Avoid These Mistakes When Converting New Clients

When trying to turn leads into sales, it's important to know what not do

Feb. 7, 2026

2 min read

Sales person meeting with potential clients — Turning leads into new clients can be a challenge, but learning what mistakes to avoid can help.

It’s easy enough to make contact with a potential client, but taking the next steps to securing the job can be much more challenging. Home remodeling and design platform Houzz spoke with three housing industry professionals who shared some of the previous mistakes that have lost them clients and what they have learned from those mistakes.

Some of those mistakes include: going too long without reaching back out to a client; not being upfront or straightforward enough; and emailing back and forth rather than getting on the phone; among other mistakes.

It’s a good idea to contact a potential client earlier rather than later, says Naomi Starr of Naomi Starr Interior Design.

“In the past, I haven’t always been able to contact leads immediately — quite often this has been up to a week after the inquiry has been made,” Starr says. “It’s very rare for me to convert a lead or inquiry if I haven’t contacted them on the same day or the day after.

“I now have a process in place to make one point of contact with the lead within 24 hours and to follow up with a phone call as early as possible to find out more information about the services they require,” she says. “This has been extremely successful.”