Lead follow-up

Reply in minutes, not tomorrow: a simple lead follow-up system

By Tejas Karan Agrawal · · 2 min read

Someone fills in your website form at 9 p.m. They also filled in two other forms that evening. Whoever replies first, with something useful, usually gets the conversation. This is what people mean by speed to lead.

Replying fast is hard when you are running the business. The fix is a small system that replies for you, then hands the lead over once it is worth your time.

The four parts

  1. Capture. Every enquiry, from the website form, email, Google Business Profile or social messages, lands in one place.
  2. Reply. A personal first reply goes out within minutes. It thanks them, answers the obvious question and asks one or two short questions.
  3. Qualify. Their answers sort serious enquiries from browsers. Budget range, timeline and location are typical questions.
  4. Hand off. Qualified leads reach you with the notes attached, ready for a call. Others get a polite follow-up later.

Write the first reply like a person

Avoid “Thank you for your submission. A representative will contact you.” Write what you would say if you had a minute: use their name, mention what they asked about, and ask the next question. AI can draft this reply from the enquiry itself, but keep the tone and the rules yours.

Follow up, politely, more than once

Many people don't reply to the first message because they are busy, not because they've lost interest. A second message a day later and a third a few days after that is reasonable. Stop when they reply or say no, and never message people who haven't contacted you or agreed to hear from you.

Keep it in one list

The system only works if every lead is recorded in one place: a CRM such as HubSpot, a job tool such as Jobber, or even a shared spreadsheet. If leads live in three inboxes, some will be missed however fast the replies are.

Check it every week

  • How many enquiries came in, and from where?
  • How long did the first reply take?
  • How many became calls or bookings?

If you can answer those three questions in a minute, the system is working.