Ask your question: call, text or email

Which way of contacting you is best?

Short answer: whichever suits you. Each has a strength.

• Call if your question is urgent or you'd rather explain it out loud. If we're on another call, leave a short voicemail and a good time to call back.
• Text if you're on a job site and can't talk. A two-line text is enough to start.
• Email if your question involves numbers, reports or screenshots, such as an agency proposal you'd like a second opinion on.

Whatever you choose, you'll get a reply from a person, not an automated sequence.

What should I include in my message?

Short answer: your question, your trade and where you work. Everything else helps but is optional.

A useful message covers:

1. Your question, in your own words. "Why are my ads getting clicks but no calls?" is perfect.
2. Your trade and main services. Plumbing, electrical, roofing, renovation and so on.
3. Your service area. City or region, and whether you travel.
4. Your rough numbers, if you know them: average job value, enquiries per month, main sources.
5. What you've tried, including agencies, ads or directories, and what happened.

Here's a template you can copy for a text or email:

Hi, I run [Business name], a [trade] company serving [City/region]. My question is: [your question]. We get about [number] enquiries a month, mostly from [source]. Our average job is around [$ amount]. Best time to reach me is [time].

What happens after I get in touch?

Short answer: a short conversation, an honest answer, and a written next step only if you want one.

1. We reply, usually within one business day, to set up a time or answer directly if it's quick.
2. We talk for up to 30 minutes about your question. This first consultation is free for eligible trades businesses.
3. We tell you what we think, including what we'd check first and whether we're the right fit.
4. If it makes sense, we send a written plan with the price, based on the plans on our pricing page. There's nothing to sign until you're ready, and plans are month-to-month.

If the honest answer is that you don't need us yet, we'll say so and suggest what to do instead.

What can I ask about?

Short answer: anything about marketing your trades business.

Common starting points include budgets and lead costs, Google Business Profile and map visibility, Google Ads and Local Services Ads, websites that don't produce calls, reviews, and whether an agency proposal is reasonable. You'll find written answers to many of these in the guides and on the services pages.

What we can't help with: anything about doing the trade work itself, or licensing and code questions. We are a marketing and consulting service, not a contractor, and regulatory questions belong with the regulators listed on our regional pages.

What if I just want a second opinion?

Short answer: that's one of the most common reasons people get in touch, and it's welcome.

If you've received a marketing proposal, an agency report or an ads account audit and want an independent view, send it by email with a line on what's worrying you. We'll read it and tell you plainly what looks reasonable, what's vague and what to ask. Sometimes the answer is that the proposal is fine and you should go ahead with it. You don't need to become a client for us to tell you that.

Who will I be speaking with?

Short answer: a senior strategist, with Ali Sedighi behind the answers.

Trades.Expert is part of the Sedighi.ca and SAZ.ca group, headquartered in Vancouver, BC, and led by Ali Sedighi, MBA. Read more on the about page, or check the FAQ for questions about contracts, ownership and reporting.