CRM for tradies: winning more jobs and chasing fewer quotes

The problems a CRM fixes for tradies

• Missed calls and web enquiries that never get a reply
• Quotes sent and never followed up
• No record of what was done at a property last time
• The office and the crew working from different information
• Repeat work forgotten: services, inspections, warranty checks

A simple trades pipeline

New enquiry → site visit booked → quote sent → quote accepted → job scheduled → completed. Record the job value and the next step on each one. Our pipeline guide explains how to tune it.

Quote faster from a price list

Set up your common jobs, labour rates, call-out fees and materials once, with GST, so a quote takes minutes after a site visit rather than an evening at the kitchen table. See building a price list and GST on quotes.

Keep the history with the property and the customer

Notes, photos, documents and the equipment you installed, all on the customer’s record. Next time they call, anyone in the business can see what was done and when.

Plan the week

See bookings, follow-ups and job dates together in one calendar, and check that the people, vehicles and equipment you need are free. NovaSoft One’s Planner and resource scheduling do this.

Making it work from the ute

Tradies spend most of the day away from a desk, so the CRM has to work on a phone. Keep it simple: check today’s jobs in the morning, log a quick note after each visit and create a follow-up task for anything promised. Leave longer updates for the office or the end of the day.

Getting more repeat and referral work

• Set a reminder to contact customers when a service or inspection is due.
• Ask happy customers for a review a few days after the job.
• Record who referred each new customer, and thank them.
• Keep in touch with property managers and builders who send regular work.

A tradie’s weekly routine

Monday: review new enquiries and quotes waiting on a decision. Midweek: follow up quotes sent last week. Friday: check next week’s schedule, confirm bookings and log anything from the week that didn’t get recorded. Fifteen minutes on each keeps the pipeline full and the week organised.

A worked example: a plumbing business

A two-van plumbing business in Brisbane gets enquiries from its website, Google and repeat customers. Previously, the owner kept quotes in his email and jobs on a whiteboard. Now each enquiry becomes a lead with its source, quotes are built from a price list with GST and sit on the customer’s record, and the office can see which quotes need chasing. When a customer calls about a leaking hot water system, the office sees the unit was installed four years ago and books the right person.

Quick checklist

• Get every enquiry into one list with its source.
• Quote from a price list with GST set correctly.
• Create a follow-up task for every quote sent.
• Log a quick note after each job.
• Record equipment installed at each property.
• Set reminders for services and inspections.
• Ask happy customers for reviews.

What NovaSoft One doesn’t do

NovaSoft One is a CRM with quoting, scheduling and service tools. It isn’t a full field-service management system: it doesn’t do route optimisation, multi-visit job workflows or job costing. If those are central to your business, use a dedicated field-service tool alongside or instead.

Explore the trades and home services starting point.

Common questions

This guide is general information for Australian businesses, not legal, tax or financial advice. Check anything specific to your situation with a qualified adviser or the relevant government agency.