Whether you’re an electrician, plumber, landscaper, or builder, getting your phone to ring is one thing, turning that call into a paying customer is another. In this episode of The Site Shed, host Matt Jones teams up with direct response marketing legend John Dwyer to unpack the secrets behind marketing that actually brings results for trade businesses.
Tired of hearing “It’s about the brand, mate” while you wonder how to pay next week’s bills? This episode is for you.
🚦 Direct Response vs. Brand Marketing
What’s Right for Tradies? As John explains, big brands like McDonald’s or Nike can afford to plaster logos on billboards and sports jerseys. But for a small to medium trade business turning less than a few million a year, you need marketing you can measure, a campaign that gets someone to book today, not next year.
John breaks down the heart of direct response marketing:
- Make a compelling offer (not just “look at my logo”)
- Run targeted ads (think Facebook or Google)
- See leads appear and respond ASAP
Drive every action to a clear, trackable result
“Likes on Instagram won’t put food on the table,” Matt jokes, and he’s right. Forget vanity metrics; focus on campaigns that create conversations and convert interest into revenue.
🍟 The Happy Meal Secret: Low-Cost Incentives With High Perceived Value
John shares one of the most powerful tools for tradies: using genuine incentives to shift a customer’s focus from price to value.
Inspired by McDonald’s Happy Meal toy, John suggests:
Offer an attractive incentive (e.g., a holiday voucher valued at $1,000 that costs you under $50, or a free meal, or petrol discounts) for every service booked.
Structure your offer so customers act quickly (“decide by Friday!”)
Use “Happy Meal” incentives to stand out in a sea of quotes and avoid competing solely on price.
Tradie Example:
“Book your hot water install by Friday and get a FREE Aussie holiday stay.” No other plumber will make the same offer, suddenly, you’re not just the cheapest, you’re the most interesting.
🎯 Qualify Your Leads: Don’t Waste Time on “Tyre Kickers”
Driving lots of leads is only half the battle; not every enquiry will be the right fit. John and Matt stress the importance of:
Using landing pages with pre-qualification questions (budget, location, urgency)
Following up with every lead quickly and consistently (don’t call once and give up!)
Putting processes in place to turn volume into real, high-quality opportunities
“Generating the lead’s not the hard part. It’s what happens after the lead that really determines your conversions and growth.”
🏆 Contest Marketing: Generate a Flood of Hot Leads
Want to supercharge your pipeline? John shares the “Facebook Contest Formula”:
Run a contest giving away your service (e.g., “Win a hot water system install”)
Pre-qualify entrants so they’re actually in your target market
When the contest ends, call every entrant and offer a “consolation deal”, ideally, with that high-value incentive attached
It’s not just theory, John’s system generated a dentist 1,000 targeted leads in a single week for just $30 a day.
📚 Resources from this Episode
- John Dwyer’s Website: theinstituteofwow.com
- John’s Socials:
- Other Resources:
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