10 Proven Ways to Get More Leads for Your Field Service Business

Whether you’re running a plumbing business down in Cork, leading an HVAC crew in Galway, or building up an electrical company in Dublin, one thing’s for sure—your business runs on leads.

You could have the most skilled team out there, offer top-notch service, and genuinely care about your customers—but if those qualified leads aren’t coming in regularly, it gets tough to grow. Even tougher? Watching competitors pull ahead just because they’re easier to find or doing a better job staying in front of potential customers.

At Fieldmotion, we work with driven field service teams all across the UK, Ireland (and further afield), so we’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. In this post, we’re breaking down 10 tried-and-tested ways to bring in more leads, boost your visibility, and keep that sales pipeline flowing—no pushy sales talk, no gimmicks, just real strategies that actually help.

Contents

Get Found Locally: Boost Your Local SEO and Online Listings
Turn Great Service into a Referral Machine
Use Paid Ads to Get Leads Fast
Speed to Lead: The One Thing That Changes Everything
Show Up Everywhere Your Customers Look
Use Simple Lead Magnets That Actually Work
Don’t Ignore Cold Leads—They’re Not Dead, Just Chilling
Team Up Locally: Partnerships That Actually Pay Off
Track What’s Working (And What’s Not)
Don’t Bail Too Early

1. Get Found Locally: Boost Your Local SEO and Online Listings

When someone types “plumber near me” or “emergency electrician Dublin” into Google, who shows up—you or the other guys?

Local SEO is one of those game-changing tactics that a lot of field service businesses either forget about or don’t quite get around to. But here’s the thing: when people are searching for your kind of service nearby, they’re usually ready to book. If you’re not showing up in those local searches, it’s like you don’t exist.

Here’s what you can do to turn that around:

Claim and polish up your Google Business Profile
Upload some solid photos, make sure your contact details are spot-on, list all your services clearly, and turn on messaging so people can reach you easily.
Get those reviews rolling in—and reply to them
A business with a stack of 5-star reviews will almost always get the click over one with just a couple. Ask happy customers to leave a review, and take a minute to respond—it shows you care.
Use local keywords on your site
Sprinkle in phrases like “gas boiler repairs in Waterford” or “commercial pest control Limerick” to help search engines (and people) know exactly what you offer and where.
List your business on local directories
Sites like Golden Pages, Yelp, Hotfrog, or even HomeAdvisor (if it fits your market) can help more people find you.
Add schema markup to your site
Sounds techy, but your web developer or SEO person can handle this. It gives search engines extra info to help your site show up more prominently.

Getting your local SEO sorted does two big things: it helps more people find you, and once they do, it helps them trust you. That’s the kind of combo that turns clicks into customers.

Check out Moz’s Local SEO Strategy Guide to learn to get started today.

2. Turn Great Service into a Referral Machine

Ask most business owners where their leads come from, and you’ll hear the same thing:

“Oh, mostly word of mouth… lots of referrals.”

Which is awesome, but here’s the question: is that happening on purpose, or just by luck?

The best field service businesses don’t leave it to chance. They design their customer experience in a way that naturally leads to referrals. It’s not just about doing a good job; it’s about creating those little “wow” moments that people remember and talk about. From returning calls quickly to sending a friendly follow-up message after the job’s done, every detail counts.

Here’s how you can start turning happy customers into your best sales team:

Deliver the kind of service people want to talk about
Show up on time. Be friendly. Leave the place cleaner than you found it. Those simple things leave a lasting impression.
Ask for referrals—at the right moment
Right after a job’s finished and the customer’s smiling? That’s your moment. Don’t be shy, just ask.
Offer a little incentive
Something like “Refer a friend and get a €25 gift card” can be just enough to nudge people into action.
Keep in touch
Send a quick thank-you message, a check-in email, or even a Christmas card. Staying top-of-mind makes a big difference.

📌 Pro Tip: Every customer isn’t just a one-off job—they could lead you to 2, 5, even 10 more. Treat them like they’re your best marketing channel… because they are.

3. Use Paid Ads to Get Leads Fast

Local SEO is powerful—but it doesn’t happen overnight. And referrals? They’re gold, but they take time to build up. So if you need leads now (especially if you’re just getting started or moving into a new area), paid ads are your best bet.

Running ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Google can bring in a steady stream of leads—if you know how to target the right people and track what’s working.

Here’s what tends to work well for field service businesses:

Before & after photos
Show off your actual work—not generic stock images. Real results build trust fast.
Customer reviews and testimonials
Let your happy clients do the talking. A short quote from a satisfied customer goes a long way.
Use Facebook lead forms
These are super easy for people to fill out on their phones, so you get more responses with less effort.
Get specific with your targeting
Focus on local postcodes, interests (like home improvement), or job titles (like property managers). The more targeted, the better.

Start with a small budget. Try a few ad variations. Keep an eye on your cost per lead. And most importantly—don’t panic if results don’t come in straight away. It usually takes a few weeks (sometimes a month or two) to dial things in and start seeing steady results.

The Complete Survival Guide to Google Ads for Small Business by WordStream is a good place to start if you want to get a grasp of the basics.

4. Speed to Lead: The One Thing That Changes Everything

Let’s say someone fills out your contact form—what happens next? Do they get a callback in 5 minutes… or 5 hours?

That time gap matters a lot. “Speed to lead” might not sound exciting, but it’s one of the biggest game-changers when it comes to turning interest into actual paying customers. If you’re slow to respond, chances are that lead has already called someone else—and booked them.

There was a case study pulled from a YouTube transcript (yep, really) that showed faster response times led to a 20% jump in closed deals. That’s a massive boost—and it didn’t cost a cent in extra advertising.

Here’s how you can speed things up:

Send instant confirmations
Use automated texts or emails to let people know you got their message and you’re on it.
Have someone on lead duty
Make sure there’s always someone ready to follow up quickly—ideally in real-time.
Use tools to stay on top of it
A system like HubSpot can capture leads and send instant notifications, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Bottom line? The faster you reply, the more likely you are to land the job. Simple as that.

5. Show Up Everywhere Your Customers Look

Here’s the truth: if people don’t know you’re out there, they can’t hire you.

That’s why visibility marketing is such a big deal, especially for local service businesses. Your best customers are right around the corner. They pass your van on the road, see your signs down the street, get your flyer through the door. And when something goes wrong at home? You’re the one they remember.

Some quick and easy ways to get seen more:

Branded vans and uniforms
Turn every job site and every drive around town into a mini billboard.
Lawn signs
Drop one outside after you’ve finished a job—especially in high-traffic areas. It’s low effort and super effective.
Flyers and local newsletters
Target specific neighbourhoods or estates where you want more business. Old-school, but it still works.
Local sponsorships
Think kids’ sports teams, school events, or charity fundraisers. You get goodwill and exposure.
Billboards or outdoor signage
If your budget can handle it and you’re in a busy area, these can make a real impact.

This kind of visibility builds trust without even trying. When your name pops up again and again—on the road, at local events, in the mailbox—it starts to feel familiar. And in marketing, that’s already half the battle.

6. Use Simple Lead Magnets That Actually Work

Most people won’t hire you the first time they come across your name. They need a nudge, a reason to stick around, or something helpful that gets you on their radar. That’s where lead magnets come in.

A lead magnet is just a useful freebie—something valuable enough that people are willing to swap their email or phone number for it. It’s one of the easiest ways to build up a warm list of potential customers you can stay in touch with over time.

Here are a few ideas that work well for field service businesses:

Seasonal checklists
Something like “10 Winter Plumbing Tips” or “Spring HVAC Prep List” can be super helpful and easy to put together.
A simple guide
A “What to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor” PDF helps build trust and positions you as the pro.
Free estimate or audit voucher
Everyone loves a deal. Offer a limited-time voucher to get people in the door.
Giveaways or contests
Think: “Win a free boiler service” or “Free home safety check.” Great for social engagement and lead collection.

No need to overcomplicate it—you’re not writing a 50-page eBook. A short, useful PDF plus a friendly follow-up email or two is often more than enough to get the ball rolling.

📌 Pro tip from HubSpot & WordStream: Gated content (like checklists or guides) works best when you promote it through paid ads, your website, and social media. The more eyes on it, the more leads you’ll pull in.

7. Don’t Ignore Cold Leads—They’re Not Dead, Just Chilling

It happens all the time in field service—someone reaches out, maybe even gets a quote, and then… crickets. No reply, no booking. Life gets busy, they forget, or they just weren’t ready yet.

But here’s the thing: just because a lead went quiet doesn’t mean they’re gone for good. In fact, these “cold” leads can be some of your easiest wins—because they already know who you are.

Here’s how to bring them back to life:

Shoot over a quick “Still need help?” message
Keep it short and casual. A simple text or email like “Hey, just checking in—still need help with [service]?” often gets a response.
Give them a reason to re-engage
Try a small nudge, like “10% off for returning customers this month” or “Free call-out if booked before Friday.”
Set up a light-touch follow-up sequence
Use automation to drip out helpful tips, seasonal reminders, or service promos. Nothing spammy—just enough to stay on their radar.

You already paid to get these contacts in the first place, so don’t let them gather dust. Sometimes a single nudge is all it takes to turn a “maybe later” into a “let’s do it.”

8. Team Up Locally: Partnerships That Actually Pay Off

Want to reach more people without doubling your workload? Easy. Tap into someone else’s audience.

Partnering with other local businesses that complement what you do is a smart, low-cost way to get in front of potential customers who already trust your new partner.

Here’s what that might look like:

A pest control company teaming up with a local property manager
A plumber partnering with a bathroom renovation crew
An HVAC business linking up with a solar installer

These kinds of partnerships just make sense. You can swap referrals, run joint promos, or even offer referral bonuses to sweeten the deal.

And don’t sleep on networking either—those local business groups, Facebook community pages, or even casual coffee meetups can lead to some really solid connections. Heck, co-hosting a simple workshop or Q&A event can go a long way toward building trust and exposure.

When local businesses support each other, everyone wins. And your next great customer? They might just come from your new business buddy down the road.

9. Track What’s Working (And What’s Not)

Here’s the real secret behind great marketing: tracking.

If you don’t know where your leads are coming from or what’s happening to them after they land, you’re basically flying blind. And that makes it really hard to grow in a smart, sustainable way.

At the very least, you should be tracking:

Where each lead came from
How many turned into quotes
How many quotes actually became sales
The average value of each job
How long it takes to go from lead to paying customer

Once you’ve got those numbers, you’ll start seeing what’s working—and what’s just eating up your time or budget. That’s how you start improving things step-by-step.

And no, this doesn’t need to be fancy. You can use a simple spreadsheet or something like Fieldmotion, which handles leads, jobs, and revenue tracking all in one place.

Remember, marketing isn’t just about getting leads. It’s about guiding them all the way through—from the first click to the final invoice—and then turning that happy customer into a referral. That’s the full funnel. And tracking is what helps you tighten it up.

10. Don’t Bail Too Early

Most lead gen strategies don’t blow the doors off right away. And that’s totally normal.

It’s not that the approach doesn’t work. It’s that it takes time to tweak, test, and figure out what actually clicks with your audience. The biggest mistake most businesses make? Giving up too soon. Whatever losses you take at the start eventually pay for themselves once the marketing channel is dialed in.

Maybe you spend €500 on Facebook ads and get crickets at first. Frustrating, right? But if you keep refining the message, adjusting the targeting, and tracking your results, that same €500 could start bringing in €5,000 in jobs by month three.

It all comes down to this:

Consistency beats quick fixes every time.
Stick with the process, keep learning, and give your strategy the time it needs to grow legs. That’s how you build something that actually works long term.