The Field Notes
Practical writing on follow-up, lead recovery, and quote conversion.
Built for Australian tradies who want to win more jobs without spending more on advertising. Honest, specific, no jargon.
Featured
Start here.
Quote Follow-Up Systems for Tradies: The Complete Guide
Most tradies lose 30–50% of jobs after the quote — not because of price, but because of follow-up. Here’s the full playbook on quote follow-up systems for tradies.
Why Customers Ghost Your Quotes (And How to Stop It)
Tradies almost always blame price when quotes go cold. The data says price is only one of four reasons — and it’s usually not the biggest one.
How to Follow Up After Sending a Quote (With Templates)
You sent the quote. Now what? Here are the exact SMS and email templates we use for tradies — copy, customise, send.
All posts
The archive.
- 10 October 2025
What’s a Good Quote Conversion Rate for Tradies?
How do your numbers stack up? Real benchmarks for quote-to-job conversion across Australian trades.
Quote Conversion5 min read - 17 October 2025
How Much Revenue Are You Losing to Forgotten Quotes?
Most tradies underestimate this by 3–5x. Run the numbers honestly and the answer is uncomfortable.
Lead Recovery6 min read - 24 October 2025
SMS or Email for Quote Follow-Up: Which Wins?
It’s not either/or. Here’s when SMS wins, when email wins, and how to use both.
Customer Communication5 min read - 31 October 2025
Speed to Lead: Why the First 5 Minutes Decides the Job
The data is brutal. Reply in 5 minutes, you win. Reply in an hour, you’ve already lost.
Quote Conversion4 min read - 7 November 2025
CRM vs Follow-Up System: What’s the Difference?
Spoiler: a CRM on its own won’t win you more jobs. Follow-up is the missing layer.
Tradie Business Systems5 min read - 14 November 2025
Reactivating Cold Quotes: A Step-by-Step Playbook
Sitting on 6 months of cold quotes? There’s 5–10 jobs in there. Here’s how to wake them up.
Lead Recovery6 min read - 21 November 2025
Is Automated Follow-Up Annoying? Here’s the Honest Answer
The fear of "being annoying" costs tradies more jobs than any actual annoyance does.
Customer Communication4 min read - 28 November 2025
How Many Times Should You Follow Up on a Quote?
One email and a phone call isn’t a follow-up sequence. Here’s what actually works.
Quote Follow-Up5 min read - 5 December 2025
Lead Management for Tradies: A No-Nonsense Guide
Forget enterprise CRM theory. Here’s how lead management actually works in a real trade business.
Tradie Business Systems7 min read - 12 December 2025
The Best Time of Day to Follow Up on a Quote
There are good times to follow up, and there are great times. Most tradies use neither.
Customer Communication4 min read - 19 December 2025
Why ServiceM8 / Tradify Alone Won’t Win You More Jobs
Your quoting software is doing its job. It just isn’t doing the follow-up job.
Tradie Business Systems5 min read - 9 January 2026
Quote Follow-Up for Fencing Businesses: What Actually Works
Fencing quotes are slow burn. Your follow-up needs to match.
Quote Follow-Up5 min read - 16 January 2026
Lead Follow-Up for Electricians: Service Calls vs Big Jobs
A blown switchboard and a full rewire are not the same lead. Don’t treat them like they are.
Quote Follow-Up5 min read - 23 January 2026
Plumber Quote Conversion: From Enquiry to Booked Job
Plumbing leads are hot. They cool fast. Win the race with the right follow-up.
Quote Conversion5 min read - 30 January 2026
Customer Follow-Up for Landscapers: Seasonal Plays That Win
Past customers are the cheapest jobs you’ll ever win. Most landscapers never contact them again.
Customer Communication5 min read - 6 February 2026
How to Reduce Tradie Site Visit No-Shows by 80%
Driving 40 minutes for a no-show is the worst part of running a trade business. Fix it.
Tradie Business Systems4 min read - 13 February 2026
How to Increase Your Quote Response Rate (Without Lowering Prices)
Cutting your prices to get more replies is the worst trade you can make. Here’s the alternative.
Quote Conversion5 min read - 20 February 2026
The First 30 Days After You Set Up Quote Follow-Up
Here’s what week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 actually look like.
Tradie Business Systems6 min read - 27 February 2026
Handling Common Quote Objections (Without Sounding Salesy)
Customers always say the same three things. Here’s how to answer all three.
Customer Communication5 min read