Avoid Tire Kickers and Speak to Warmer Leads (Close More Deals)
I hope you enjoy reading this blog post.
Author: Brady Carlson | Co-Founder of Dirt2Dollars
Published Date: 9 January, 2026
Contractors and land management companies need to ensure they have all this information before going on-site to meet with a potential lead.
Most land management business owners are good at the work itself. You’re skilled, you’re talented, you probably have a solid crew. The problem isn’t doing the work, it’s consistency. Landing jobs on a consistent basis to keep your machines busy, your crews busy, and yourself booked out 3, 6, or 12 months at a time.
That consistency starts with lining up quality on-site appointments where you’re speaking with your ideal buyer every single day, every single week. Getting quality appointments comes down to getting the right information on that first phone call.
That first conversation you have with a prospect determines whether you’re walking into an easy close or wasting your time with a tire kicker. This article breaks down the exact checklist of information you need to collect before you ever step foot on their property. This process will help you prevent objections, line up prospects properly, and make the close easier when you’re face-to-face.
The 5-Point Pre-Appointment Checklist
1. Project Scope
The first thing you need to check off your list is the project scope.
What are they actually looking to get done?
Are they looking for clearing, grading, or excavating?
Putting an addition on their house?
Digging a pond?
It doesn’t matter what it is, you need a general overview of the project before you go out there.
You should be getting this information anyway, but it’s in this checklist for a reason. Too many contractors skip this step or don’t dig deep enough.
Get the details:
- What type of work are they looking for?
- How big is the property?
- Have they had the property surveyed?
- Do they have documentation showing their property borders?
- Is there any conflict with neighbors?
If this is a clearing project and they have 5 acres to clear, you need to know whether it’s been surveyed and where the borders are. These details save you a ton of time when you’re actually on site.
And gaining clarity on property borders leads us directly to the second point.
2. Property Ownership and Competing Bids
Way too many times, I’ve seen this happen with our own clients. They’ll drive out to a property and end up speaking with someone who doesn’t even own it. Or they don’t own it yet. Or it’s a neighbor inquiring on behalf of somebody else.
You want to make sure you have proof that they own the property before you go out there. Get them to confirm it. It’s going to save you a ton of time and headaches.
It sounds like a no-brainer, but just make sure you check it off your list. Yes or no, do they own it? If not, who does? Get that person involved in the decision-making process, because that’s who you’ll need to speak to.
If the person you’re talking to doesn’t own the property, the property owner must be present when you arrive. Otherwise, you’re not having an actual sales conversation.
Competing Bids
Another one is competing bids. Has this person received any other bids on this project in the past?
If no, ask why. Why are they looking to actually do this and pursue this project now? What changed?
If they have gotten bids in the past, ask why they didn’t pull the trigger. What exactly held them back?
A lot of people are always shopping around. Maybe you’re speaking with somebody who wants to talk to five other companies. We just had one of our clients deal with this. Here’s the simple fix:
While you’re on the phone with them, just ask: “I totally understand you’re shopping around, I’d probably be doing the same thing if I was in your position. But what exactly is it that you’re looking for with somebody to partner up and get this project completed?”
This question helps you isolate what they’re looking for. That way, you’re not taking shots in the dark and assuming they’re just price shopping. You can go out there and have a conversation about what they care about.
Ask about competing bids. Ask how many they’ve gotten. If none, ask why they’re looking to get this project done now, not 3 months ago, 6 months ago, 12 months ago. Why now? And then let the conversation flow from there.
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3. Decision Makers
Before you confirm and book that on-site appointment, you need to check with decision-makers.
Do they own the property? And is there anyone else involved in the decision-making process on this project? Is there anyone else who needs to be involved for them to pull the trigger?
Here’s how you can frame it:
Before confirming that date and time, say: “Just so I’m clear on my end, is there anyone else that might be involved in the decision-making process here? I know a lot of guys like to have their wife there, or a husband, a neighbor, a business partner, whoever. I just want to make sure everyone who needs to be there is there.”
Put out feelers for this because some people might say, “Yeah, I’m going to have to run it by my wife.”
If you hear that, stop them right there and say: “Okay, awesome. During our appointment, I’m going to get into the nitty-gritty and many of the finer details. It’s going to be about 45 to 60 minutes. So it’s in everyone’s best interest to have all decision-makers present. That way I can speak to all of you, answer any questions anybody involved in the decision-making process might have, and make the whole situation flow way easier for you.”
Make sure you’re doing that scan because the last thing you want is to go through the entire appointment, go through the bid, get a verbal yes, and then hear: “Oh, let me go run it by my wife first.”
That’s one of the toughest objections to handle. So when you’re on the phone with them before you go out, put out some feelers and do what you can to prevent it.
If they have to talk to a neighbor, figure out property lines, or get approval from someone else, it will just delay the sales process.
It’s unnecessary time wasted. You can easily cut it out by doing that first intro call correctly.
4. Urgency: Want vs. Need
The next one is urgency. Why are they actually looking to get this project done? Is it more of a want or more of a need?
If it’s more of a want, you’ll be playing more of an emotional angle. It’s going to be a more emotionally driven conversation because it’s not something in dire need of getting done.
You’re going to angle the conversation totally differently than if it were something that needed to be done.
If it’s something that needs to be done, there’s obviously going to be a time constraint on their project. If the project doesn’t get done within a certain timeframe, something happens, maybe the value of their property drops, more damage occurs to the property, or they’re prepping it for sale.
You want to figure out: Is it a want or is it a need? That way, you can angle the conversation in their favor.
The “wants” are where you might find a lot of tire kickers. We just had a client tell us he spoke to a guy who wanted 13 acres cleared just so he could view his property better. Obviously, you want to probe into that a little bit more. Maybe getting some pictures beforehand would help you get a better idea and have more ammo before going out to speak with that person.
Figuring out the urgency level of your prospects helps you take those appointments and conversations in a totally different direction, depending on their answer and their reason for wanting to get that project completed.
5. Timeline and Motivation
This next one builds on the last point. A lot of people have been shopping around for a year, 6 months, 3 months, whatever.
We just had a client speak with someone who wants to wait until springtime to complete their project. What you want to figure out is: Why are they looking to get it done when they want to get it done? Why then or why now? What’s the motivator? What’s their reasoning for completing the project on the timeline they say?
Here’s a common misconception: Many residential buyers don’t realize you can complete their project during the winter, in most cases.
If it doesn’t involve digging up frozen ground with 3 feet of ice, you’re good. Mulching, top layer clearing, all that stuff can obviously still get done during the winter. But most of your prospects aren’t going to realize that. It’s a common misconception that winter means you have to wait until spring.
Here’s the reality: If it’s a clearing project that needs to be done during the winter and there’s not 6 feet of snow on the ground, it’s actually more beneficial to do it then than in the spring.
Why? Nobody wants their property destroyed when it’s all muddy and wet and you’re driving heavy equipment over it. It’s going to create a mess, make the project a lot more expensive, and extend the timeline.
So it’s actually in their best interest to complete it during the winter. Obviously, it depends on the situation, but you can do a much cleaner job and do it more cost-effectively for your client during the winter.
And if you can do something for cheaper, that’s going to get people’s interest. They’re going to hear you out.
Ask: When are they looking to get it done? Why are they looking to get it done? How are they looking to get it done? These are all things you want to keep in mind before you go out and meet with these people face-to-face.
You’re going to line yourself up and put these people in more of a buying mindset when you actually show up and speak with them in person.
Stop Wasting Time on Tire Kickers
The difference between consistently closing deals and chasing down dead leads comes down to what happens on that first phone call.
When you collect this information upfront, project scope, property ownership, competing bids, decision makers, urgency, and timeline, you’re not just qualifying leads. You’re positioning yourself to close them.
You’re preventing objections before they happen. You’re making sure everyone who needs to be there is there. You’re showing up prepared with the right questions and the right angle for the conversation.
That’s how you stop wasting time on tire kickers and start speaking to warmer leads who are ready to move forward.
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