Are You Leveraging the Best Lead Gen Strategy?
Finding the best lead generation strategy to leverage for your company is not an easy task, but the team at Contractor Appointments is here to change that. We sat down with their founder and CEO, Sean Conners, to discuss how the Contractor Appointments platform is transforming the way the home services industry uses lead generation.
Ingage: What inspired you to start Contractor Appointments and how do you work in the home services space?
Sean: I founded Contractor Appointments in 2009 after working for some time in the home improvement industry. I wanted to create a better way to connect contractors with homeowners online in a way that would support both parties. In 2014, we really saw the company start to take shape after I noticed that many contractors were spending hours trying to acquire new leads instead of doing what they do best - solving homeowner problems! We created a refined lead generation strategy that allows us to find qualified leads for contractors while also helping homeowners find qualified contractors. It’s really a win-win situation.
Ingage: We know there are a lot of lead gen providers out there, what sets Contractor Appointments apart from the rest?
Sean: There are two key differences, the first being our cost model. We work on pay-per-lead, pay-per-sale and rev-share models, depending on the client and their specific needs. This is vastly different from other providers since they usually have a base cost which means you never truly know what kind of leads you’re going to get.
The second key difference is that we work with companies who are already using the major providers like Home Advisor, Remodeling.com and the likes. Rather than telling them to throw out all of these other services, we really focus on adding fuel to their existing lead fire. For example, we had one customer in the Southeast who was using all the standard lead gen services but they wanted to find more qualified leads. That’s where Contractor Appointments came in and in just a week, we found them 1,500 new highly qualified leads to drive their business.
Ingage: Those are incredible numbers, can you share how you qualify those leads?
Sean: It depends on where the lead comes in from, for example, on our appointment product, we’ll share a handful of contractors with a homeowner based on a few answers they provide. This way the homeowner is prepared to hear from those specific contractors and often will select one right off the bat. We also leverage an AI that engages with the homeowner if they’re not ready to schedule an appointment so that we can hold onto that lead for the future. As a tech-first company we focus on using technology to qualify leads and also make it easier for contractors to act on them by integrating with every CRM on the market right out of the box.
Ingage: It’s great how you focus so much on the homeowner while also giving contractors the leads they need. What inspired you to take on both the B2B and B2C sides of lead gen?
Sean: I think lead generation often feels human-less and a lot of homeowners and contractors don’t appreciate that. With a dual B2B and B2C focus, we can ensure consent from the homeowner’s end to avoid those awkward sales calls that end without scheduling an appointment. We can also infuse more of a human aspect by sharing the profiles of each contractor with the homeowner, which allows them to have a true sense of who they’re working with. With access to these profiles, we’re seeing more homeowners scheduling appointments directly online with that specific contractor. It really builds trust between the contractor and customer while also closing more deals.
Ingage: How has Contractor Appointments helped companies adapt to this new post-pandemic home services world?
Sean: At large, we saw the industry adopt a truly hybrid approach between virtual and in-person sales. Contractor Appointments helps guide companies into that hybrid model by helping contractors show their value in a virtual environment and getting customers to book online then closing the deal in the home. It creates a seamless experience for the customer and the contractor. I’m excited to see more companies adopt this model, especially as Millennials take over the market share of homeowners and home buyers. They want to do the majority of their buying virtually and Contractor Appointments can help companies adapt to these needs.
Ingage: Switching gears to our partnership, what made you want to partner with Ingage?
Sean: After hearing about you from a number of our customers, we knew we had to talk about potential partnerships! It felt like a no-brainer since we generate customers on the front end while Ingage cinches the deal with powerful presentations. Plus, at the end of the day, we are both committed to ensuring our customers build revenue and that means getting them to leverage the best tools in the business aka Contractor Appointments and Ingage.
Ingage: What are you looking forward to in terms of growing our partnership?
Sean: I’m excited to have more webinars and create more content together to show home improvement professionals how they can book appointments on Contractor Appointments then close the deal in the home with Ingage. It’s a really exciting time!
About Contractor Appointments
We believe finding project costs and booking contractors should be a simple process. As homeowners ourselves we know the importance of finding the best prices and choosing the right pro that we can trust.The Contractor Appointments platform is designed to provide a seamless introduction to local pros, and local cost guides to help you decide the best contractor for your project.