If you’re a tradesperson who also has to chase your own quotes, you know the problem: there’s never enough time between the actual jobs, admin, and driving between sites.
Here’s the good news: you don’t need all day. One focused hour, done consistently, will outperform three hours of scattered effort squeezed in whenever you remember.
The One-Hour Framework
Minutes 0-5: Review Your List
Before you start chasing anyone, spend five minutes checking who needs following up today. Check any notes from last time you spoke. Know what you’re going to say before you call.
If you’re using a tool like DailyDial, this list is already prioritised and ready. If you’re using a notebook or spreadsheet, sort it by who’s most overdue.
Minutes 5-45: Do the Chasing
This is the core of it — forty minutes of actual calls and messages. To make it count:
- Start with the most time-sensitive quotes — the ones most likely to go to a competitor if you don’t chase them
- Keep calls short and to the point — most only need a few minutes
- Note the outcome straight away — don’t rely on remembering later
- If no answer, leave a message and move on — don’t keep redialling
In 40 minutes, you should get through a good chunk of your list, depending on how many people you reach.
Minutes 45-55: Send Any Texts You Couldn’t Get to by Phone
For anyone you couldn’t reach, send a short message:
- Mention you tried calling
- Keep it low-pressure
- Suggest they get back to you whenever suits
Minutes 55-60: Set Up Tomorrow
Spend the last five minutes noting who needs chasing tomorrow, and update anything that’s changed — a quote that’s been won, or someone who’s asked you to check back in a few weeks.
When to Do Your Hour
Unlike office-based selling, your customers aren’t sat at a desk all day, so there’s no single “best” time that fits everyone. A common approach:
- Early morning, before your first job: A good slot for reviewing your list and firing off any texts, even if it’s not the best time for calls to land
- Evening, after you’re done for the day: Often your best window for actually reaching people by phone (see our guide on the best times to call customers about a quote)
Whichever you pick, doing it at the same time each day removes the biggest risk: getting pulled into other things and never getting round to chasing at all.
The Compound Effect
One hour a day doesn’t sound like much. But the maths adds up:
- A handful of follow-ups a day × 5 days = a solid chunk of your list chased every week
- Keep that up for a few months, and barely any quote or past customer falls through the cracks
Even if only a fraction of those follow-ups turn into booked jobs, that’s a steady stream of extra work from an hour a day.
Making It a Habit
The hard part isn’t doing it once — it’s doing it every day. What helps:
- Same time each day: Pick a slot and protect it, whether that’s before the first job or after the last
- Phone out and ready: Remove any excuse to put it off
- Track your streak: How many days in a row can you keep it up?
- Every call counts, whatever the outcome: Even a “not right now” is progress — it keeps the relationship warm for later
What If You Miss a Day?
Don’t beat yourself up. Just pick it back up tomorrow. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s consistency over time. Even three or four days a week is far better than none.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to become a salesperson to keep your diary full. You just need one focused hour, done consistently, with a system that tells you exactly who to chase.
That’s it. No complicated systems. No hours lost to admin. Just a bit of discipline and a daily list.
Let DailyDial build the list for you. It shows you exactly who to chase each day, so your one hour is spent chasing, not figuring out who to call. Try it free for 14 days — no credit card required.
Related reading: Best Times to Call Customers About a Quote · How to Follow Up After Sending a Quote