You Need Leads Today, Tomorrow, and Forever

That'll never change for home service companies

Author

John Wilson
May 16, 2025

What’s up everyone,

Leads are the lifeblood of any home service business. Without leads, you got nothing.

That said, do these two things today to take a step forward:

There’s no shortage of lead generation tactics. Do what you can on your own, outsource the rest.

Our lead gen partner, Service Scalers, recently drove hundreds of thousands in sales and 900+ calls in a single week.

One. Single. Week.

That’s how you tilt the scales of success in your favor.

Demand Capture vs. Demand Generation

We don’t have enough leads to stay busy. I hear it all the time.

Then I look at their marketing budget: $5K a month to billboards, church bulletins, and “brand awareness.”

And nothing that actually drives leads.

This is the demand capture vs. demand generation problem.

What’s the Difference?

Demand generation is when you try to create interest:

  • TV and radio

  • Billboards and bus stops

  • Facebook ads and sponsored mailers

You’re hoping someone sees it and thinks, “Maybe I should call a plumber.”

Demand capture is when someone already wants what you offer—and you show up first:

It’s like catching a customer mid-search, wallet already out.

Here’s the Reality: You Can’t Brand Your Way Out of an Empty Schedule

The service business owner with a full board isn’t investing in park bench ads.

He’s doing one thing really well:

Capturing the demand that’s already there.

You don’t need leads nine months from now. You need them today, tomorrow, and the next day.

And until that need is covered, every dollar should go toward that goal.

Most Owners Spend Wrong

Let’s break down a real example:

One owner had:

  • $2,000/month to Google Ads

  • $2,000/month to LSA

My advice? Combine the budget. Pick the one with the better cost per lead and go all-in.

Spreading spend too thin across channels means nothing works well.

Instead:

  • Pick one channel.

  • Dial it in.

  • Scale it until it caps out.

Then, and only then, move on to the next.

The $20M+ Playbook: Go Deep, Not Wide

You don’t need 5 channels to scale.

One contractor in Chicago built a $20M business off PPC alone.

Another? Grew to $20M+ using just LSA, PPC, and SEO. No radio. No mailers. No billboards.

Why?

Because when you focus on one channel:

  • You get better data

  • You give better feedback

  • Your CPL drops

  • Your team builds muscle in that system

Find your channel and double down.

GMB Is a Cheat Code (But Most Ignore It)

GMB is the s***. It’s simple. It’s not glamorous. But it drives leads.

The biggest companies in the trades invest heavily in their Google My Business listings.

Most small shops? Post once and forget about it.

If you want to win locally:

  • Get to 100+ reviews fast

  • Keep posting photos and updates

  • Track how many calls and clicks come from GMB

It’s free, high-intent traffic. You just have to show up.

Don’t Add New Channels Because You’re Bored

The temptation is real: throw $2K at Facebook, $1K at SEO, another $3K at lead partners… and suddenly you’ve got five underperforming channels instead of one dialed-in machine.

You’re not ready to spend on branding until your lead gen channel is maxed out—and your board is full every day.

The mistake most owners make?

They start thinking like a CMO when they should still be acting like a sales manager.

Final Word

You don’t scale a service business by playing marketing whack-a-mole.

You scale by solving one problem: getting leads today, tomorrow, and the next day.

Here’s the move:

  • Go deep on your best-performing channel (GMB, LSA, or Google Ads)

  • Scale spend aggressively until it caps out

  • Give your team clear feedback and track CPL

  • Don’t touch branding until lead flow is bulletproof

This is how $5M shops become $15M shops—and how $15M shops become $30M.

Want the full breakdown? Listen to my latest podcast episode.

⚡ Shout Out to Quick Staffers ⚡

Looking to scale your business through acquisitions?

Jack Carr, my podcast co-host, recently launched Quick Staffers, designed to place overseas CSRs who are pre-trained with HVAC and plumbing knowledge.

They’re already running proven SOPs and scripts from both mine and Jack’s call center.

It’s a total game-changer for growing your team without blowing your budget. Right now, he’s offering a soft launch special—$500 off per placement!

Get serious about lead generation. Your business needs it to survive.

👊 John

Disclosure: This newsletter includes sponsored content. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Want More Owned and Operated?

📻 Listen to Owned and Operated on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple 

📖 Check out the go-to resource for scaling your home service business here

🤝 Get your brand in front of 40,000+ home service business owners here

Reply

or to participate.