Most small businesses don't lose leads because they're bad at sales. They lose them because nobody followed up. A lead fills out a form, gets busy, and never hears back, or hears back once and then nothing.
What it does
- Every new lead gets a fast, personal first reply, day or night
- Leads get a short series of follow-ups until they book, reply, or opt out
- The follow-ups stop the moment a person responds
- Hot leads get flagged for a human to call
Before you start
- List every place leads come from: website forms, phone, email, social messages, directories, referrals.
- Get them into one place. A CRM is best. A shared inbox or spreadsheet works to start.
- Write down how you follow up today, even if the real answer is "when I remember."
Step by step
1. Centralize your leads
Connect each lead source to one list. Many website form tools, CRMs, and automation platforms can do this without custom code.
2. Write your first reply
Make it personal and specific to what they asked about. AI can help draft a reply based on what the lead wrote, but use a template you've approved. Include one clear next step: book a time, reply with photos, or call.
3. Build a short follow-up sequence
A simple, respectful sequence:
- Right away: the first reply
- Next day: a short check-in with something useful
- A few days later: a reminder with the easy next step
- About a week later: a final, friendly "should I close this out?"
Then stop. More isn't better.
4. Stop when they respond
This is the most important setting. Nothing annoys a customer more than an automated "just checking in" after they've already replied.
5. Flag the hot ones
Set rules for when a person should call immediately: a large job, an urgent request, or a repeat customer.
6. Test it
Submit a lead yourself through each channel and check what arrives.
Rules to follow
- Email: Follow-ups about a request someone made are generally fine. If you add them to a marketing newsletter, include an unsubscribe link and your physical address, and honor opt-outs.
- Text: Only text people who gave you their number for that purpose. Get explicit permission before sending marketing texts, and honor STOP.
- Be accurate. Don't let AI promise prices, availability, or results you haven't approved.
What to measure
- Time to first reply
- Percentage of leads that get a reply
- Percentage that book
- Revenue from booked leads
Next step
Once leads are booking, make the booking itself easy with Automate Scheduling.