Qualifying without interrogating.

Confirm the work, the place and the timing first

Start with what the job actually is in the consumer's own words, where it is, and when they want it done. Those three answers decide most fit questions on their own.

Repeat the answers back before moving on. It catches misunderstandings while they are still cheap to fix.

Ask about constraints before you talk price

Access, property type, permits, HOA rules, pets, parking and scheduling windows all change the work. Asking about them early is the difference between an estimate that holds and one you have to revise on site.

If the consumer is coordinating with someone else, an insurer, a landlord or a partner, find that out now rather than at signature.

• ·What does access to the work area look like
• ·Is anyone else involved in approving the work
• ·Are there dates that absolutely will not work
• ·Has anyone else already looked at this job

Say plainly when a job is not a fit

Declining clearly and early earns more goodwill than a slow fade. Tell the consumer why, and point them to the type of business that does handle it if you know one.

A clean no protects your schedule and keeps your review profile honest.

Record the reason

Write down why each request did not fit: out of area, wrong trade, budget, timing, no answer. After a few dozen entries the pattern tells you whether to adjust your service area, your scope or your intake questions.