Setter Playbook

Bold = what to do. Italic in quotes = say this. Small line = the number behind the rule, for the curious.

1. Call new leads fast

1. New lead → call within 30 minutes.
2. No answer → call again right away.
3. Still no answer → send the "address + best time" text.
4. Lead arrives 6–9 PM → call the same evening.

→ First 30 minutes: half answer. Next day: 1 in 4. Fast-called leads also show up more: 73% vs 53%.

2. Three calls, then text only

1. Day 0: call + second call + text.
2. Day 1: call number 3.
3. After 3 calls: stop calling. Text only.
4. Never call again 1–4 hours after a miss. Wait until the next day.

→ Calls 2 and 3 still catch many people. The 1–4 hour retry is the worst slot: 8% answer.

3. If they text a time — book it in the text

1. Get the time and address in the thread.
2. Confirm it back: "You're set for [day, time]. Our tech will call before he arrives."
3. Never reply "we will call you."
4. Enter every text booking in [booking system — ask your manager] so reminders send.

→ Text bookings cancel 7%. Everything else: 27%. Last quarter 39 leads texted a time, got "we'll call you," and were lost.

4. Always ask these — client standard

Every booking call. Clients expect these answers with the appointment.

1. System age:

   "How old is the system?" → Calls that ask this book 77% and show up 87%. Best question we have.

2. Running or not — give them an A/B, never "is it broken?":

   "And right now — is it still running a little, or completely out?" → Tells the tech what to bring. Asked as A/B, nobody is annoyed.

3. Urgency — also A/B:

   "Is this a this-week thing, or are you planning ahead?"

4. Credit — ONLY on accounts that require it. Frame it as a bonus, never a gate:

   "Just so you know — [Company] can do zero money down if credit is above [560]. Most folks qualify." Never ask for their score. Never say "you need" a score. → Cold AC books with this exact framing. The one lead we lost on credit heard "you need a certain score" and never came back.

5. On the booking call — 3 rules

1. You offer the time. Say: "I can do tomorrow 2–4." Do not ask "when works for you?" → Our time: 19% cancel. Their time: 31%.
2. Always confirm the address and say what happens at the visit. → The 3 calls that skipped this: all canceled.
3. If they book with "I guess… probably… we'll see" → send a confirm text the same day. → Soft bookings cancel 50%.

6. Objections

1. "Too expensive" / price worry

   "Nobody has [amount] laying around — that's why most folks do a monthly plan. The visit is free, and the tech shows you the monthly options at the house. Does [nearest slot] work?" → Financing talk books 63% vs 39% without. Nobody gets angry at the offer.

2. "Do you do credit checks?"

   "There are options for different credit situations — the visit sorts that out, no obligation." On credit-filter accounts, use the zero-down line from section 4 instead.

3. "I'm paying cash"

   "Even better — the estimate is free either way." Do not push financing.

4. "We already hired someone" (NEW TEST)

   "Totally understand — most folks still take one more free quote before signing. If it confirms your choice, you lost nothing." → Came up 24 times last quarter. Never booked past it yet. Any win is new.

5. "I need to ask my wife / husband"

   "Of course — when will you two have talked? I'll call you [day, time]." Book the callback before you hang up. → When we called back: 5 of 9 booked. 11 of 20 never got the callback.

6. Any unclear objection — ask one question first

   "Just so I point you right — is it more the timing, or the cost?" → Finding the real concern first: 80% show up. Best move on the board.

NEW TEST rules run for one quarter and stay only if the numbers stay good. When the data changes, this page changes.