Close rate = jobs won ÷ quotes sent
8 ÷ 40 = 20 percent
Which close rate are you measuring?
There are two in common use, and owners mix them up. Quote-to-job divides jobs won by quotes sent. Enquiry-to-job divides jobs won by every enquiry that came in, including the ones you never quoted because they were outside your area or wanted something you do not do. The second is always lower, and it is the one to use when you work out what an enquiry is worth or what you can pay per lead.
Say which one you mean when you compare months, or compare with a business partner. A renovator with a 20 percent quote-to-job rate and a 13 percent enquiry-to-job rate is the same business on the same day.
What are two more kitchens a quarter worth to a Wollongong renovator? (example figures)
A kitchen renovator in Wollongong, the owner plus two cabinet makers, takes about 60 enquiries a quarter from Google Ads, a renovation directory and referrals. Twenty are not a fit. The other 40 get a site visit and a design quote, which takes the owner about four hours each.
| Today | After tightening the follow-up | |
|---|---|---|
| Quotes sent a quarter | 40 | 40 |
| Close rate | 20 percent | 25 percent |
| Kitchens won | 8 | 10 |
| Gross profit at $8,400 a kitchen ($28,000 at 30 percent) | $67,200 | $84,000 |
| Owner's hours per kitchen won | 20 | 16 |
Five points of close rate is $16,800 more gross profit a quarter from the same enquiries and the same ad bill. It also gives the owner back hours: each won kitchen used to carry 20 hours of quoting, and now carries 16.
What changed was the week after the site visit. Quotes had been going out 10 days after the visit with no follow-up call. Now the quote goes within three days, and the owner rings two days after that to walk the customer through it.
Why do quotes go cold after the site visit?
Mostly because of what happens in the days after the visit. A slow quote lets a competitor's arrive first. A price the customer was not ready for sinks the job, which is why a ballpark range on the first phone call saves both sides a wasted visit. No follow-up leaves a customer with questions and nobody to ask. Track the reason for every lost quote for a quarter and the biggest one usually stands out.
What does Cora know about your close rate?
Only what you tell Cora: CoraVision tracks leads when your work comes through enquiries, and the quote and the job happen where no ad account can follow. What happens to a lead after it arrives (the visit, the quote, the call) lives in your spreadsheet. When the one number you choose to chase is jobs won, the 12-month plan has two levers to pull, the leads the ads bring and the share of them you close, and the second is usually cheaper.
Questions
What close rate should a tradie expect on quotes?
It depends on how carefully you choose who gets a quote, so no one figure fits. Watch the extremes. Winning almost every quote often means your prices are low, and winning very few usually means you are quoting people who were never going to buy from you.
Should quotes that never got a reply count as lost?
Yes, after a set time, such as 60 days. Leaving them out because the customer might still come back makes the rate look better every month. If one does return later, move it into the won column in the month it signs.
How do I track it without a CRM?
A spreadsheet with one row per quote: the date, where the enquiry came from, the quote value and the outcome. Ten minutes a week keeps it current, and after a quarter you can see close rate by source, which is the view that tells you which ads to keep.