Is your business showing up in AI search? šāØ
Have you ever asked AI something like āWhoās the best plumber in [your city]?ā or āFind me a landscaper near meā just to see if your business pops up? If you appeared, what are you doing to make sure you maintain visibility? If not, PhilRisherā has a few website tips that could help. š In this Masters of Home Service episode, he covers website best practices that can help your business stay visible as search changes, from answering real customer questions to sharing pricing and local information and putting more work into your āknowledge baseā. š Want to put these tips into action? Download our free website optimization playbook for this episode. Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Any tips for making YouTube videos that actually bring in customers?
If you're creating videos for your business (or thinking about it), what's one thing you've learned that makes a difference? In this Masters of Home Service episode, Jacob Palmer (Palmer Electrical) talks about how simple YouTube videos became one of his biggest lead generators. He shares practical advice on filming real jobs, building trust before the first phone call, and using video content to win more local customers without relying on paid ads. Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Is a Salesperson Different from the Person Who Makes The Quotes?
I had an interesting discussion with my mentor lately. Some background: I promoted a team member from carpenter to operations manager. I gave a base salary plus a percentage of gross profit above a certain mark. We didn't hit that mark so he basically just got his base salary for the quarter and was really disappointed, came in and just asked for a really high base instead. I was talking to my mentor about how our sales flow is structured and he mentioned I need to be thinking of the sales person as a lead generator, then the person who would be managing the execution as the person who needs to put the estimates together. That kind of blew my mind a little bit but the more he talked about it, the more it made sense. Keep in mind our projects are all custom essentially so there's different details for everyone, even if it's kind of the same thing. If I go and make the job walk, make the estimate then sell to the team, but then try to incentivize it based on a budget, it's not necessarily fair because the production staff had no part in making that budget. BUT if I'm able to create the "at bats", the foreman walks it with the client then assigns the amount of time and material it will take. Then there's less opportunity to miss details or something get lost in communication. I can give him a plaud unit to make sure to summarize everything. This would also solve the problem of clients treating me like the project manager even though I'm not supposed to be the project manager. I was the one that shook their hand and took their deposit so why wouldn't they send me the grout selections right? Anyway, if you read through all that - I'm curious what your opinion on this is.Should small businesses stop answering every phone call immediately?
This one is tricky because speed-to-lead matters. If a new prospect calls and you donāt answer, thereās a good chance they call the next company. But answering every call the second it comes in can train customers to expect instant access to you forever. That gets hard once youāre in the field, managing employees, driving, handling payroll, doing estimates, or trying to focus on higher-level work. Iāve had to think about this a lot because missed calls can cost money, but constant interruptions also cost money. Thereās a difference between being responsive and being constantly available. A business can still have a strong response system without the owner personally answering every call in real time. That might mean: a call answering service a trained admin or CSR voicemail with a fast callback window text-back automation online booking or quote forms clear office hours different rules for new leads vs current customers The goal is to protect lead response without letting the phone run the entire day. For us, I still care a lot about speed. But I also donāt want every phone call to interrupt routes, training, customer issues, or focused work that moves the business forward. Do you answer every call immediately, or have you built a system around when and how calls get handled?
How do I explain the value of my services without defending my prices?
What's one service that customers consistently underestimate the value of? For me, it's often the planning, preparation, and experience behind the workānot just the labor itself. How do you educate customers on the value you bring without feeling like you're defending your prices? I'd love to hear how others approach these conversations.Are You Selling Your Serviceā¦ or Selling the Experience?
Customers have more choices than ever. Sometimes the difference isnāt just the service you provide, but how you make people feel from the first interaction to the final follow-up. What are some ways your business creates an experience that keeps customers coming back?Have you ever fired a marketing channel?
What's something you used to spend money on that you finally said, "Never again.ā Google Ads? Flyers? Something else? What made you pull the plug on it? In this Masters of Home Service episode, Gabe Chrismon of Oply unpacks why throwing more money at marketing isn't always the answer to landing new customers. Learn about customer acquisition cost (CAC) and how to get more value from every marketing dollar. Never miss an episode of Masters of Home Service. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
What Marketing Actually Works for Outdoor Service Businesses During Slow Seasons?
I run a small land clearing/brush clearing business in Ohio, and with how wet itās been in our area lately, things are starting to slow down a bit. Iām trying to be proactive and focus on marketing so I can keep work coming in and continue growing the business. For those of you whoāve been in a similar spot, what marketing has actually worked best for you to bring in more customers and keep jobs lined up? Facebook ads, Google ads, yard signs, referrals, local networking, something else? Iād especially love to hear whatās worked well for seasonal or outdoor service businesses when weather starts affecting the schedule. Appreciate any advice or ideas youāre willing to share.
