Winning More Business and Avoiding Missteps: Insider Tips Every Provider Should Know

It’s easy to assume that speed and price are the primary drivers of business success, but lasting progress comes from mastering the details that build trust. The best service providers know that a strong foundation — clear work orders, predictable approvals, and consistent communication — reduces friction and frees up time for billable work. Those who turn that into long-term results treat every work order, proposal, and update as a chance to prove why they deserve more business. That’s where a Provider Development team comes in. 

 
“We’re all about the provider relationship,” says Leah Wise-James, Senior Manager of Provider Development at ServiceChannel. “For our ServiceChannel Managed clients, we’re the team that helps top providers understand the metrics, see what’s driving their performance, and put plans in place to earn more business.” 

The moment performance turns into opportunity 

“Our sourcing team brings in the best of the best on the platform,”  Wise-James explains. “Those providers are rewarded for their performance by getting access to managed clients and more volume.”  

Once a service provider is part of the ServiceChannel Managed network, Wise-James and her team become their main point of contact on the provider side. They keep an eye on how providers are performing across the metrics that matter, sit down with top performers to talk through what’s working (and what’s not), help mid-tier providers figure out how to level up their business, step in for tougher conversations when performance starts to slide, and host regional appreciation gatherings where providers can get to know each other and build a real sense of community. 

Today, there are more than 2,000 ServiceChannel Managed providers. To keep that network strong, the Provider Development team relies heavily on insights. 

“We use what we call a provider performance score,”  Wise-James says. “It’s built from the KPIs that have the biggest impact for managed clients. If a provider’s overall score drops below a certain threshold, that’s when we reach out.” 

That threshold is usually around 70%. Above that, you’re in solid standing. Below that, it’s time to make some adjustments. 

The details that separate the good from the great 

When Wise-James talks about ‘top performers,’ she isn’t talking about secret tactics. She means the fundamentals — the simple, everyday behaviors that shape how a service provider literally shows up on the platform. 

“Communication is key,” she says. “If you’re only calling the location and not documenting anything in ServiceChannel, the facilities manager has no idea what’s going on. They might think the work was never done.” 

She says the providers who consistently win more business are the ones who communicate through the work order rather than just by phone or email, check in and check out every time using the mobile app or their integrated system, meet SLAs — especially for emergency work— and keep status codes accurate, ensuring no work orders are left as “Open” or “Incomplete” when the job is done. 

“Being consistent with the basics is huge,”  Wise-James says. “If you don’t check in, we can’t tell if you arrived on time. If you don’t check out, we don’t know if you finished on the first visit.” 

Every one of those metrics is within a provider’s control, and each one contributes to how they are ranked, both within the managed network and in Provider Search. 

A scorecard meant to guide, not to judge 

Many see the Contractor Scorecard as a static snapshot — something that reflects how they’re doing. But it’s actually more of a working dashboard that helps them run their business with more intention. 

The scorecard provides near-real-time visibility into speed, quality, price, and engagement; a clear breakdown of the KPIs that inform each score; filters that sort performance by customer, location, trade, priority, region, or date range; benchmarking against providers in the same trade and service area doing comparable work; and KPI trends over time that reveal whether performance is improving, holding steady, or slipping. 

Wise-James and her team use the same insights. “We look at who’s new to the program, who’s trending up, and who’s trending down,” she says. “Then we tailor our outreach.” 

High scores help providers become more visible and appealing in Provider Search, stand out in RFPs for preventive maintenance, and increase their chances of being selected to be part of the ServiceChannel Managed network. 

“The Scorecard gives you the same insight your customer has,”  Wise-James says. “If you use it, you come into those conversations prepared. You know where you’re strong, where you’re weak, and what you’re doing about it.” 

The easy-to-fix mistake that can change everything 

If there’s a single place where costly mistakes tend to creep in, it’s proposals. 

“Some of the most common issues we see are around line-item detail,”  Wise-James explains. “If you’re lump-summing materials or labor, the client can’t see what they’re paying for. That slows approvals and hurts trust.” 

From her perspective, and from the Trade Specialists who review proposals daily, a strong proposal always includes: 

• A clear description of the technician’s diagnostics 

• Before-and-after photos attached to the work order 

• An incurred cost breakdown (including labor, parts, trip charges, and materials) 

• A detailed materials list with manufacturer, part numbers, and descriptions 

• Make, model, and serial numbers for any equipment replacements 

• A per-unit cost for materials like flooring or ceiling tiles 

• A labor breakdown with hours × approved rate × number of technicians 

• Separate lines for travel and freight, when applicable 

“Clients are asking for pictures more than ever,”  Wise-James notes. “They want proof of service and asset details that they can reference later. And they really appreciate seeing exactly what materials were used and what labor they’re paying for. The more detail you include, the better.” 

On the Trade Specialist side, that level of detail is what helps proposals move faster and avoid rejection. It also protects the service provider. When everything is documented, there’s less room for disputes later on. Submitting complete proposals the first time around helps them meet proposal submission and return-to-site goals, reduce back-and-forth with Trade Specialists and clients, speed up approvals — which means faster work and faster payment — and build a reputation as someone who’s easy to work with.

A collaborative path to growth 

Wise-James and her team run three main tiers of engagement: top-tier performers receive regular business reviews; mid-tier performers get quarterly emails with their scores and specific opportunities to level up; and providers below 70% are scheduled for corrective action calls with clear follow-ups.  

“We look at the metrics — check-in compliance, schedule date compliance, first-time completion, emergency SLA, and others.”  Wise-James says. “Then we sit down with them, walk through what we’re seeing, and ask what they’re experiencing. Sometimes it’s not even a provider issue; it’s a system issue or a client process that needs adjustment.”

The providers who get the most value out of these conversations: 

• Come prepared and curious 

• Ask for clarity on how each metric is calculated 

• Talk openly about their experience using the platform 

• Commit to one or two concrete changes with a follow-up plan 

“Partnership is huge for us,”  Wise-James says. “We’re looking for providers who are hungry to partner and open to feedback. And we need to know their pain points so we can make the platform better for them, too.” 
 
All in all, strong performance and a willingness to collaborate often lead to deeper connections across the network — the kind that open doors to new opportunities and make it easier to grow.