May 24, 2018
I have to admit, I did not like Estimate Rocket (ER) when I first
started using it.
Kind of like anything new, I'm just used to my old ways, but because of the automated emails feature, I continued.
Estimate Rocket is a CRM and an estimating program that is very customizable.
I'll unpack how I use it, and all of its cool features in the next DYB All Community Webinar, but first...
After using ER, I expanded the use of the automated emails and really started seeing the advantages of using the program.
The estimating took a while for me to get acclimated to, but at the PDCA, DYB Coach Jeff Sommers, showed me a trick that I didn’t know and it made the estimating process better.
After Jeff enlightened me, I started exploring more into the estimating portion of the program and found so many other options that I now can say...
Estimate Rocket is a game changer!
The CRM has automated emails as I said and they can be sent to the client, your team members, your accountant, or grandmother.
The emails can relay information to potential clients or customers.
You can add attachments to the email for things like “What to do to prepare for exterior painting” or introducing your company to the client in the beginning.
After the work has been completed, I email them a Google Form to rate their customer experience.
The emails can also be reminders to your team and/or office staff to do a certain task depending on which step in the selling/working process you are at, (i.e. fill out paperwork, enter their info into Basecamp, get video testimonies, or hand out cookies).
The estimating function is also extremely customizable.
You can use production rates, hourly rates or square foot pricing or a combination of all of them.
It can do lump sum pricing, line item pricing, or by room pricing.
One of the important parts of the DYB System is to know your numbers.
Yes, your P&L, but also your close ratio, and your top 10 lead sources.
Estimate Rocket can do that and has many more reports that can be done.
All reports can be exported to a .csv or excel file.
For myself and DYB Coach Ron Ramsden, we've found Estimate Rocket is the easiest to use for contractors.