4 kinds of no. Only one is final
A no feels like the end of the job. Usually it is not. Write down why they said no. The why sets the date you check back, and that is how a no today turns into a yes next season.
Echelon helps you win the job in the first place. This page is about the jobs you did not win yet.
The 2-7-14 rule covers a quote that went quiet. Three rules for a follow-up that isn't pushy covers how to word it. This page starts after that. They answered. The answer was no.
Most owners treat every no the same. They delete the file and move on. But there are four kinds of no, and only one of them is final. The other three come with a reason, and the reason tells you when to come back.
We covered this in a short video. What follows is the pen-and-paper version.
No 1
Bad timing
Not now is not never. Check back in about 2 months.
No 2
Too pricey
Check back in about 4 months, with a smaller version of the job.
No 3
Hired someone else
Check back in about a year, after the other crew's first season.
No 4
Changed their mind
This is the final one. Let it go. Do not chase it.
1. Bad timing: check back in about 2 months
They want the job. Just not now. Money is tied up, the season is wrong, or something else came first.
Write down what they said and the date 2 months out. When it comes, send one text.
Hi Karen, it's Mike from the fence quote back in the spring. You said later in the year might work better. Is it still on your list? If not, no problem at all.
2. Too pricey: check back in about 4 months, smaller
The job was right. The number was too big. Do not come back with the same quote and a discount. Come back with a smaller job.
Before you forget the yard, note what a smaller version looks like. Half the patio. The front beds only. One side of the house.
Hi Dan, it's Mike. The full patio was more than you wanted to spend. If it helps, I can price just the part by the back door this year and do the rest later. Want me to send that?
3. Hired someone else: check back in about a year
They booked another crew. That job is gone. The next one might not be.
Give the other crew a full season. Then check in. If the work held up, you lose nothing by asking. If it did not, you are the one they remember.
Hi Sara, it's Mike. You went with another crew for the driveway last year, and I hope it turned out well. If anything else comes up around the house this season, I'm happy to take a look.
4. Changed their mind: let it go
They are not doing the job. Not with you, not with anyone. This is the only final no.
Thank them and cross it off. No check-back date. Chasing this one only makes you the pushy contractor they tell their neighbours about.
Thanks for letting me know, Tom. If anything changes down the road, you have my number.
Swap the name, the job, and the detail. Keep each text short. Give them an easy way to say no again.
The pen-and-paper checklist
You do not need software for this. A notebook in the truck works. Do it the same day they say no, while you still remember the yard.
After every no
- Ask once, kindly, why. Then stop asking.
- Write down which kind of no it was: timing, price, someone else, or changed their mind.
- Write down the job and the one detail they gave you. "Spring is better." "Over budget." "Went with a crew down the road."
- Write the check-back date next to it. Timing: about 2 months. Price: about 4 months. Someone else: about a year.
- Price no? Note what a smaller version of the job would be before you forget the yard.
- Changed their mind? Cross it off. No date. No text.
- Send one short thank-you now. Nothing to sell in it.
- When the date comes, send one text. If they say no again, cross it off.
The no that costs you is the one you never wrote down.
Before the no
The best no is the one you never get. Before they decide, Echelon drafts the follow-up for day 1, day 3 and day 7 by email. You read it and tap send.
Want to see the quote side first? Try Quote Builder. Apply for a founding spot when you are ready. No card. $89 a month if you keep it.