In short: a shared lead is one enquiry sold to several firms. An exclusive lead goes to you alone. Your own ads go a step further: the homeowner enquires with you, under your name, in an area kept for you. What matters is your cost per won job, not the price of a lead.
The three models
| Compared on | Shared leads | Exclusive leads | Your own ads, own area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who gets the enquiry | You and other firms | Only you | Only you |
| Who the homeowner thinks they contacted | Often a website, not you | Varies | You, by name |
| The race to reply | Real, because others are ringing too | Gone, but speed still matters | Gone, but speed still matters |
| Setup | Usually none | Usually none | Ads, forms and follow-ups need building |
| Good for | Trying it out, filling gaps | Steady work without competing | Building a steady flow under your own name |
Why shared leads can cost more than they look
When the same enquiry goes to several firms, the homeowner gets several calls within minutes. Some will pick the first one who rang, some the cheapest quote, and some will get fed up and stop answering. Even if you’re good, you’ll win a smaller share of those enquiries than you would of ones that only came to you.
That’s why the honest way to compare is cost per won job:
- Add up what you spend in a month.
- Count the enquiries you actually spoke to.
- Count the jobs you won from them.
- Divide what you spent by the jobs you won.
Our cost per job calculator does the sums for you, using your own numbers.
What “your own ads” means in practice
With Lead Wave, the ads run for your trade, in your area, from your Facebook page. Someone who fills in the form has asked you for a quote. They get a text in your name within seconds, and automatic follow-ups if they don’t reply. Then they land in the LeadConnector app on your phone.
We take on one business per trade, per area, so your ads never compete with ours for someone else in your patch.
Leads is coming in good thanks mate👍🏽
Shaun, driveways, Blackpool · WhatsApp, 30 Jan 2026, 14:26
Seven questions to ask any lead provider
- Is each enquiry sent to anyone else? If yes, how many?
- Who does the homeowner think they’ve contacted?
- How do I pay? Per lead, a monthly fee, ad spend, or a mix? Work out your cost per won job either way.
- Is there a contract or a minimum term?
- What happens to an enquiry in the first five minutes? Does anything reply automatically?
- What happens if quality drops? Who looks into it, and how fast?
- Can I talk to the person running it?
For the record, here are our answers: only you, you, message Nick for the full price, no contract, month to month, an instant text in your name and follow-ups until they reply, Nick goes through your leads and fixes it, and yes, on WhatsApp.
Want enquiries that come only to you? Tell Nick your trade and town and he’ll check if your area is free. How Facebook ads for tradesmen work
Your message to Nick