Qualifying leads: questions to ask before a site visit

Before a site visit, find out eight things: what the job is, the postcode, photos or a video, when they want it done, a rough budget, who decides, whether they're getting other quotes, and any access problems. You can ask all eight in one WhatsApp message. If the answers show the job is too small, too far, unfunded or a price check, decline or quote from photos instead of driving out.

Why qualify before you visit?

Because unpaid visits are the most expensive part of quoting. A sole tradesperson we spoke to wins about one quote in four. For every job he wins, he has made three visits that earned nothing. Cut the visits that were never going to turn into work and the same diary produces more jobs.

The eight questions to ask

Ask them in this order. The first four tell you whether the job is yours; the last four tell you whether you'll win it and get paid.

1. What's the job, in your words?

   You learn what the customer thinks they need, which often differs from what they do need. Ask what made them get in touch now.

2. What's the postcode?

   Rules out jobs outside your area before anything else.

3. Can you send photos or a short video?

   The most useful single question. Ask for the specific views you need: the boiler and its flue, the whole roof slope, the consumer unit with the cover on.

4. When do you want it done?

   "As soon as possible" and "sometime next year" are different leads. So is "before the baby arrives in March".

5. Do you have a budget in mind?

   Ask it plainly and offer a range if they don't know: "most jobs like this come in between £X and £Y; does that fit?"

6. Who else is involved in the decision?

   A partner, a landlord, a freeholder, a management company. If the decision maker isn't at the visit, you'll be doing it twice.

7. Are you getting other quotes?

   Not a trap; it tells you how competitive the price must be and when they'll decide.

8. Anything we should know about access?

   Parking, stairs, pets, shared walls, a tenant who needs notice.

A message you can copy

Send it as your first reply, or straight after a short call. Customers who answer it properly are usually serious.

Hi name, thanks for getting in touch about the job. So I can give you a proper answer without wasting your time, could you let me know:

1. Your postcode
2. A few photos or a short video of what you need to see
3. When you'd like the work done
4. Whether you have a rough budget in mind. For guidance, most job type jobs we do come in between £low and £high + VAT
5. Who else needs to be involved in the decision
6. Anything about access or parking we should know

Once I have those I'll either give you a price from the photos or book a time to come and see it. Your name, firm

Why ask about budget?

Because a customer whose budget is half your price won't become a customer after a visit. Send a multi-option quote with no idea of budget and the combined total can come as a shock. A budget conversation before the visit would have shaped the options and saved the shock. If the customer won't give any figure, give them your range and ask if it's in the right area. Silence or "that's way more than I thought" is your answer.

Should you go or not?

Use the answers to decide. Here's a quick check you can run in your head after reading the replies.

What do you need to tell the customer at the visit?

Be careful with what you promise, because it can become part of the contract. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, anything you say or write to a consumer about your business or the service is treated as a term of the contract if they rely on it when deciding. So "we can start on the 3rd" or "that won't need scaffolding" said on the doorstep counts. Write the key points into your quote.

Get a solicitor or Trading Standards to check your terms and cancellation form if you take bookings on the doorstep. If you work in Northern Ireland, check the local version of the rules with a solicitor or Trading Standards.

Common questions