The 45-Minute Drive to Nowhere.

Tim Bond
21 hours ago
2 min read

Key Takeaways:

The hidden cost of "Free Quotes": Why chasing every lead is bleeding your profit.
The "Velvet Rope" technique: How to filter out tyre kickers before you start the ute.
Training your clients: Why setting boundaries on Day 1 leads to faster payments.

It’s 4:30 PM on a Tuesday. You’re sitting in traffic on the M1, staring at the brake lights in front of you.

You just spent an hour looking at a bathroom renovation in a nice suburb. The client, let’s call her Sarah, seemed keen. You spent 45 minutes measuring up, nodding at her ideas, and mentally calculating how you’re going to fit the new vanity plumbing.

You drive home. You skip the gym to type up the quote. You send it off by 8 PM, feeling productive.

Then… silence.

Three days pass. You follow up.

Nothing.

One week passes. You call. Voicemail.

Congratulations. You just spent 3 hours of billable time—plus fuel and tolls—for absolutely zero return.

If your charge-out rate is $100/hour, that "Free Quote" just cost you $300. Do that three times a week, and you are burning close to $50,000 a year chasing ghosts.

The Problem Isn't the Client. It’s Your System.

Tradie Client Onboarding: How to Stop Quoting for Ghosts.

Most tradies operate like a desperate handyman. They answer the phone, say "Yes" to everything, and run around hoping to win the work.

You need to stop being a handyman and start acting like a Consultant. You need a Velvet Rope. A tradie client onboarding system.

Imagine if, before you even started the ute, you had a system that filtered out the "tyre kickers"?

A script that uncovered their real budget in 2 minutes.
A checklist that ensured the "Decision Maker" (the husband/wife) would actually be there.
A "One-Pager" that set the rules: Here is how we work. Here is when we get paid.

When you set boundaries, a funny thing happens: High-value clients respect you more.

They see you have a process.

They trust you. And most importantly, they pay the deposit.