Have you ever spent a fortune on marketing only to watch your phone calls drop to zero? Running a plumbing (or any trades) company means walking a tightrope between advertising expenses and the actual ROI. Let’s talk about how a marketing mishap ended up costing me $40,000 and how I finally found a system that not only made my phone ring again but also made my entire business operations simpler.
The Road to a $40,000 Headache
When I started my plumbing company, I did what most of us do: hire marketing agencies to build a website and boost my online visibility. One company quoted me $35,000 for a basic, five-page website. Crazy, right? I ended up juggling multiple marketing outfits over time, each promising big results. After spending around $47,000 in total, the phone literally stopped ringing for a few weeks. No calls, no texts, nothing.
I later learned the individual in charge of my campaigns had messed up, ghosted me, and broke whatever system was “working” for me. Imagine seeing tens of thousands of dollars gone, with no new clients to show for it. That’s when I realized I needed an all-in-one approach to marketing and communications—a platform that I could trust without paying multiple software subscriptions or shady middlemen.
The Challenge with Traditional Marketing Companies
Most marketing firms out there specialize in a single aspect: maybe your website, paid ads, or SEO. Rarely do they handle the full lifecycle of customer interaction, from website visits to follow-up calls. As a result, you buy multiple tools—one for email marketing, another for text messaging, plus appointment scheduling software. Not only does it add up in cost, but these tools often don’t integrate well, creating gaps where potential customers slip through.
Finding an All-in-One Solution: Go High Level
Enter go high level (GHL). This platform caught my attention because it promised a unified space for all my marketing and CRM needs. Instead of paying for separate software for emailing, texting, funnels, and appointment scheduling, everything is combined into one place. Even better, it includes features that most tradespeople have only dreamed of, like:
- A single dashboard for website, text, phone, and social media leads
- Automated follow-ups and triggers
- Calendar bookings integrated with your service techs’ schedules
- Email marketing, text campaigns, and missed call textback
The Magic of Missed Call Textback
One of the biggest game-changers is the missed call textback feature. If you’re a plumber in the field, you can’t always answer the phone. Maybe you’re knee-deep fixing a leak, or your CSR is already on another line. Missed call textback instantly sends a message to anyone who couldn’t get through, saying something like:
“Hey, this is Roger at [Your Company]. Sorry we missed your call. What can we do for you?”
That simple text can recover calls you’d otherwise lose and turn them into booked jobs. This is the type of automation that directly impacts your bottom line without requiring extra staff.
Why High Level Stands Out
Beyond just textback, go high level offers:
- Calendars and Appointment Booking: Never double-book technicians again.
- Funnels and Trigger Automations: Set up quick replies for FAQs, special offers, or drip campaigns.
- Social Media Integration: Collect leads from Facebook or Instagram automatically into your CRM.
- Easy Onboarding and Support: You don’t need to be a marketing whiz. They help you set up everything.
It replaces or integrates with tons of tools like MailChimp, ClickFunnels, and Call Rail, saving you from monthly subscription overload. Instead of paying for five or six different services, you use one streamlined system.
Final Thoughts
I spent $40,000+ to learn a hard lesson about marketing—the phone can stop ringing at any time if your system isn’t bulletproof. go high level turns your phone back into a revenue machine by automating missed calls, simplifying calendar bookings, and ensuring no potential customer gets lost. If you’re tired of throwing money out the window on half-baked solutions, consider giving GHL a try.
Ready for a 30-Day Free Trial?
As a plumber or trades business owner, you deserve a marketing and CRM solution that actually works. If you click the link provided or scan the QR code from the video, you can start your 30-day free trial of go high level. They’ll even onboard you for free to make sure everything is set up perfectly.
Embrace an all-in-one platform and stop depending on unreliable, costly marketing methods. Trust me: once you see the difference, you’ll wish you had this from day one.
