Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a luxury, it's a must. If you're a contractor or home service provider, integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into your workflow can be a game-changer, helping you book more jobs, attract better leads, and streamline your marketing efforts.
A lot of contractors I talk to think AI isn’t for them or don’t think it can help them. Boy, are they wrong. I think the issue is that most contractors are intimidated by AI.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a tech wizard to get started. With the right prompts, you can turn ChatGPT into a powerful assistant for your business.
This article provides eight powerful ChatGPT prompts that you can start using today, even with no prior experience with AI.
Here are eight general contractor focused prompts to get you started:
1. Pinpoint High-Income Neighborhoods and HOAs
Stop wasting marketing dollars on low-return areas. Instead, focus your efforts on affluent neighborhoods where homeowners are more likely to invest in premium services. Use this prompt to identify high-income areas and HOAs in your service area:
“I’m a [type of contractor] in [location]. I’m looking for affluent neighborhoods or HOAs to target my services. What ZIP codes or communities near me have the highest per-capita income? Complete a web search to complete this task and sort starting with the most ideal target.”
Once you have this list, you can create highly targeted marketing campaigns using door hangers, EDDM postcards, Google Local Service Ads, or Facebook ads.
2. Create SEO-Friendly Project Pages
Project pages are a fantastic way to showcase your work and attract free, organic traffic from search engines like Google. However, writing them can be a chore. Let ChatGPT do the heavy lifting:
“I’m a [type of contractor] in [location]. I recently finished a [type of project] and want to create a project page on my website. Write ~500 words optimized for SEO, highlighting the scope of work, materials used, and benefits to the client. Ask me any questions necessary to make the content accurate.”
ChatGPT will then ask for specific details about the project, such as square footage, materials, and client goals. Simply provide the information in bullet points, and ChatGPT will generate well-written, SEO-optimized content for your website.
3. Automate Google Review Responses
Positive Google reviews are essential for building trust and credibility. However, responding to every review can be time-consuming. With this prompt, you can automate the process while maintaining a personal touch:
“I’m a [type of contractor] in [location]. I just received this review from [customer name]: [insert review]. Write a warm, professional reply.”
This simple prompt helps you maintain an active and polished online presence without spending hours typing out responses.
4. Overcome Common Customer Objections
Sales calls can be challenging, especially when you encounter objections from potential customers. Prepare yourself for these situations by using ChatGPT to create a playbook of effective responses:
“I’m a [type of contractor] in [location]. I sell [service]. What are the most common objections homeowners have, and how should I respond to overcome them?”
With this prompt, you’ll get ready-made responses to common objections like “Your price is too high” or “We’re still shopping around.” This will help you sound more professional and close more deals.
5. Discover Networking and Partnership Opportunities
Referrals are the lifeblood of many contracting businesses. Use this prompt to find local businesses and organizations to partner with for referrals:
“I’m a [type of contractor] in [location] looking to make local business connections and form referral partnerships. Complete a web search to find local organizations, events, or businesses I should reach out to, and include any available contact info.”
This can help you connect with HOA boards, local suppliers, realtors, interior designers, and other professionals who can send business your way.
Part of networking is building your brand. Here’s how to build your personal brand as a general contractor.
6. Identify Timely Service Opportunities
For services that are time-sensitive, such as roofing, HVAC, or painting, this prompt is a goldmine. It helps you identify neighborhoods with homes that are due for your services:
“I’m a [type of contractor] in [location]. What ZIP codes or communities were built around [specific years]? I want to target homeowners who are due for [service].”
For example, an HVAC contractor can target homes built 10-15 years ago, while a roofer can find neighborhoods with aging shingles. This allows you to proactively market your services to homeowners before they even start looking for a contractor.
7. Create High-Converting Ad Copy
Running ads on platforms like Facebook and Google is a great way to generate leads quickly, but writing effective ad copy can be difficult. Let ChatGPT do it for you:
“I’m a [type of contractor] in [location]. Write 3 high-converting ad variations for Facebook and Google. Focus on [specific service] and [target audience]. Keep it short, persuasive, and include a strong call-to-action.”
This prompt gives you multiple ad variations to test, so you can see what resonates best with your target audience. You can even ask ChatGPT to create copy in different tones (e.g., urgent, conversational, authoritative) to A/B test your ads.
Here are 5 Facebook ad ideas to get more home remodeling leads.
8. Build a 30-Day Social Media Content Calendar
Consistency is key to success on social media. If you struggle to come up with content ideas, use this prompt to generate a 30-day content calendar in seconds:
“I’m a [type of contractor] in [location] who wants to attract [target audience]. Create a 30-day social media content calendar with 10 Instagram Reels, 10 Facebook posts, and 10 TikTok video ideas focused on [specific services]. Include hooks, captions, and trending hashtag suggestions.”
This prompt provides you with a month’s worth of content ideas, complete with hooks, captions, and hashtags. You can also ask ChatGPT to repurpose content, turning a single project into multiple social media posts.
A Word of Caution For General Contractors Who Use ChatGPT
While ChatGPT is a powerful tool, it’s important to remember that the free version has limited access to real-time data. Always double-check any names, addresses, or URLs that it provides. The paid version of ChatGPT offers web search capabilities, which is a worthwhile investment if you plan to use AI regularly for your business.
These ChatGPT prompts will help you work smarter, not harder. Start experimenting with these prompts today and see how they can help you grow your contracting business.
