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Sales Partner Training Guide

Node Creek Software — Contractor Website and Review Automation

Your reference for everything you need to pitch confidently, answer questions, and close deals. Read it through once, then keep it handy. When in doubt, use the exact language here.

View the Contractor Pricing Page

Contents

  1. 1. What We Sell
  2. 2. Understanding the Products
  3. 3. Objection Handling
  4. 4. Technical Questions
  5. 5. Before You Reach Out
  6. 6. The Pitch Sequence
  7. 7. Quick Reference
  8. 8. When to Loop in Peter

Section 1: What We Sell and Why It Works

The two products

Website Design

We build websites specifically for contractors — fast-loading, easy to read on phones, and set up so Google understands what the business does and where it operates. $1950 setup, $59/month. The monthly fee covers hosting, content updates, missed call text-back, domain handling, and file ownership. No contract.

Review Automation

An automated review request system that sends a text and email to every customer after a job closes, without anyone on the contractor's team doing anything. $99 one-time setup, $97/month add-on (added to the base $59/month). Includes a dashboard showing requests sent, delivered, opened, and converted to reviews.

Coupons and payment options

Coupons available: We can discount the $1950 setup to $400 with a coupon. Use your judgment on this. It's a real tool to close hesitant prospects, not something to lead with.

Spreading the cost: Whether it's $1950 or $400, the setup fee can be spread across 12 monthly payments if the customer signs a 12-month contract.

The ideal customer

Home service contractors with 1-20 employees who:

  • Are already doing good work and have real customers
  • Want more calls coming in (not just relying on referrals)
  • Want more reviews but don't have a system
  • Are spending money on tools that don't work well together

Think plumbers, HVAC, electricians, concrete contractors, water treatment installers, landscapers, roofers. Any trade where the customer is a homeowner and the job is $500+.

Why we're different from what they might already have

GoDaddy/Wix/Squarespace sites

These sites look fine but they're not built to show up in Google searches. They use generic templates that Google doesn't rank well for local businesses, and they often load slowly on phones — which is where most people are searching.

Cheap local agencies

Often charge $2,000-5,000 for a site that still doesn't show up in searches. And once it's built, they're gone — no one maintaining it or keeping it current.

Podium or Birdeye for reviews

Podium starts at $289/month for reviews only. Birdeye is $299-449/month per location. TrustMagnet starts at $156/month and includes a full contact database, automation, scheduling, and social posting on top of reviews.

Google or Facebook ads

With ads, you pay every time someone clicks, and the moment you stop paying, the calls stop. A good website and strong reviews keep working in the background — whether you're spending on ads or not.

How the checkout process works

You pitch it, they follow a link. The checkout page shows exactly what they're getting and what it costs. Payment is 50% upfront plus the monthly fee, and 50% on project completion. No contract to sign on a call, no commitment to make before they see the numbers.

Section 2: Understanding the Products Well Enough to Talk About Them

You don't need to be technical. You need to understand enough to not get caught off guard and to explain things in plain English.

Websites

Domain vs. hosting — what's the difference?
The domain is the address: yourcompany.com. They probably already own it and pay $10-15/year for it, usually through GoDaddy or a similar registrar. Hosting is the computer that stores the website files and shows them to visitors. That's what our $59/month covers. If they ask: "Who owns my domain?" — they do, always. We host the site but we never take ownership of a customer's domain.
How do they update their website content?
A static site has no login screen to manage content. That's by design — faster, more secure, simpler to maintain. When they need a change (new service, updated phone number, new photo), they call, text, or email us and we handle it. That's what the $59/month is for. They don't log in anywhere, they don't manage anything.
What is schema markup?
Code baked into the site (invisible to visitors) that tells Google: "This is a business. They do water treatment. They're at 123 Main St. Their phone is 555-0100." Google reads it and can display that information directly in search results. Most DIY sites don't have this. If they ask, just say: "It's code built into the site that helps Google understand and display your business details properly in search results."
What is page speed, and why does it matter?
Page speed is how fast the website loads — especially on a phone. Google ranks faster sites higher, and visitors leave slow sites before the page even finishes loading. Many older contractor sites take 8-12 seconds to load on a phone. That's slow enough that both Google and the visitor give up on it. Our sites are built to load in under 2 seconds.
What is an SSL certificate?
The "https://" padlock in the browser address bar. It tells visitors the site is secure. All our sites include this. Don't mention it unless they ask.
Why does the demo/preview use stock photos instead of real ones?
Because we build the site before we have the customer's actual photos. Stock photos are placeholders that let us show the layout, colors, and design without waiting on anyone. Once the site is built, swapping in real photos is quick — it's just file replacement. The structure doesn't change. If a prospect notices: "Those are placeholder photos. Once we build your site, we swap in your actual job site photos, crew shots, or whatever you have. If you don't have photos yet, we can work with stock photos that fit your trade, or we can talk about getting some shot." Real photos always look better than stock. If they have any, encourage them to send them over.
What if they don't have any photos of their work?
It's more common than you'd think. Here's how to handle it: Short-term: We use trade-appropriate stock photos while they're getting started. It's not ideal but it's not a blocker. Medium-term: Encourage them to start taking phone photos of finished jobs. A decent photo taken right after a job is done is all they need. Most contractors already have some on their phone. Don't make it a big deal. The site can go live with stock photos and be updated when they have real ones. It's not a reason to delay.
How long does it take to build the site?
24 hours if they give fast feedback. Usually 3-5 business days in practice, because people take time to review. The bottleneck is almost always the customer, not us. We need: their logo (or we design one), basic info about their services and service area, a phone number and email, and any photos they want to use. If they ask: "How fast can you have it done?" — honest answer is "We can have a draft to you within 24 hours of getting your info. How fast it goes live depends on how quickly you can give feedback."
What if they want changes after the site is live?
That's what the monthly fee includes. Content updates — new service, different phone number, updated hours, a new photo — just send a message and it gets done. What it doesn't include: a full redesign or adding major new features. If they want something substantial, that's a separate conversation. For most contractors, this never comes up. The site stays mostly the same for years.
What if they want to see their site before it goes live?
We share a preview link before launching. They review it, give feedback, and we make changes. Nothing goes live until they approve it. This is worth mentioning if they seem hesitant — some people worry they'll be stuck with something they don't like. They're not.

TrustMagnet

What is a CRM?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. Think of it as a contacts app that also tracks where each person is in your sales process — whether they're a new lead, a booked job, a past customer, etc. TrustMagnet includes this. For a contractor, it means they can see every lead, track who's been followed up with, and know exactly who's in the pipeline. Many contractors are currently tracking this in a spreadsheet or their head.
What is an automation or workflow?
A set of rules that run on their own. "When X happens, do Y." Example: When a job is marked complete in Jobber, wait one hour, then send the customer a text that says "Thanks for having us out — would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? [link]" No one on the team has to trigger it. It runs every single time.
TCPA and SMS compliance
TCPA is a federal law about sending text messages. Review request texts are legally considered follow-up on a completed transaction, not advertising. We follow all the right rules regardless. If a customer asks: "We follow compliance guidelines. Customers can opt out at any time." Don't go deeper. If they push, say "Peter can walk you through that — it's all handled on the platform."

Section 3: Objection Handling

These are the five most common objections. Read them, practice them, use the exact language.

"I already have a website"

Don't tell them their site is bad. Help them ask themselves whether it's working.

First response: "That's great. When did you last update it? And when someone searches for [service] in [city], do you come up?"

Let them answer. Most people either don't know or know they don't show up. That's your opening.

Follow-up questions:

  • "Is it easy to navigate on a phone? Most people are searching on their phone these days."
  • "Does it have your Google reviews visible on it?"
  • "Do you have any idea how fast it loads on a phone?"

If they push back: "I'm not saying it looks bad — it might look great. But most sites built before 2020 aren't set up the way Google wants them to be. A site can look good and still not show up in searches."

Then stop. Don't pile on. If they're thinking about it, let them think.

"I get all my business from referrals"

Don't argue. Referrals are real and valuable. Acknowledge it first.

First response: "That's the best possible situation. You're clearly doing good work."

Then pivot: "Here's the question I'd ask though — when someone gets a referral to you and then Googles your name before calling, what do they find? If they see 8 reviews and your competitor has 80, some of them are calling the competitor."

Second angle: "The other thing with referrals is they're hard to scale and hard to control. If your referral network slows down, your pipeline can dry up fast. A good online presence works 24/7 whether you're networking or not."

"It's too expensive"

Break it down: "$59/month is about $2 a day."

ROI reframe: "If this gets you one more job in the first six months, the website has paid for itself. After that, it's all margin. What's an average job worth to you?"

Most contractors are billing $500-5,000+ per job. The math is obvious once they say it out loud.

For the full package: "Add review automation for $97/month more and you're at $156/month total. A website that shows up in Google, automated review requests after every job, missed call text-back, domain, hosting, and security."

Compare to alternatives:

  • Podium (reviews only): $289-599/month
  • Birdeye (reviews only): $299-449/month per location
  • Website + review automation together: $156/month. And that includes the website itself.
"I don't have time to deal with this"

This is the best objection because the product literally solves for it.

Review automation: "That's exactly why this exists. Once it's set up, you don't touch it. When you close a job in Jobber, your customer automatically gets a text. You never have to remember to ask. There's nothing to manage."

Websites: "We build it, we host it, we handle everything behind the scenes. If something goes wrong, you call us. Your job is just to run your business."

"I've tried things like this before and they didn't work"

Don't dismiss their experience. Ask what they tried.

Response: "That makes sense — a lot of these tools are generic and require a lot of setup to get any value. What did you use?"

Then listen. If it was a DIY review tool, a generic website builder, or an agency that did a one-time build and disappeared — those are common.

"The difference with the review automation specifically is it's tied directly into how you close jobs. There's no extra step. Most tools break down because they require someone on your team to actually use them. This one doesn't."

Section 4: Common Technical Questions Customers Ask

"Who will own my website?"
They own all their content and their domain. We own the code we wrote, but they can always take their content and move on. We give them an export of everything.
"What happens if I want to cancel?"
TrustMagnet: Month-to-month. Cancel with 30 days notice. We strongly recommend sticking with it — results compound over time — but there's no long-term commitment required. Website hosting: Cancel anytime. If they stop paying, the site goes offline. We'll give them an export of their content.
"Can I keep my existing domain?"
Yes, always. They point the domain to our hosting — we configure that for them. We never take ownership of a customer's domain.
"Do I need to give you my Jobber login?"
No. We use Jobber's official integration. They authorize it within their own Jobber account. We never see their credentials. For Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan: we build a custom integration using their API. Same result, no third-party tools required.
"What if I get a bad review?"
We monitor for new reviews so they're not catching a bad one weeks later. When one comes in, we can write a professional response for them — just ask. Context to share: "One bad review surrounded by 80 five-star reviews is basically invisible. The goal is volume. And research actually shows that responding thoughtfully to a bad review increases trust with the people reading it."
"Can it post to Facebook and Google automatically?"
Yes — automated social posting to Facebook pages and Google Business Profile is available. It's something we set up on a case-by-case basis. If they're interested, loop in Peter.
"Will it work with [specific software]?"
Jobber: native integration, $99 total one-time setup Housecall Pro: custom integration, $99 + $300 additional = $399 total setup ServiceTitan: custom integration, $99 + $700 additional = $799 total setup Anything else: "Let me check with Peter on that one." Don't guess.

If they start asking about their existing setup or want technical help over the phone: Don't try to troubleshoot anything. "Let me connect you with Peter — he can look at your specific situation in about 10 minutes." That's the right answer every time.

Section 5: Before You Reach Out

Take 5 minutes to look them up first. It makes every conversation better.

  1. Google "[business name] [city]" — do they show up on the first page?
  2. Look at their Google reviews — how many? What's the rating? When was the last one?
  3. Visit their website on your phone — does it look decent? Does it load quickly?
  4. Check their Google Business Profile — is it complete with hours, photos, description?

Now you have specifics. "I looked up your business before I called, and I noticed you only have 14 reviews. Your competitor down the road has 140. I wanted to reach out because that gap is fixable pretty quickly."

That's a much stronger opener than a generic pitch.

Section 6: The Pitch Sequence

Step 1: Warm intro

Mention the mutual connection and be brief.

"Hey [name], [contact name] mentioned you run [business]. I'm Peter's sales partner at Node Creek Software — we help contractors get more customers online."

That's it. Don't overexplain who you are.

Step 2: Identify the pain

One question. Then stop talking.

"Can I ask — are you getting as many calls from your website as you'd like, or is most of your business word of mouth right now?"

Listen to the answer. What they say next tells you exactly what to talk about.

Step 3: Connect their pain to the product

  • Not getting enough calls: Talk about the website. "The reason most contractor sites don't bring in calls isn't how they look — it's that Google doesn't know what they do or where they operate, so it doesn't show them to people searching."
  • Not enough reviews: Talk about review automation. "Most contractors want more reviews but don't have a system. This automates the whole thing — you close a job, your customer gets a text. No one has to do anything."
  • Both: "A lot of contractors tackle both at once — the website gets them found, and the reviews build the trust that closes the deal when someone lands on the site."

Step 4: The close

"Peter built a checkout page where you can see exactly what it costs and get started directly. No sales call required — it's all right there. Do you want me to send you the link?"

If they hesitate:

"It's not a contract you're signing on the phone. It's a simple checkout — 50% upfront, 50% when the project is done. You see all the details before you commit to anything."

Step 5: Follow up

"Hey [name], just wanted to make sure you got the link I sent. Happy to answer any questions before you dig in."

One follow-up. If they don't respond, note it and move on. Don't push.

7. Quick Reference: Numbers to Know

Website setup $1950 (coupon available: $400)
Monthly service $59/mo
Review automation setup $99 one-time
Review automation monthly +$97/mo
Jobber integration $99 total (base setup, Jobber included)
Housecall Pro integration $399 total setup
ServiceTitan integration $799 total setup
Contract / minimum term No contract — cancel anytime with 30 days notice
Directory listings $99 for 5, $20/listing after that
Typical response rate (SMS + email) 26%
Podium comparison $289-599/mo (reviews only)
Birdeye comparison $299-449/mo (reviews only)

8. When to Loop in Peter

Call Peter (don't try to answer) when:

  • Someone asks about integrations not listed above
  • Someone has a technical question about their existing site
  • Someone wants a custom quote outside the standard tiers
  • Someone is ready to buy but has a specific contractual question
  • Anything that feels like it's getting complicated

Your job is to warm them up and get them to click the link. The product and the checkout page do the rest.