The Easiest Jobs You’ll Ever Win (And Why You’re Missing Them)

Andy
Most tradies don’t even think twice about it. That’s just how it is, right? 

Ange
But here’s the reality. You are sitting on more work than you realize.

Andy
And more importantly, it’s a gold mine when it comes to potential profits. 

Ange
Because most tradies are stuck in this cycle of getting the lead, winning the job, finishing the job, starting again. 

Andy
Over and over and over again. 

Ange
But what if one job didn’t just equal one job? 

Andy
What if it turned out to be two or three jobs? 

Ange
Without more marketing, without more leads, and without working more hours. 

Andy
Just by changing what you do before, during, and after the job.

Ange
That’s what we’re talking about today, the Profit Multiplier. 

Andy
Because once you understand this. You stop chasing work. 

Ange
And start getting more out of the work you already have. 

Andy
You are listening to The Tradie Show. This is the podcast for trade business, and contracting bosses like you who wanna lead with confidence, make more profit, and create a better lifestyle.

Ange
We’re your hosts, Andy and Angela Smith, husband & wife team, and co-founders of Lifestyle Tradie. Are you ready to have some fun? 

Andy
Hell yeah!

You are busy. The phone’s ringing. Jobs are rolling in. So why does it still feel like there’s no money left? 

Ange
Because without systems, profit leaks everywhere in your pricing, your quoting, your team and your job flow. 

Andy
At Stress Free Tradie, we’ll show you exactly how to plug those leaks. Plus you’ll go home with 27 real systems we use that allow me to get off the tools and work only two hours a week in the business. 

Ange
It’s free. It’s one day and it’s happening across Australia from May 12 to 27. 

Andy
Head to event.lifestyletradie.com.au and book your seat before they’re all gone.

All right. It’s time to kick things off with some Hell yeah wins from our amazing Lifestyle Tradie members. Hell yeah! These are the legends who’ve been smashing it in their businesses, proving that small changes can lead to massive results. And hopefully these give you some inspo on what you can do in your business. Ange, what do we have this week? 

Ange
Alright, we’ve got some great hell yeahs to share today, Andy. First up is a big shout out to Laura, who runs a solar company in Lennox Head, New South Wales, with her husband Simon, and she shares that we promoted our favorite tradie to leading hand. It felt so good to give credit where credit is due. 

Andy
That is a big hell yeah. And I know getting your staff to step up into these more leadership roles are huge. And these guys have grown from a one man show company and they’re turning into a mega company. I just had a message from them on the weekend, and the turnover they are predicting in the next five to 10 years is insane. That is a big hell yeah! 

Ange
Ooh, I love that. 

Andy
What’s next, Ange? 

Ange
Next up is Michael, who operates a landscaping business in Sydney, and he shares I finally started quoting for small add-ons, and it’s paying off well instead of chewing into profits.

Andy
Ah, yeah. Michael is fantastic and he has been doing this recently as a landscaping business. A lot of times, there’s a lot of guys I talk to that just keep wearing all these add-ons, but you shouldn’t need to. It’s in your quote, what you’re gonna do. Be clear, have a lot of clarity, and any of these add-ons, these are things they’re gonna make a huge difference to your profit. Hell yeah! Last but not least, who’s up next, Ange? 

Ange
Okay. The last is Josh, who owns a plumbing company in Perth, WA, and he writes, this week we have our very first tradesman starting with us. 

Andy
Yeah, I love this. You know, you got these small business owners and there’s probably a lot of small business owners hearing this now and hiring that first person is like, oh my God. And it’s gonna be an absolute game changer, but it’s a game changer when you have your business model set out right. When you understand your numbers, when you know what you’re doing in business. So, a huge step. Well done, Josh. Hell yeah! And that’s what we’re talking about here, helping tradies like you take control, make changes, and see the wind roll on in.

Now before we get into this, let’s quickly zoom out and connect the dots. In episode one we talked about attracting better work. Not just more leads, but the right leads, the type of jobs that are actually profitable. 

Ange
In episode two, we looked at how to win those jobs because it’s one thing to attract them, but now you know that winning the job starts when you show up. The quote simply seals the deal. 

Andy
Exactly. And when you’ve got the right work coming in and you’re converting more of it. Now, here’s where most tradies stop. 

Ange
Hmm. They think Great, job one onto the next one, and the whole cycle just starts again. 

Andy
Exactly. Lead, quote, job, repeat. But this is where the real opportunity is and it’s the part almost that no tradies focus on. 

Ange
What happens after you win the job, because that’s where the leverage is. 

Andy
That’s it. Because the easiest job you’ll ever win is from a customer who already trusts you. 

Ange
But most tradies don’t do anything with that. They finish the job, they pack up, they send the invoice, and they move on, and they leave so much opportunity on the table. 

Andy
Because one job should never just be one job. It should lead to more work, better work, and easier work. 

Ange
And that’s what we mean by the Profit Multiplier. So let’s break down where tradies are missing this and how you start thinking about every job differently. 

Andy
So let’s start here. Where do you think most tradies go wrong when it comes to driving repeat work?

Ange
Well, they treat every job like a one-off transaction. The lead comes in. The quote gets sent, the job gets done, the invoice goes out, and then they’re straight onto the next one. 

Andy
And on the surface, that feels normal, right? Even productive, you’re busy, work’s getting done. 

Ange
But what’s actually happening is you are resetting your business back to zero every single time. Every new job has to be found again, one again, delivered again. 

Andy
And that is exhausting because you are constantly chasing the next opportunity instead of getting more out of the one you already have earned. 

Ange
Now, here’s where the shift has to happen. The real money in your business isn’t just in winning the job. It’s actually in what happens around it. 

Andy
Before, during, and after. 

Ange
Yes. Love that. Because every job has four opportunities built into it. 

Andy
Number one, before you’ve even turned up. Number two, while you’re on site completing the job, but before the job is finished. 

Ange
Number three is immediately after the job. And then number four is long after you’ve left site. 

Andy
And most tradies only focus on one moment, getting the job. 

Ange
Okay, so let’s start with the first one before you’ve even turned up. It’s so simple what we’re about to share. It’s why it’s often overlooked. But this is the game changer to winning like 20% more work on every job. What questions are you asking them in the early stages of contact that get the customer thinking about what else they want or need? 

Andy
If you’re a maintenance business, like a plumber or a spark in the customer has said yes to you coming to their property, then before you hang up the phone, just simply say, so Mrs. Jones have a think about any other problems you have around the house before we arrive? So we can fix them while we are there. We would hate to leave knowing there are other issues that could have been solved in one visit and now she’s wandering in the house thinking, whoa, what else can be done here? Hang on, I’ve found it. I know those other taps are leaking. Whatever it may be. 

Ange
You literally just got more work from saying a single sentence. 

Andy
Now, the second opportunity before the job is finished, because this is where a lot of extra value is sitting, and most tradies don’t even look for it. 

Ange
So imagine you are already on site. The customer already said yes, which means you’ve already built trust. 

Andy
This is the easiest moment to have a conversation about additional work, better options, future considerations. 

Ange
And it’s not about upselling for the sake of it, it’s about helping the customer see what they haven’t actually thought about.

Andy
This can work for either maintenance or project based work. But let’s talk maintenance for a moment because this is what the foundation of Dr. Drip was built on. We completed a safety inspection report on every job, and this is where our tradies walked around the house ticking a pass or a fail, like maybe the second bathroom. The toilet wasn’t flushing properly or maybe the hot water service was 12 years old, and it’s recommended that they should be replaced between 10 and 15. It opens the door to provide professional advice and recommendations to the client. 

Ange
Or maybe you’re installing the coping around the pool, and you know what? You could just build what they asked for. Or you could say, have you thought about connecting the pool to the entertaining area or extending the outdoor living space to use this area to the maximum? 

Andy
Same type of job, more value, more revenue, better outcome for the customer. 

Ange
This isn’t about being pushy, and it’s not about forcing more work. It’s actually just about being intentional, about having the conversation that most tradies avoid and guiding the customer to help them make a decision. 

Andy
And when you do this, you’ll be amazed at the extra work you will pick up. 

Ange
Now, let’s talk about this third opportunity. 

Andy
Want to cut your business costs without cutting corners? Buy4Tradies makes it simple. This is a buying group built by tradies for tradies, plumbers, sparkies, solar and air context, landscapers just to name a few. Join for free and unlock trade only deals on materials, fuel, tools, finance, IT, and heaps more. There are no contracts, no signup fees, just real savings with trusted national suppliers. So if you are ready to keep more cash in your pocket and less in your overheads, jump onto buy4tradies.com.au. That’s Buy, the number four, tradies.com.au and join for free today. 

Ange
This is right after the job is done. So imagine you are still on site, but the job is complete and you are ready to leave.

Andy
This is the one that gets missed the most because what do most tradies do? They pack up, collect their money, or send an invoice, and they simply move on. But you need to stop and think about it from the customer’s side. 

Ange
So the job’s finished. They’re actually really happy. They’ve just had a great experience and this is the moment where trust is at its highest. 

Andy
And what do we do with it? Most of the time, most people do nothing. We didn’t ask a single question to see if there was anything else needed before we left, so we missed the chance to increase the transaction value then and there. 

Ange
And to make matters worse. We didn’t see working with us again. We didn’t even ask for a referral, which means the relationship just stopped.

Andy
What we could have done instead is say something like Mrs. Jones, we’re a small family business and we rely heavily on word of mouth. If you have any friends, family that needs any plumbing work done or whatever your trade is, I’d love you to recommend us, and that’s where so much opportunity disappears when you don’t ask that question. 

Ange
Exactly. So let’s jump to the fourth opportunity. What happens after you’ve left? Because the best businesses stay in touch. 

Andy
Yeah, and I get it. It’s not in an annoying way, it’s not in a spammy way. It’s just enough to stay top of mind. 

Ange
Yeah. It’s important to stay top of mind because when that customer needs something again, or knows someone who does, you want to be the first business that they think of, not the tradie they used once and totally forgot about.

Andy
Now that you know you are sitting on a gold mine by adding a few minor tweaks to your already current flow of a job. So my question is, why did these four steps get missed? 

Ange
Well, for starters, these little tactics are so simple that they are actually overlooked. 

Andy
Yeah, sadly, that is so true, Ange. But when you know what to do, what to say, and when, everything changes. And that’s why we slow down with our Lifestyle Tradie members and teach a great deal about the flow of a job, what steps in order they need to be focused and know how to maximize every single job. 

Ange
Tradies need to realize that being busy trying to keep up with the work in front of them is causing more harm than good for them. Once a job is done, it’s literally onto the next one. There’s no space to think beyond that. 

Andy
But here’s the problem with that. If you are always chasing the next job, your business is always under pressure. You need more leads, you need more quotes, and you need more money, and you need more effort. Instead, you need more leverage.

Ange
Yeah. Look, I love that because this is the key idea behind it. The easiest job you will ever win is from someone who already trusts you. 

Andy
You don’t need to convince them you are capable. You don’t need to compete on price. That decision has already been made. 

Ange
Well, which means the barrier is low. 

Andy
Way lower.

Ange
But if you don’t learn how to invest in that relationship, you lose the advantage. 

Andy
So here’s the shift. Stop asking. How do I get more leads and start asking, how do I get more out of the work I already have? Because that is where the leverage is. 

Ange
Okay? So here’s something to think about. Look at your last 10 jobs. How many of them actually turned into more work? Maybe referrals or repeat customers? 

Andy
And how many of those jobs just ended the moment the invoice was paid? 

Ange
Oh, this is the part that stings a bit when you really think about it, because it’s not just one job here or there. This is happening over and over again in most trade businesses. 

Andy
Jobs you’ve already worked so hard to win customers who already trust you and then it just ends. 

Ange
No follow up, no next step, and no relationship beyond the completed job. 

Andy
And if you look back over the last 12 months and how many opportunities have you already had to create more work without spending another dollar on marketing, without chasing any more leads, without working any harder. It’s crazy.

Ange
They were already there. Right? They just weren’t used. And that’s the shift, isn’t it? It’s not about doing more, it’s about seeing what’s already in front of you differently. 

Andy
Exactly. And because once you start looking at your jobs this way, you realize you don’t have a lead problem, you’ve got a leverage problem.

Ange
Okay, so how about we zoom out again? Episode one, we talked about attracting better work. 

Andy
Episode two, we talked about winning that work. 

Ange
And now this is about multiplying it, what we call the Profit Multiplier. We need to get more value from the same effort. 

Andy
Because you don’t need more work. You need to get more out of the work you already have. And once you start thinking like this, your whole business changes. 

Ange
Less pressure, better customers, more profit. 

Andy
All from the same jobs.

It’s tradie dilemma time, brought to you by Buy4Tradies. The buying group helps tradies like you, saving serious coins on materials, fuel, vehicles, tools, and other services. If you’re not using it, you are probably paying too much. This is our q and a segment where you let us know what you’re having trouble with in your business. And we’ll give you our best advice to sort it out. 

Ange
So today we have a question from Simon who owns an electrical business in Brisbane, and he writes, Hey, Andy and Ange, I’ve owned my electrical business for four years and things are going well. That said, I’ve been given the opportunity to merge with someone who has a solid solar and air con business. In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of partnership? 

Andy
Yeah, partnership is an interesting beast. I know a lot of people that have partnerships and they’ve done very well. But on the flip side, there’s a lot of people that have gone into partnerships and they’ve really struggled. I would say that about 10% of partnerships or less actually work. And let me explain here. If you’ve got a good partnership where you’ve got a good business, they’ve got a good business, and you come together and you guys get on very well, and you’ve got clear definition of everyone’s roles, and you’ve got clear definition of where you’re spending your marketing dollars and what’s going on, and you know every dollar and cents. And you are making money and you both believe you’re working as hard as each other, you will have success. Where partnerships break down is when there’s no clarity, there’s no direction. No one knows whose role’s who. And then when finance gets in the way, people start throwing knives in people’s backs because they’re really concerned about it. So when you talk about partnerships, am I a fan or not? I’m a fan. If both businesses have their ducks in a row and you both understand your finances and you’ve got a great job management system, the foundations of the business is perfect like we teach here at Lifestyle Tradie. When you get all those things right, you have clarity and what everyone needs to do, and then I think it can work. So I’m not gonna say yes or no. You need to think about what I just said there and make your decision. Because at the end of the day, when you have a business partner, now you’re, you know, you’re going over P&Ls together and someone might take the cashier and someone might do this here and there’s all these things that can get in the way. So you’ve gotta be very careful when you make this decision. 

Ange
Yeah, there’s definitely pros and cons of partnerships, isn’t there? Some people even take on from a personal perspective to kind of ease the pressure and stress of actually owning a business. So I can understand why you are entertaining the idea of this opportunity. I’m sure Andy’s answer has certainly helped you a little bit, Simon. So, uh, best of luck with your decision. Thanks for writing in with your question. And remember, if you want Andy and I to answer your most challenging question, then send it our way to podcast@lifestyletradie.com.au. 

Andy
So if you take one thing out of today’s episode, it’s this: stop thinking of your jobs as one-offs, because every job you complete is an opportunity for more work, more value, and more profit.

Ange
And it doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from being more intentional with what’s already in front of you. 

Andy
You’ve already done the hard part. You’ve attracted the job, you’ve won the job. Now it’s about getting more out of it. 

Ange
And when you put all three parts of this together, attract better work, win better work, and multiply that work, that’s when your business really starts to change. 

Andy
More profit, better customers, and a whole lot more control.

Ange
Doesn’t that sound awesome? If you’re open to learning more about business and the steps you need to put in place to make more money from every customer the right way. Then why don’t you join us at our next free live event called Stress Free Tradie. We’re coming to a capital city near you really soon, and we’d love to meet you in the flesh. Check out lifestyletradie.com.au/events to book in today. 

Andy
And bring your partner along. They need to hear it too. If that’s your business partner or your life partner, look forward to meeting you all very soon.

Subscribe to The Tradie Show, wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Rate and write us a review or for more information about Lifestyle Tradie, head to lifestyletradie.com.au.