Call, text or email: three ways to reach a senior strategist

Choosing a channel

Each one has its strengths:

• Call if you want a quick conversation and a sense of whether we're a fit.
• Text if you're on a job and can't talk. Send a short note and we'll reply when it suits you, by text or call, your choice.
• Email if you'd like to send numbers, a link to your current site, or screenshots of your Google Business Profile.

Because we work on Pacific time, our hours run until 9 p.m. Eastern. Many owners find the late afternoon and early evening, once the crews are back, is the easiest time to talk.

What to include in your first message

You don't need all of this, but each item saves a round of questions:

1. Business name and website, if you have one
2. Your trade and main services, and which ones you want more of
3. Where you work: which Waterloo wards and neighbouring areas
4. Average job value and a rough close rate, if you know them
5. Share of work from rental properties, and whether you want more
6. What you've tried before: agencies, ads, directories, and what happened
7. Best time to reach you

Here is a template you can copy into a text or email:

Hi, I run [Business name], a [trade] business serving [areas, e.g. Ward 5 and north Kitchener]. Our average job is about [$ amount] and roughly [share] of our work is for landlords or property managers. We want more [service]. We tried [past marketing] and [result]. Best time to reach me is [time].

What happens next

1. We reply, usually within one business day, to confirm what you need and set a time to talk if a conversation makes sense.
2. The first consultation. A free 30-minute conversation for eligible trades businesses. We go through your numbers, your market and your goals, and tell you plainly what we'd do and whether it's worth the money.
3. A written plan, if you want one. Services, timeline, monthly cost, any recommended ad budget and the cost-per-lead ceiling. No obligation, and no pressure to decide on the call.

Before you get in touch

If you'd like to read first, these pages answer most early questions:

• Pricing, with plan costs and a worked value check
• Services, with a short test for which ones you need
• Results from our HVAC work, with links to each live site
• Areas, covering how the city's wards differ for trades

Common questions about working with us

Do you meet in person? Yes. Waterloo owners can consult with us in person or online by video call, as well as by phone, text and email. The work itself lives in your website, profile and accounts.

Can my office manager be the contact? Yes. Many clients have an office manager or partner handle day-to-day questions while the owner joins the monthly review.

What if I just want an opinion? Ask. If a quick answer is all you need, we'll give it.

Do you work with brand-new businesses? Sometimes. If you're just starting, the free consultation can still help you set priorities, even if a monthly plan is premature.

Do you help with tenancy or legal matters for my landlord clients? No. We market your services to landlords and property managers. Legal and tenancy questions should go to a lawyer, a licensed paralegal or the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Waterloo.Marketing is part of the Sedighi.ca and SAZ.ca group of companies and is led by Ali Sedighi, MBA. The group's main trades brand is Trades.Agency.