How do you get better at sales? I’m only turning over 20% replacement quotes.
Do you have an automated follow up system? I also provide two different financing options.
Is there a way to track to see if you’re bottlenecking in rejections vs following up?
One number I’d want to see alongside the 20% close rate is the dollar value of the quotes that are still open.
For example, instead of treating every unclosed estimate the same, I’d separate them into:
Then put a dollar value against each bucket.
That would tell you something a basic close-rate percentage can’t: how much potential revenue is currently sitting in the pipeline without a clear next action.
Has anyone here actually tracked the dollar value of their “still open / no decision” estimates separately?
Your 20% replacement quote close rate caught my attention.
One thing I’d separate before deciding whether the bottleneck is pricing or follow-up is the dollar value of the quotes that are still open.
I’d split the open estimates into just five buckets:
Then put the dollar value beside each bucket.
That gives you a different picture from a simple close-rate percentage — especially if a meaningful amount of quoted revenue is sitting in “no decision” rather than being genuinely lost.
Curious: are you currently tracking the dollar value of those still-open replacement quotes separately, or mainly the overall conversion rate?
20% by itself probably doesn't tell you where the leak is.
I'd separate the quotes that were clearly lost (price, competitor, financing, bad fit) from the ones that simply went quiet or never reached a clear outcome.
Curious — for your open replacement quotes, do you currently know how many are truly lost versus still sitting without a clear next action?
I’d track the quotes by stage so you can see where they’re actually dropping off quoted, contacted, financing discussed, won lost, etc. That should make it easier to tell whether the issue is the initial quote or what happens after it.
Are you currently tracking the reason each replacement quote is lost, or are you mainly looking at the overall 20% conversion rate?
I agree with the others here that more context is needed. One thing I’d want to understand is how the quotes are presented. Are you reviewing them with the homeowner in person or by phone, or sending them afterward by email or text?
With an HVAC replacement, homeowners are evaluating more than equipment and financing. They’re deciding whether they trust the company with a major investment. Reviews, credentials, warranties, the installation process, and what happens if something goes wrong should all be clear.
If quotes are mostly sent without a conversation, that could be part of the bottleneck.
Others have covered the sorting part well, so here's what I'd add: what to actually send to the quiet pile.
A text that names the specific job tends to get more replies than "just checking in." Something like:
"Hi Lisa, it's [Name] from Prime Air. Still thinking over the heat pump quote from August? Happy to answer questions or hold an install slot before it gets cold. Reply STOP to opt out."
Since you offer two financing options, a second touch a week later could lead with that: "If the upfront cost is what's holding you back, we have two financing options that turn it into a monthly payment. Want me to send the numbers?"
Out of curiosity, how many of your summer replacement quotes never got a clear yes or no?
Good question — and yes, this is exactly where most shops lose the quote, not on price. What I've seen work on replacement quotes is a simple rhythm: a short text the next day ("any questions about the quote?"), another touch around day 5, and a last one around day 10. Texts get answered way more than emails, and the sequence stops on its own the moment the customer replies.
Jobber's built-in quote reminders are a decent start, but they're email-only and pretty easy for a homeowner to miss. The shops closing more of these pair the reminders with text follow-ups and one clear next step in every message — book the install date, don't just "check in."
For what it's worth, 20% isn't unusual before follow-up is in place — replacement quotes are big decisions, and a lot of homeowners just go quiet while they think. The ones who hear from you again are the ones who tend to come back.
I set up follow-up systems like this for HVAC and plumbing shops — happy to share what the sequence looks like if it's useful.
