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Setting Up Effective Drip Campaigns for Home Service Businesses

Best practices for creating automated follow-up sequences that convert cold leads into booked jobs for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, pest control, and roofing companies.

RevCenter Team
Dec 20, 2024
6 min read

Not every caller is ready to book immediately. Some homeowners are price shopping, others are planning future projects, and many need time to make decisions. Drip campaigns are automated sequences of touchpoints over time that keep your home service company top of mind until those prospects are ready to buy.

Why Drip Campaigns Matter for Home Service Companies

The typical home services sales cycle includes many prospects who do not convert on first contact:

  • 60 percent of estimate requests do not convert immediately
  • 35 percent of callers who say not right now do eventually book, often with whoever follows up
  • Seasonal services require months of nurturing before the buying window opens

This applies across all home service trades. HVAC contractors nurture leads for seasonal tune-ups. Plumbing companies follow up on water heater replacement quotes. Electrical contractors stay in touch with homeowners planning renovations. Pest control businesses maintain contact for recurring service conversions. Roofing contractors nurture storm damage leads through the insurance process. Without systematic follow-up, these leads go cold and you lose them to competitors who stayed in touch.

Anatomy of an Effective Drip Campaign

A well-designed drip campaign uses multiple channels including voice, SMS, and email to deliver value while gently nurturing toward a booking. Here is a proven framework:

Day 0: Immediate Follow-Up

  • Channel: SMS
  • Message: Thank you with a summary of what was discussed
  • Goal: Establish the relationship and confirm contact info

Day 2: Value-Add Email

  • Channel: Email
  • Message: Helpful content related to their inquiry such as maintenance tips or buying guides
  • Goal: Demonstrate expertise and provide genuine value

Day 5: Check-In Call

  • Channel: AI voice call
  • Message: Friendly check-in, answer any questions, offer to book
  • Goal: Personal touch and direct conversion opportunity

Day 10: Social Proof Email

  • Channel: Email
  • Message: Customer testimonials and before and after photos
  • Goal: Build trust and reduce purchase anxiety

Day 21: Special Offer

  • Channel: SMS and Email
  • Message: Limited-time discount or bonus offer
  • Goal: Create urgency and drive conversion

Segmentation for Higher Conversions

One-size-fits-all campaigns underperform. Segment your leads based on:

  • Service type: HVAC leads get different content than plumbing, electrical, pest control, or roofing leads
  • Lead temperature: Hot leads who need service now versus cold leads who are planning ahead
  • Source: Referrals may need less nurturing than paid ad leads
  • Value: High-ticket opportunities like system replacements, whole-house rewiring, or roof replacements warrant more touchpoints

Measuring Success

Track these metrics to optimize your campaigns:

  • Open rate: Target 25 percent or higher for emails
  • Response rate: Target 10 percent or higher for SMS
  • Call connection rate: Target 30 percent or higher for voice outreach
  • Conversion rate: Percentage of campaign recipients who book
  • Time to conversion: Average days from first contact to booking

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Too aggressive: Daily contacts annoy prospects so space them out
  • Too passive: Monthly emails are not enough to stay top of mind
  • Generic messaging: Personalization dramatically improves response rates
  • No clear call to action: Every touchpoint should make it easy to book
  • Ignoring opt-outs: Respect preferences to protect your reputation

Getting Started with RevCenter Drip Campaigns

RevCenter makes it easy to set up multi-channel drip campaigns for any home service business:

  1. Create campaign templates for common scenarios like estimate follow-up and seasonal outreach
  2. Set trigger conditions based on lead source, service type, and disposition
  3. Configure timing and channel preferences
  4. Let AI handle the execution while you monitor results

Whether you run an HVAC company, plumbing business, electrical contracting firm, pest control service, or roofing company, drip campaigns help you convert more leads into paying customers. Schedule a demo to see drip campaigns in action.

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