Leads and sales
Lead capture, qualification, tracking, and sales terms that determine whether a phone call turns into booked work.
Glossary
12 terms
- What is a CRM? A CRM (customer relationship management) system is where you store customer information, track job history, and manage follow-ups. Even a simple spreadsheet counts. For field service businesses, a CRM prevents customers and leads from falling through the cracks.
- What is a sales pipeline? A sales pipeline tracks every potential customer from first inquiry to closed deal. For field service companies, it shows you exactly where your leads are in the process — and where they are getting stuck.
- What is a service estimate? A service estimate is the quote you give a customer before work begins, covering scope, price, and timeline. How you create, deliver, and follow up on estimates directly affects how many leads become paying customers.
- What is appointment booking automation? Appointment booking automation lets customers schedule service visits without back-and-forth phone calls. It reduces scheduling friction, fills your calendar faster, and eliminates the phone tag that costs field service businesses jobs every week.
- What is conversion rate? Conversion rate is the percentage of leads that become paying customers. Typical field service conversion rates range from 10% to 40% depending on the trade. Knowing your conversion rate tells you exactly how well your sales process is working.
- What is cost per lead? Cost per lead (CPL) is the total amount you spend on marketing divided by the number of leads you get from it. For field service businesses, knowing your CPL for each channel tells you exactly where your marketing dollars work hardest.
- What is customer lifetime value? Customer lifetime value (CLV) is the total revenue a customer generates over your entire relationship with them. A $50/week lawn care customer is worth over $10,000 across four years — and understanding this changes how you think about every lead, expense, and marketing decision.
- What is follow-up automation? Follow-up automation sends reminders, texts, and emails to leads on a schedule without you doing it manually. Most field service companies send one estimate and never follow up — automation closes the gap and wins back jobs you would have lost.
- What is lead capture? Lead capture is the process of collecting a potential customer's contact information so you can follow up and win their business. For field service companies, the most critical lead capture moment is when the phone rings — because most callers who reach voicemail will never call back.
- What is lead qualification? Lead qualification is the process of figuring out whether a potential customer is a good fit for your business before you invest time in them. For field service companies, qualifying on the first call can save hours of wasted site visits and estimates.
- What is speed to lead? Speed to lead measures how fast you respond to a new inquiry. Research shows responding within 5 minutes makes you 8x more likely to qualify that lead. In field service, the first company to answer the phone almost always wins the job.
- What is the cost of a missed call? The cost of a missed call is the revenue you lose when a potential customer's call goes unanswered. For a lawn care company, a single missed call from a recurring customer could represent $2,000–5,000 in annual revenue that goes to a competitor instead.