What Would You Ask a Top Pro With 10+ Years of Thumbtack Experience?

ArvinC · July 17

Cc: @Bretdouglas @DustiO @Bretdouglas67

ArvinC · July 20

Sharing this with members of our community who might enjoy this AMA. If you have a question for Bret, we'd love to hear it. Drop it in the comments!

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fieldwayservices · July 21

Thanks for your service. How do you find reliable employees? @Bretdouglas @Bretdouglas67

ArvinC · July 27

Sharing this with some of our newer community members who might enjoy this AMA! 👋

If you have a question for Bret, now's the perfect time to ask. Whether it's about winning more jobs, growing your business, marketing, hiring, or anything you've learned (or struggled with) on Thumbtack, drop your question in the comments. There's a good chance other pros are wondering the same thing too.

And if you're looking to connect with other pros beyond this thread, we'd also love to have you join our bi-weekly CommuniTEA networking & mentorship hour this Thursday from 10:00–11:00 AM MT (9:00 AM PT • 11:00 AM CT • 12:00 PM ET). It's a relaxed opportunity to meet fellow pros, share ideas, ask questions, and chat with Thumbtack team members. Hope to see you there!

@meraki2026 @JoshDWillis @designworker @Austin @Ashley37 @WaterHeaterRescue @TPRRTX @Empire @max666 @Supercleanqueen @Benjamin @Tom_MacDonald @BorisPichon @administrator @rohang @JoneeOakes94 @whitneylynv @maximofloors79 @MuqeemSa @Marketing @YardLady84 @perennialsmalljobs @Kourtney @Gertie @vtcontractors @NormanLLCServices @Djsiruso @FnF @Booneyjam @dan_terry @LunaRose @blackinkfinancials @Ahmed @KnoxvillePro @RyanMitchell @Briangarcia2019 @paulw112 @Joselg97 @McMrAlfaro @NativeCleaning1212 @HCDC_1947 @CoastalLux @Elwe0203 @MrContract @mmccarthy @Kingredd115 @AJ_Lac @Whitman1981 @sonderorganizing @Kaya_Handyman @FrontlineTint @Shyla @Lenz_Cleaning_LLC1 @sabbu009 @Wuscapingllc_2025 @Harveyparkelectric26 @TLCHome @SevenSeas @OnTheMark @Dave54 @RichardJohnson @jslarson @DavidSPC @JosueDLR @_SanchezLawnCare_01 @The_Tidy_Atelier @Rsantiago1070 @HandiDan @Dreamyouroutcome @techgoddess @Humble @BigGuyATL @alexmercer @roncambest @raysjkoshy @Jce81drywall @Carleesha @MosaicSnrTransitions @astradesign @Panacea_Mobile @ARHLandscaping @fruenzlewis @Terrence_Bullock @mpenrod @meruert @Rake_n_Leaf_Bro @Vflpools @SameDayFix77 @yourtechinfo007 @Aboveall @Girlie_VA @jbillenstein @GrandHorizon @Revolt @ihebtak @Leoxx5g @Edgar_Quino @Ant @severinomechanical @evergreenwastecorp @HITMAN7493 @Wrenchit @Xavie222 @ebissan @LandscapingJjax_2026

SarzozaPhoto · July 28

I didn't get a tag 😥, but I'll ask a question. 😅

@Bretdouglas, What's your secret to selling your service? Is there a technique or strategy you deploy to persuade a lead to hire you? I've heard the best way to get rich is to learn sales. So I'm trying to improve that skill. Any insights would be appreciated.

ArvinC · July 28

Thanks for the great questions, @fieldwayservices @SarzozaPhoto! Bret is currently having a login issue with the Community, and we're working with him to get it resolved. We'll share his responses as soon as he's able to get back in. We appreciate your patience! 😊

Jonathan_Stickland · August 4

Bret,

In regards to your competition, how do you price your basic services in comparison to others offering the same? What is your strategy in your listed prices customers can browse when choosing whether to pick you or not for a bid? Thanks in advance.

Bretdouglas67 · August 24

@fieldwayservices I apologize for the delayed response, and thank you for asking your question.

At this point in our career, we basically do not have employees. At one time, we had around 30 employees, and it was definitely a challenge to keep everyone working consistently while also dealing with constant recruitment and turnover.

Since we began our journey with Thumbtack, we've operated as a small family business, and we've found that works much better and is much simpler for us.

Unfortunately, I don't have much insight into managing employees while also handling Thumbtack jobs, but I'm sure there are many Top Pros here who can share their experience in that area.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful with this particular question, but if there's anything else about my experience with Thumbtack that I can help with, I'd be happy to share what I've learned.

God bless, and good luck on your journey!

Bretdouglas67 · August 24

@SarzozaPhoto I apologize for the delayed response, and thank you for asking such a wonderful question.

Sales is definitely a big part of landing a Thumbtack lead. A customer may hear from three or four different pros, all with different approaches, pricing, and ideas.

One of the biggest things I've learned over all my years with Thumbtack is that honesty is crucial when selling a job. Customers have become extremely internet savvy and can quickly research pricing, so I believe staying within industry standards is important.

Where you have more flexibility is with work that's especially labor intensive or requires your particular expertise. That's where you have an opportunity to explain your value and justify your pricing.

I also believe that when you're selling your service, you're selling yourself just as much as your company. Show the customer that you're dependable, communicate well, take pride in your work, and genuinely want to help them. Even if they don't ultimately hire me, I hope they find another great pro on Thumbtack who can help them.

If I can be of any more assistance, please feel free to reach out. I'd be happy to talk one-on-one and offer some free mentoring based on what I've learned over the years.

Good luck on your career path, and please don't hesitate to reach out if I can help!

Bretdouglas67 · August 24

@Jonathan_Stickland Thank you for asking this question. To be honest I generally haven't been too concerned with what other people price their work as I tend to always try to price it as industry standard. What I've noticed over the years working with Thumbtack is that most of these clients are now internet savvy and they are definitely going to look up prices that what top pros are going to charge no matter what. And I would assume that if three or four people are bidding on the same project we should all be around the same price if we're all pros.

I believe what sets us apart is how we present ourselves and our confidence in our ability to sell the job in general. Sometimes how we market ourselves our communication efforts are dependability and our scheduling really stands out. I apologize that it took me so long to answer this as we've had some technical problems. If I can help you with anything please reach out to me by text at 386-500-8217 as I love to help other pros and I'm always available with a helping hand for free. I might not know everything but I've been around for about 12 years with thumbtack and I've pretty much been a top pro all the time. God bless you on your journey and if I can be of any assistance please reach out. Good luck warm regards Bret Douglas

What Would You Ask a Top Pro With 10+ Years of Thumbtack Experience?

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