The Perfect Follow-Up: Turn Painting Leads into Booked Estimates

“These leads are trash.” — Have you used this phrase before?

Are your painting leads not answering the phone or responding to your messages?

You’re not alone.

If most of your business comes from referrals, word-of-mouth, or repeat customers who call you directly, that’s great! It means you produce good work.

But it also means there’s a BIG opportunity you might be missing…

Scaling a Painting Business through “warm leads” has a ceiling, and it’s not scalable.

To grow, you MUST be able to book new estimates from prospects who have never heard your name before, and that requires good branding, marketing, and a GREAT sales process.

But why?

Simply, your audience only buys from people they know, like, and trust. They don’t trust you yet.

So how do we build trust with someone who doesn’t answer the phone? 🤔

Simply, we must meet your prospects when they’re ready to talk, not just when it’s convenient for you.

Remember this phrase: “Your fortune is in the follow-up!”

So if you’re ready to make more money with a data-driven process and proven results, keep reading…

The tough reality is: Most leads won’t answer your first call or message, and that’s not necessarily a reflection of your sales skills or their interest.

Life is busy!

Think about it. What happened the last time you didn’t answer a call or message?

Maybe…

The point is, we all have reasons for not responding to outreach, even if we requested it!

What separates contractors who book more estimates and win more jobs is simple: They don’t give up until they hear the word “Yes” or “No”.

You must recognize a lead for what it is. It’s someone who’s interested in your services, they just might be too busy to talk when you’re ready to talk.

Real results come from following up, at different times of the day, on different days of the week, not taking the silence personally, and not getting discouraged along the way.

Let’s talk numbers.

Specifically, your set rate. Also known as book rate. The formula is simple…

Set Rate = (Estimates Booked / Leads Received) × 100%

When it comes to leads, most Painting Contractors complain about “quality,” and it’s true, you might have a lead channel with a quality problem.

But here are the facts:

To turn more leads into booked estimates, your follow-up habits should be just that — habits.

It’s not about one killer script or some “secret hack.” It’s about making follow-ups part of a daily routine, not an afterthought.

Here are some minimum requirements to get started:

Pro Tip: Every message should feel like a real, human interaction, not a pitch. Try having a one-way conversation with your prospect by adding value with each outreach.

Not every lead will be ready to talk today.

Many won’t reply until your third, fourth, or even fourteenth attempt.

If you’re not willing to be politely persistent, you’ll keep telling yourself “these leads are trash” when the reality is, they just needed a little more time.

If you’re tired of leads dodging your calls or voicemails, this little technique can make a real difference.

The double-callback isn’t complicated or aggressive, it’s just a simple way to increase your chances of actually having a conversation, instead of getting lost in someone’s missed calls list.

Here’s how it works:

Why does this work?

That second call often catches people in the act of checking their phone. It captures their ATTENTION.

This one small shift can double your odds of connecting with prospects over the phone.

Every touchpoint is an opportunity.

Personalize your outreach with their name, a detail about their project (such as what service they’re interested in), or a link to book on your calendar. If you offer virtual estimates, mention that as an option.

Treat each touchpoint as a one-way conversation that provides VALUE.

For example:

Each message should sound like you’re continuing an honest conversation with someone you personally know, not a scripted sales pitch.

If you get a clear “not interested,” respect it and remove them from your follow-up list.

You can also proactively let prospects know you’ll stop reaching out, no pressure, no hard feelings, you just need to hear from them.

For instance, a text with “If you’re no longer interested, just let me know and you won’t hear from me again!” may get a positive response.

Again, follow-ups are not optional, they’re a requirement for success.

We have HARD DATA around these numbers and how they impact your set rate, or the number of opportunities on your calendar.

Our clients are required to follow-up with prospects for at least 14 days.

Why two weeks?

We see the most significant drop-off in response rates after the first 14 days, so that is our minimum benchmark.

The best way to build this into your daily routine is to time-block your calendar.

Here is a simple framework to follow…

Script = Follow The Perfect Follow-Up Script
Just Call = Quick touch, no voicemail/text/email
New Leads Only = Afternoon/evening for new inquiries
Opt = Saturday/Sunday are optional.

Again, 14 days of follow-ups is the minimum benchmark for the Professional Painting Industry, but there is always more juice to squeeze if you want to put in the effort.

For instance, we have some clients with a 60-90 day follow-up process, and they have the highest set rates of 80-85%, which is on par with referral, repeat, and WoM leads.

A good rule is unless you hear the word “No” from a prospect, you should NEVER STOP NURTURING.

Your follow-ups can transition from daily calls, texts, and emails, to scheduled monthly or quarterly emails to remain top-of-mind.

Remember, you need to meet your prospect when they’re ready, and while they might be interested, they just might not be ready to commit today.

At Base Coat Marketing, we specialize in helping painting companies build systems that generate real business growth 👇