Epi 188: How To Hit A 90% Quote Conversion Rate
Wed Jan 28 2026
Marti sits down with Steve Glover from Paragon Homes in Toowoomba, Queensland. Steve shares his journey from battling in the "race to the bottom"—where the winner was whoever had the smallest number on the page—to running a high-end architectural building company with nearly $20M in revenue.
Steve reveals the specific "Design Experience" model that allows him to charge a $3,300 prelim fee and achieve a massive 90% conversion rate. They also discuss the dangers of "margin creep," the importance of transparent cost-plus pricing, and the personal health wake-up call that saw Steve drop 14kg to get his energy back for the business.
🕒 Timestamped Key Points
[09:26] The "Race to the Bottom" pricing trap [11:56] Why volume builder tactics (margin creep) destroy trust [14:56] Scrapping 50 plans to focus on custom design [16:44] Charging a $3,300 base fee for prelims [20:10] How to achieve a 90% conversion rate [21:28] The danger of running at 150% capacity [25:24] Using percentage-based overhead recovery [06:13] The health wake-up call: From 128kg to fit ***
The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business.
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Marti sits down with Steve Glover from Paragon Homes in Toowoomba, Queensland. Steve shares his journey from battling in the "race to the bottom"—where the winner was whoever had the smallest number on the page—to running a high-end architectural building company with nearly $20M in revenue. Steve reveals the specific "Design Experience" model that allows him to charge a $3,300 prelim fee and achieve a massive 90% conversion rate. They also discuss the dangers of "margin creep," the importance of transparent cost-plus pricing, and the personal health wake-up call that saw Steve drop 14kg to get his energy back for the business. 🕒 Timestamped Key Points [09:26] The "Race to the Bottom" pricing trap [11:56] Why volume builder tactics (margin creep) destroy trust [14:56] Scrapping 50 plans to focus on custom design [16:44] Charging a $3,300 base fee for prelims [20:10] How to achieve a 90% conversion rate [21:28] The danger of running at 150% capacity [25:24] Using percentage-based overhead recovery [06:13] The health wake-up call: From 128kg to fit *** The Professional Builder has helped over 3,100+ building companies around the world get more Profit, more Time and Succeed in Selling their Business. https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder Subscribe to our channel for weekly, actionable insights. Tailored to help you grow a profitable construction business. Want to Join our coaching program? Or just speak to one of our team to see if it's the right fit for you? Hit the link below. Everything you need is there! https://linktr.ee/theprofessionalbuilder https://www.facebook.com/groups/TPBmember: https://www.facebook.com/TheProfessionalBuilder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.