Free resources
Close more with what you already have.
GC Engine is built for companies with at least 50 leads a month. Until then, use these guides. Run them by hand. Tighten the leaks. Come back when the volume is there.
Guide 01
Speed to lead
The first five minutes decide more deals than your brochure. Own them.
- Route every new lead to one phone. Form, Google, Facebook, Angi — one number or one person owns first contact. No shared inbox where leads die.
- Call within five minutes. Text if they miss. First touch is a short call. If they don’t pick up, send one text: who you are, why you’re calling, and one clear next step. Then call again the same day.
- Answer the phone during business hours. Missed calls from homeowners are often shopping. Voicemail alone is not a system. Someone picks up, or you call back in minutes — not hours.
- Log the source and the outcome. Where the lead came from, whether you reached them, and what was booked. You cannot fix what you never measure.
Guide 02
A follow-up cadence you can run by hand
Most “no”s are silence. Keep showing up until they decide.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Call + text within minutes of the lead. |
| Day 0 evening | Second call if no book. Short voicemail. Same text thread. |
| Day 1 | Call once. Email or text with one useful answer (timeline, process, or a clear next step). |
| Day 2–3 | Call + text. Ask a direct question: still looking, or timing changed? |
| Day 5–7 | Check-in. Offer two appointment windows. Make booking easy. |
| Week 2–3 | One more call and one message. Then a soft close: happy to reconnect when the project is ready. |
- Write three templates: first text, missed-call text, and a “still interested?” check-in. Reuse them.
- Keep every message under five sentences. One ask per touch.
- Stop when they say no. Do not stop when they go quiet after one try.
Guide 03
Quotes that get a decision
A number on a page is not a proposal. Make saying yes the easy move.
- Lead with the outcome, then the scope. What they get when the job is done, then what is included, then what is not. Ambiguity kills trust.
- One clear price path. Options are fine. Confusion is not. Label good / better / best so they can choose without a second call to decode the sheet.
- Show the next step on the quote. How to approve, deposit, and schedule. Put the button or reply line where they already are looking at the number.
- Follow the quote like a lead. Same-day check-in after send. Call if they open and go quiet. A quote without follow-up is a brochure.
Guide 04
Know your numbers before you scale ads
Spend more only when you can see the path from lead to booked to closed.
- Leads per month — count every inquiry you treat as real work, by source.
- Contact rate — how many you actually reach by phone or text within a day.
- Booking rate — booked appointments ÷ leads. Track this weekly.
- Show rate and close rate — who shows, who signs, average job size.
- Cost per booked appointment — ad + sales time ÷ booked. That is the number that tells you if volume is healthy.
If booking rate is soft, fix answer speed and follow-up before you buy more leads. More top-of-funnel on a leaky close just burns cash.
Guide 05
When GC Engine fits
We are not a fit for every shop. That is intentional.
Built for
- At least 50 leads a month
- Contractors who already buy or generate demand
- Teams that want every call answered, every lead called fast, and follow-up that does not depend on one person’s memory
Not yet
- Under 50 leads a month — use the guides above first
- Shops that need us to run the ads (we build the site and the close; we do not run the ads)
We guarantee more booked appointments from the leads you already pay for, or we work free until you get them. Details on the call.