How would you automate customer acquisition for a plumbing business?
Use a mix of automated inbound and outbound methods. Inbound: run PPC ads (Google Ads), list on aggregators like Bark.com (they sell leads), and invest in local SEO to rank for service searches. Outbound: compile a list of property management companies in your service area, then pitch them a preferred‑vendor package with 24/7 emergency service, discounted trials, etc. Leverage tools like Appify for scraping leads from Indeed/LinkedIn, enrichment with Clay, and AI‑personalized outreach via Instantly or Smart Lead. Track metrics, iterate quickly, and aim for low cost per meeting ($5–$10). Focus on revenue‑driving activities; after a few projects, bootstrap social proof and case studies.
Lead‑generation and client‑onboarding systems make up roughly 70% of my revenue, so I focus on those bottlenecks first. The flow is: generate leads, close the sale, onboard the client, fulfill the work, then retain the client with follow‑up. AI agents are getting better, but the real money comes from solving concrete bottlenecks, not fancy chatbots. My process is simple: look at an average business’s pipeline, identify the biggest bottleneck, and ask how you can do that step faster or better. I often reference the Theory of Constraints (see "The Goal" by Eli Goldratt) to frame this. Most bottlenecks are at the top of the funnel—lead generation—so start there. For each bottleneck, map what’s currently being done and brainstorm ways to automate or accelerate it. Specific tools help, but the core is understanding the pipeline and continuously removing constraints.
Nick advises Jake to stick with packaged automation services rather than moving to custom projects, because custom work suffers from scope bloat and inefficiencies. He suggests leveraging Jake’s existing mortgage‑originator network: compile a list of all B2B clients and leads from that work, plus any other network connections. In a spreadsheet, put clients in column A, ways you could help them in column B, systems you could build or sell in column C, and pitch price in column D. Then warm‑pitch each contact by referencing your automation work and asking if they know anyone who might need it. Start with existing clients and leads, then expand to your wider network for referrals. This approach uses your proven problem‑solver reputation, making outreach far more effective than cold outreach. After exhausting warm contacts, you can still add a scalable outbound mechanism (e.g., B2B cold email) to reach strangers, but the warm path is the fastest route to revenue.
All agencies share the same fundamental shape: lead generation at the top (via ads, cold emails, cold calls, etc.), which funnels into a sales event (typically a discovery or closing call). From there you onboard the client, fulfill the promised service, and manage the client—checking in on progress—before delivering the project, possibly with a revision cycle that leads to another transformation event where you resell them. I’ve documented this shape in the three automation agency sales flows and a roadmap to $25k/month automation that you can download for free. The real key to success isn’t becoming a top AI or automation specialist; it’s becoming a good business person who understands the container (the agency model) and what you put inside it. This mindset can be learned in a couple of weeks, and you don’t need to be expert at the specific service you’re offering.
He explains that IT companies are service businesses and follow the same funnel as any other service business: lead generation, sales (discovery/scoping call), conversion (proposal/agreement/invoice), onboarding (kickoff call), fulfillment (building IT systems), and retention (ongoing management/managed service). Because the funnel is universal, you can adapt systems from other niches—cold‑email, speed‑to‑lead (PPC), content (SEO), automated referral/follow‑up/reactivation, proposal generator, asset generator, CRM, sales admin, webhook‑triggered kickoff calls, AI‑generated project briefs, and a template library for one‑click implementation. The key is to take a bird’s‑eye view, draw inspiration from adjacent niches, and teach the client to fish rather than give them a fish.
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