The real cost of unqualified leads isn't the wasted time - it's the missed high-value ones you could’ve taken if your guys weren't tied up on low-priority calls.

Every minute spent quoting a $150 stump grind for a guy "just getting estimates" is a minute lost from responding to the $2,800 crane job down the road.

It's not about more leads, it's about clearing the brush so the right ones can actually reach you.

You Don't Have a Lead Quality Problem

"You ain't got a slug problem, you got a duck deficiency."
Bill Mollison dropped that wisdom when someone complained about slugs destroying their garden. Instead of more pesticides, they needed ducks… natural slug hunters.

Your “slug problem”?
Unqualified leads calling for $200 removals when you're booked solid with $3K+ jobs.

Your “duck deficiency”?
The filtering systems you should’ve built months ago.

Here’s the thing:
If some tire-kicker with a chainsaw budget is getting through to your phone, you had at least two chances to stop them:

When guys say “marketing isn’t working,” what they usually mean is:
“I’m getting calls… but they’re all wrong.”

That’s not a marketing issue. It’s a setup issue.

If low-budget jobs keep getting through, it means your system isn’t filtering the way it should.

The right filters stop time-wasters before they hit your phone.
The wrong ones let everyone through and you end up busy, burnt out, and booked with the wrong work.

→ Call tracking tip: Record every estimate call for 30 days. You'll spot the exact moment qualified prospects turn into price shoppers. Usually happens when you start talking price before they've expressed value.

→ Quick win: Add one qualifying question to your intake form. Or have us do it. (See below) Something like: "What's your timeline for getting this done?" Tire-kickers say "just looking around." Serious prospects give you dates.

Stop Blaming Facebook for Your Bad Leads

I'm tired of hearing tree guys complain about "Facebook (or Google) sending garbage leads" while running ads that effectively say "Tree Removal - Call Now!"

Of course you're getting garbage. You're fishing with dynamite in a kiddie pool.

Your ad creative should repel the wrong people as much as it attracts the right ones. If someone sees your ad and thinks "I wonder if they'll do it for $200," your messaging failed.

Try this instead: "Storm-damaged oak threatening your home? Our ISA-certified arborists handle complex removals other crews won't touch. Licensed, insured, and we don't cut corners on safety."

See how that works? The $200 tree removal price shopper won’t even click. But the homeowner staring at a 45-foot oak leaning toward their kid’s bedroom? They’re already reaching for their wallet.

Stop casting a wide net and wondering why you're catching minnows when you wanted trophy fish.

Want us to look at your marketing and show you where you're wasting money? Book a $100 consult. Refundable if it's not worth 10x that. All you have to do is ask.

Written by Jacob Hastings
Head of Growth & Client Strategy at Growth Ring Media