📨 Contractor’s Digest – Daily Rundown
📅 Wednesday, April 9, 2025
🛠 Helping Contractors Win More Jobs, Increase Profits & Avoid Costly Mistakes
🚧 Today’s Rundown
🔹 Feature Story: How to Spot a Bad Sub Before Hiring Them
🔹 Business Tip: Your Sales Follow-Up Is Too Slow — Here’s How to Fix It
🔹 Tool Spotlight: Best CRM Tools for Managing Leads & Follow-Ups
🏗️ Feature Story: How to Spot a Bad Sub Before You Hire Them
🚩 The Red Flags That Can Save Your Project (and Your Reputation)
Hiring the wrong subcontractor is one of the most expensive mistakes a contractor can make.
They don’t just cost you time and money—
They cost you client trust, crew morale, and sometimes your reputation.
And here’s the scary part:
Most warning signs show up before the first nail is driven.
Let’s break down the red flags to watch for in interviews, scope reviews, and reference checks—so you can hire the right sub the first time.
🚧 Interview Red Flags
❌ They Talk More Than They Listen
You ask how they handle scheduling, and they launch a story about how the last GC didn’t pay them.
🚩 Ego-driven. Not process-driven.
❌ They Can't Clearly Explain Their Process
If they can’t walk you through how they mobilize, sequence their work, or communicate change orders—
They’re winging it.
🚩 You don’t want someone figuring it out on your job.
❌ They Badmouth Other Contractors
If they throw other GCs or trades under the bus, they’ll do it to you too.
🚩 Professionals don’t gossip—they problem-solve.
🧾 Scope & Bid Review Red Flags
❌ “That’s Not My Job” Mentality
They refuse to coordinate with adjacent trades or clarify handoffs.
🚩 This leads to jobsite finger-pointing and incomplete work.
❌ They Can’t Break Down Their Bid
A lump-sum quote with no detail is a ticking time bomb.
🚩 Ask: “What exactly is included—and what’s not?”
If they can’t answer clearly, walk away.
❌ No Paper Trail
If they don’t have a formal bid, license, insurance cert, or W-9 ready, you’re not dealing with a pro.
🚩 If they’re casual about paperwork now, imagine what closeout will look like.
📞 Reference Check Red Flags
❌ They Give You One Reference (and It’s a Buddy)
You ask for 3 recent GCs and get a cousin, a buddy, and a homeowner from 2015.
🚩 No track record = no trust.
❌ They Don't Let You Talk to Crew or PMs
If you can’t speak to the people who manage or perform the work, they’re hiding something.
🚩 Good subs are proud of their team and happy to show them off.
❌ References Give Vague Praise
If you hear things like:
“Yeah, I guess it went fine” or “We got through it eventually.”
🚩 That’s a no. You want: “I’d hire them again in a heartbeat.”
✅ What the Best Subs Do
✔️ Show up on time and prepared
✔️ Ask questions during the scope review
✔️ Provide clear, detailed bids
✔️ Communicate like pros
✔️ Have systems—not excuses
🚀 Pro Tip:
Your job doesn’t start when the sub starts.
It starts the moment you begin vetting them.
The more disciplined your hiring process, the fewer fires you’ll have to put out later.
🔐 Bottom Line:
The best jobs are built by the best teams.
And that means choosing subs who bring more than tools—they bring professionalism, communication, and accountability.
📩 Want our “Subcontractor Vetting Checklist”?
Reply, and we’ll send you a ready-to-use template to help you evaluate subs before they cost you thousands.
⚙️ Tool Spotlight: Best CRM Tools for Contractors
📋 Tired of sticky notes and forgotten follow-ups? A good CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool keeps your leads, pipeline, and communication tight.
🔹 JobNimbus – Contractor-specific CRM with estimating, scheduling, and task tracking
🔹 Pipedrive – Clean, visual pipeline for managing leads and follow-ups
🔹 HubSpot CRM (Free) – Solid starter option with email automation and basic contact management
📦 Want our “Top 5 Contractor CRMs” side-by-side comparison chart? Reply, and we’ll send it to you.
Business Tip: Your Sales Follow-Up Is Too Slow — Here’s How to Fix It
📉 The Problem:
You met the client. Walked the site. Promised a proposal.
Then life happened—
Crews needed managing, material deliveries were late, the phone didn’t stop ringing…
And that estimate you said you'd send “by Friday”? It's now Wednesday.
Meanwhile, your lead is cooling off—or worse, you have already hired someone else.
🛠️ Slow follow-up kills deals.
Because in today’s world, speed = professionalism.
The contractor who follows up first—and well—often wins the job.
🚨 What Slow Follow-Up Actually Costs You:
✔️ Lost Trust
If you can’t send a proposal on time, the client wonders:
“Will they be late on everything else?”
✔️ Lost Deals
Homeowners get three bids. If you’re #3 and late, you’re usually out.
✔️ Wasted Leads
You paid for the call, drove to the site, took the time—and now it’s dust in the wind.
✔️ Price Pressure
The slower you follow up, the more time clients have to compare you to cheaper options.
✅ The Fix: Create a 3-Tier Follow-Up System
🔹 Tier 1: The Same-Day Summary
Right after your site visit—before you even draft the estimate—
send a quick recap via email or text:
“Great meeting today! I’m working up your proposal and should have it to you by [DATE]. In the meantime, here’s a quick summary of what we discussed.”
🎯 Why it works:
Keeps momentum going and reassures the client you’re on it.
🔹 Tier 2: The 24–48 Hour Touchpoint
Send the proposal within 48 hours (or whatever deadline you gave)—then immediately follow it with a message like:
“Your estimate is ready—attached here. If you have any questions, I’m happy to walk you through it. Would it be helpful to hop on a quick call later this week?”
🎯 Why it works:
Direct. Proactive. You’re not waiting on them—you’re guiding the process.
🔹 Tier 3: The 5-Day Follow-Up
If you don’t hear back, follow up again within 5 business days:
“Just checking in—wanted to see if you had any questions on the proposal or if you’re ready to move forward. I’m holding a spot in our schedule, but let me know either way so I can plan accordingly.”
🎯 Why it works:
Gentle urgency. Respectful nudge. It’s a reminder you’re busy—but still interested.
🚀 Pro Tip: Automate the Follow-Up
Use a CRM like Jobber, Pipedrive, or even Trello with templates to:
✔️ Set reminders
✔️ Send pre-written follow-up messages
✔️ Track where each lead is in the pipeline
You don’t need a big sales team—you need a system.
🔐 Bottom Line:
If you’re slow to follow up, you’re signalling that you’re not serious.
The contractors who win jobs consistently don’t just give great bids.
They stay top-of-mind, communicate fast, and guide the client to a decision.
📩 Want our “3-Tier Follow-Up Message Templates” in copy/paste format?
Reply to this email, and we’ll send them your way.
😂 Contractor Humor:
Why don’t contractors ever play hide and seek?
Good luck hiding when your hammer gives you away! 🔨
📣 Call to Action
🔥 Do you know another contractor who needs this? Forward this newsletter.
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👷♂️ Stay sharp, know your worth, get paid!
— Benjamin Patton
Contractor’s Digest