Tricks of the Tradies

Be seen, keep track, be heard.

Whether you’re a Brickie, Chippy, Plumber, or just spend a heck of a lot of time at Bunnings, managing your businesses’ marketing and sales can be a tough gig. That’s where we come in.

Our trade-skills are pretty poor, but we’ve got marketing covered. With these three tips in action, you’ll have time for the more important parts of your job, like telling that new apprentice to find a replacement bubble for the spirit level.

1.  Be Seen

With online platforms

We can’t talk about marketing for tradies without mentioning websites and social media. These are incredibly useful tools (but they won’t fit on your toolbelt, sorry) when it comes to lead generation. This is how a lot of clients ‘meet you’, get a feel for you and your business, and compare you to other companies — so it’s well worth showcasing your experience, services, abilities, and projects, especially through a website.

hipages is another platform you should take full advantage of. Register your business with hipages, and instantly give thousands of Australians access to your services. You can receive enquiries, give quotes, and chat with customers about their needs. This doesn’t replace a stunning website, but it can be a great additional resource.

2.  Keep Track

With spreadsheets



You probably get a lot of leads, and they can be a handful, especially if your bookkeeping skills aren’t up-to-scratch. Rather than leaving scraps of paper here and there, losing your notes all the time, or forgetting to write certain details, consider using a spreadsheet to keep all your data in one place.

Excel spreadsheets might seem overwhelming, but you don’t need to be a Microsoft Master to create a simple leads table and keep it updated — you can even go to a simple Excel Training Course to help you get started. We recommend these headings in your spreadsheet: Source, Name, Suburb, Date, Time, Mode, Enquiry, Notes.

This won’t only keep you organised, but it’s useful to track data, like how your leads are generated, what services are most popular, and how customers are contacting you. You can use this information to see what’s working, and fix what isn’t.

3.  Be Heard

With well-crafted messages

When you receive a new enquiry, how do you respond? Writing personalised, powerful sales emails and phone scripts is tough. Perhaps you’ve never even thought about it, but the way you interact with a keen customer can have an impact on whether the lead becomes a sale or not. Write a professional, well-crafted message and save it as a template which you can alter on for each new enquiry. See our example below.

Hi <customer name>,

Thank you for your enquiry! We can certainly help you out with <service> and would welcome the opportunity to provide you with a quote. I’ll just need to come and have a look at your property. Would it be okay if I ring you to discuss a suitable time?

Thanks, <customer name>, I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

<your name>

A great ‘marketing for tradies’ secret is to write multiple messages, so you have one ready for any situation. How about the one below for those quotes you sent that never went anywhere?

Hi <customer name>,

I’m just emailing to follow up about the quote I sent you on <date> regarding <service>. I’ve attached it here again for your convenience.

If this doesn’t work for you, I’d be happy to go through some other options with you that would be better suited to your budget. We can also offer you a payment plan if that would be useful.

I’d love to discuss this further with you, let me know how I can help.

Kind regards,

<your name>

People want to be helped, not hassled, so it’s important to keep these kinds of messages short, professional, casual, and genuinely helpful. If writing isn’t your forte, you can sign up with HubSpot and receive hundreds of templates. HubSpot offers a full stack of software for marketing, sales, and customer success, and have great resources, like this article on sales emails.

Pack ‘er Up, Boys

You’re a Tradesman, and you’re great at what you do, so build up your marketing expertise and become even greater. Be seen, keep track, be heard, and become a powerful force in the Tradie game. Almost as powerful as your trusty hammer.

Can we fix it? Yes, we can! We offer expert advice when it comes to marketing for tradies, including leads and sales, and addressing the biggest marketing challenges Tradesmen face. Chat to us to find out how Helium can take your business to the next level.