Stories innovation

From Walkthrough to Win - Strategies to Improve Your Close Rate

Harper Hawkins

In the landscaping and snow removal world, sending quotes is easy. Winning contracts? That takes strategy.

In this blog, we dive deep into how to improve your close rate for maintenance contracts. Whether you're losing bids to price or just not standing out, we'll give you a playbook to flip the script—no discounts or added labor required.

Understanding the Close Rate

Your close rate—also called a success or sales ratio—is the percentage of estimates that turn into actual signed work.

Why it matters:

It reflects your sales process efficiency
Higher close rates = fewer wasted estimates
You don't always want a super high rate—it could mean you're underpricing

Key factors that affect close rate:

Quality of your proposals
Pre-sale qualification process
Whether the lead is actually your ideal customer

Pre-Sale Qualification & Discovery

Before you even send a proposal, ask yourself: Is this the right customer?

Here’s how to qualify leads like a pro:

Know who your ideal customer is
Ask about budget and expectations
Understand their decision-making process
Find out why they’re switching contractors
Ensure the property fits your services
Build rapport during a structured discovery call or site visit

Sending fewer, better-targeted proposals = higher win rate.

The Power of a Strong Proposal Document

Most contractors send a quote. You should send a proposal that sells.

Your proposal is your first impression. Make it count:

Showcase your company, team, and differentiators
Include testimonials and visual branding
Clearly explain your scope, pricing, and terms

This document should represent your professionalism and build credibility—not just list prices.

Your proposal represents YOU and YOUR COMPANY, make it count!

The Proactive Site Inspection Strategy

Want to prove you care about their property before you even win the job? Walk the site. Document what you find. Share it with your proposal. You're looking for items beyond the standard maintenance, go above and beyond here!

Look for:

Maintenance issues
Safety hazards
Enhancement opportunities

Organize your findings into a visual report. You don’t need to price it all—but showing that you noticed sets you apart.

Tools like IssueID make this process faster and more professional:

Pin issues to a map of the property
Use templates for pricing and descriptions
Create a shareable PDF report in minutes
Maintain a living record of the site if/when you win the job

IssueID isn’t required, but it definitely makes you look like a pro.

This is your opportunity to showcase THEIR PROPERTY and highlight yourself as a true partner!

Adding a Personalized Video

Video is the sales multiplier most contractors aren’t using.

Use a tool like Loom or Vidyard to walk through your proposal and inspection findings. Keep it short and to the point.

Why it works:

Builds trust by showing who you are
Lets the proposal be shared with other decision-makers
Prevents miscommunication (no game of telephone)
Sets you apart from 90% of other bidders

For smaller jobs, a templated video that explains your process can still do wonders.

Here you're highlighting their PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE from your company.

The Follow-Up Process

Even the best proposals can go cold without follow-up.

Don’t ghost your own sale. Here’s how to stay engaged:

Use a CRM to set reminders
Follow up via email, phone, and text
Offer to walk through the proposal again via Zoom or in person
Use short videos to reinforce your value

Sales stats to remember:

Only 10% of salespeople follow up more than 3 times
80% of sales happen between the 5th and 12th touch

Be persistent (and helpful), not annoying by keeping your follow ups value focused!

Measure & Refine Your Process

Track your close rate over time to see what’s working. Break it down by:

Estimator
Job size
Lead source
Proposal package used

If you lose a bid, ask for feedback! It can lead to your next big improvement.

Final Thoughts

If you want to win more contracts without racing to the bottom on price:

Build proposals that reflect your value
Use site inspections to show your expertise
Personalize your pitch with video
Follow up like your business depends on it (because it does)

Want to dive deeper? Check out the full episode of The Beer Garden where we cover this entire list (and more).

Need Help?

If you need help implementing these strategies or have questions about growing your landscape or snow removal business, feel free to reach out. We're here to support your journey toward a successful and stress-free future, don’t hesitate to contact us here. We’re here to help you every step of the way.

IssueID was built to streamline this very process! Try it out for free today!