The Home Show Follow-Up: Where Most Contractors Fail Miserably!
Most contractors collect hundreds of leads at home expos… then lose them with poor lead follow up. Use this simple 48-hour system to turn prospects into booked jobs.
KickStart: Sort your prospects. Then text a personal message to every contact the evening after you talked. Then call your “Hot Prospects” within 48 hours. Don’t give up!
WOW! I can’t believe it! Finally, we’ve arrived at my Part 5 (and last) missive on “Successful Home Expos for a Residential Services Provider”!
If you’ve read and implemented the four previous sections (check out the links at the bottom of this message) … CONGRATULATIONS! 🪇🎊🎉💐🎈 You’re well on the way to developing tons of qualified, pre-sold homeowner leads! WOO-HOO! 👍👍
But WAIT! What’s the key word above? “LEADS”! And here’s the shocking truth:
Most contractors will generate between 100 to 400 solid leads at a home expo, then let them rot away from poor to zero follow-up! Sad but true! 🫣😥
💡Listen carefully, folks: Your follow-up strategy will determine if your Home Expo efforts provide a great ROI 💲or just be a costly and exhausting bust! 😫
Sure, the gold standard is to book an eager homeowner right there at the home expo! Yeah right! 🙄 Seriously? Most of the time, attendees can’t focus (or even hear) with all the hoopla going on!
ProTIP: When having an in-depth conversation, ask your prospect if you can take notes while pulling out a small 3” x 4” leather-bound pocket notebook. (Small is less intimidating, and you won’t be tempted to set it down.)
You’re taking notes for two reasons: 1) It is extremely flattering for you to take notes on what a homeowner is saying. (But don’t overdo it.) 2) Detailed notes on the prospect will help you keep the details straight on each one so you can…
At end of day: (Or during the day while your thoughts are fresh.) Text out a copy and paste verification to your contacts after the expo closes for the day. The two bolded words are the only copy that you add to personalize this note…
Hi Bill!
Thanks for stopping by our Town and Country Restoration booth today! Your landscaping project sounds fascinating. I’ll reach out to you on Monday morning. Meanwhile, have a great Sunday! Steve
Your follow-up must start within 48 hours after the initial contact. (24 hours or less is even better.) Any longer and prospects start forgetting who you are and/or book with someone else.
NOTE: Sure, you’ve bought yourself a bit of time with the End of Day system above. But sooner is always better than later! Here’s the follow-up system that worked for us:
Immediately after each day of the expo: Sort your leads into three piles: Hot (requested pre-inspection), warm (general interest), and contest entries only.
Monday morning: Start calling hot prospects. Your goal is to at least schedule appointments within the next 3-4 days.
Monday afternoon through Wednesday: Call warm prospects. Offer a special ‘Home Expo Attendee Discount’ that’s good for the next 30 days. (To have the impact you want, a discount should be at least 15%.)
Thursday: Announce contest winners via phone (not email—you want that personal connection). Schedule their home services prize and use it as an opportunity to offer ASO’s. (Additional Service Options.)
Don’t get down! Don’t expect everyone to answer. You’ll reach maybe 30-40% on the first call. Leave friendly, professional voicemails, follow up with a text that includes a link to your website and your special expo offer.
NOTE: In both the VM and the text, it mentions you’ll reach out again. Then do so.
💲Employee bonus idea: Track which employees generated the most leads that converted to jobs. Three months after the show, give the employee with the most conversions a $200.00 cash bonus. This creates competition and accountability!
Is a Home Expo Worth It? The Bottom Line
Let’s be honest about the investment. A typical home expo will cost you:
Booth space: $500-$2,000
Materials and giveaways: $300-$800
Labor costs: $1,000-$2,000 (depending on your setup)
Your time and energy: Priceless (and exhausting!)
After-show BBQ for all who helped out, along with their families! (This is important!) 🍺🍻🍷🍖🧺
Total investment: $3,000-$6,000 for a weekend.
The payoff? When done right, you should generate enough home expo revenue from past clients alone to cover your costs. Everything else—the 150-250 new prospects, the 20-30 commercial leads, the 200+ jobs booked over the following months—that’s pure profit!
Your long-term return on repeat clients? PURE GOLD!💖
Our average home expo (in a very small market base) generated over $70,000 in immediate bookings, plus residual calls for years afterwards. (Remember those check-style coupons? Some were redeemed a decade later!)
🗝️But here’s the key: That return only happens if you follow the system. 1) Home show analysis, 2) preparation, 3) booth action, 4) lead qualification, and 5) the fast follow-up I preach here!
Skip any one of the five elements above, and you’ll join the ranks of weeping contractors who bitterly complain that ‘home expos don’t work.’ What a bunch of whiners! 👎👎
Steve’s TAKEAWAY: Home expos work. The question is: Will you? 🤔 If so, aren’t there some local home expos you need to get signed up for? 😎
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