How it works
Sales managers in home improvement track leads in stages: raw leads from marketing, appointments set, appointments confirmed, and leads issued to a rep. Leads drop out at every step. Wrong numbers, homeowners outside the service area, no-shows, and cancellations the morning of the appointment all fall away before a rep ever sees them.
Most rep metrics should use issued leads as the base, because that’s the part the rep controls. A rep shouldn’t be judged on leads the office never confirmed.
Why it matters when you hire
There’s no standard definition of close rate in home improvement, so candidates quote it on different bases. Ask “out of what?”: leads, issued leads or demos, from which lead sources, and over how many appointments. A high number on demos may be a lot lower on issued leads. Compare candidates on the same base, and tell them which one you use.
Also ask how many issued leads they ran a week. A rep used to a packed calendar will get restless on a thin one, and a rep used to a thin one may struggle with yours.