“I do have Google paid ads. So I am at the top and I recently redid our website for SEO things and stuff like that.”
Is your home service marketing working? Hear what other owners say.
The Trade Owner Brief from Verbatim, a product of The Art of Service, is a USD 497 one-off brief for local trade and home service owners. The Trade Owner Brief collects what other owners said on podcasts in the last 30 days about leads, close rates, ads, websites and pricing, each quote playing from the second it was said. Owners use the Trade Owner Brief before signing or renewing a marketing contract. Start with the free sample below.
Updated
This month's sample from local trade operators
Pulled live from the library: first-hand moments from the last 30 days, one per show. Each plays from the exact second.
- “If it's a little under two weeks, just raise your prices a little bit.” Sherman Burkhead on Booked Out: A Podcast for Home Service Business Owners by Sure Shot Systems with Ben Desjardins, 2026-10-29 Listen at 27:53
- “We try to keep it around 8 to 10% for most of our businesses… we take their marketing budget down when we need to get them more efficient with their calls.” Jason Fox on AI & Marketing for Home Service Pros, 2026-10-20 Listen at 11:59
- “We're trying to get 70% or higher. And we’ll see that those days we’re hitting 75, 80%” Brian Burton on Owned and Operated, 2026-10-22 Listen at 46:07
- “Meta ads have a ghost rate of like 50 to 60%... If you use the landing page… higher intent, higher conversion.” Allison Diamond on Filthy Rich Cleaners: The Cleaning Business Podcast, 2026-10-13 Listen at 36:57
- “And there is such a shortage of electricians. And you wait three weeks for the most basic task, ... This is where AI comes in.” Daron Acemoglu on Silicon Valley Girl: AI, Tech and Career Growth, 2026-10-09 Listen at 15:49
Sounds like your marketing?
- Months of marketing spend with no booked jobs.
- An agency report full of clicks, not leads.
- Unsure whether to pay for ads or a new website.
- No idea what a normal close rate is.
Framework
The Lead Leak Meter
It shows marketing as one pipe with three meters, and marks the three places where money and leads most often leak away.
What should you ask before you renew a marketing contract?
- How many leads, not clicks? Ask for calls and forms by month.
- How many became jobs? A lead count without booked jobs hides the leak.
- Where did the jobs come from? Paid search, the website, repeat customers or referrals.
- What do other owners get? Hear what owners in your trade said about their own numbers.
- What happens if it stops working? Notice period, who owns the ad account and the site.
The Lead Leak Meter puts those questions on one pipe: spend, leads and booked jobs, with the leaks in between.
What is in the free sample, and what does the brief add?
The free sample shows five live moments from local trade operators in the last 30 days, each playable at the second. The Trade Owner Brief, USD 497, is the full Verbatim One brief for one trade and one service area: what owners said about leads, ads, websites, follow-up and pricing, matched to your business, with a short list of moves, delivered within two business days. Verbatim is not a marketing agency and never promises leads; it gives you what other owners said, so you can judge your own numbers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my marketing agency is working?
Compare leads and booked jobs, not clicks, against what other owners in your trade report. The Verbatim Trade Owner Brief, USD 497, gathers what owners said on podcasts in the last 30 days about leads, close rates, ads and websites, each quote playing from the second, so you can judge your own report.
How many leads a month should a home service business get?
It varies by trade, area and spend, so a single benchmark misleads. The Verbatim Trade Owner Brief, USD 497, shows the numbers owners in your trade said out loud, with who said them and the second, so you compare against real businesses rather than an agency's average.
Should I pay for Google ads or a new website?
Owners talk about both on podcasts, often together. The Verbatim Trade Owner Brief, USD 497, collects what owners said about each in the last 30 days, with the results they gave, so you can see which one other owners in your trade credit before you spend.
What is in the free trade sample?
Five live, first-hand moments from local trade and home service operators in the last 30 days, one per show, each playing from the exact second. It refreshes daily and costs nothing. The Verbatim Trade Owner Brief, USD 497, is the paid next step for your trade and area.
What does the USD 497 Trade Owner Brief add?
A full private brief for one trade and one service area: what owners said about leads, ads, websites, follow-up and pricing, matched to your business, with a short list of moves. The Verbatim Trade Owner Brief is read by a person before it is sent, and every quote links to the second.
How fast is it delivered?
Within two business days of ordering, as a private link you can print or save as a PDF. The Verbatim Trade Owner Brief costs USD 497, paid once. If a quote link is broken or an attribution is wrong, you get a refund.
Judge your numbers against other owners
Free sample first. The Trade Owner Brief is USD 497, within two business days.
Order the Trade Owner Brief