate, average ticket, and option count.
Real training on how to explore, not just present.
The teams winning right now are the ones who coach their techs like a sales org, not just a field crew.
And that’s exactly why groups like Nexstar are gaining traction.
It’s not just about feeling more “professional.”
It’s about building a process that actually scales.
For example, Nexstar’s “explore step” helps techs:
Ask smarter questions before touching a wrench
Uncover problems that turn into higher-ticket jobs
Build trust before ever showing a price
And yeah, it works.
My team runs $2,000+ average tickets in plumbing.
Not because they’re aggressive. Because they slow down, run a process, and coach it daily.
Here’s the takeaway:
You don’t need more leads.
You need better options, better coaching, and better training.
Sales isn’t a personality game—it’s a system. And if you treat it that way, the results start compounding fast.
Get More Leads Without Wasting Time
I talked a lot about leads and sales above. What I didn’t talk about much is how to generate leads.
One of the best strategies is to get in touch with Sam Preston of Service Scalers. His team has had one of the biggest impacts on our growth over the past 12 months.
Their LSA, GMB and SEO strategies focus on getting high-quality, consistent leads. PLUS their focus on performance tracking has shown us how to create a winning formula for our digital marketing.
Check out Service Scalers to see what they can do for your bottom line.
That’s all for today. Take a minute now to find me on X and share your thoughts on today’s newsletter.
👊
John
Disclosure: This newsletter includes sponsored content. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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