How to plan lead follow-up
Most enquiries are never answered a second time. The businesses that follow up consistently win work the better ones lose.
The commonest reason an enquiry does not convert is that nobody followed up. Not rejection — silence, on both sides.
Step-by-step
- Enter your lead volume.
- Set the number of touches and the intervals.
- Read the schedule and the workload it implies.
Speed matters more than anything else
Responding within an hour dramatically outperforms responding the next day, and the difference is larger than almost any other variable. Someone enquiring is thinking about the problem now, and probably enquiring elsewhere too.
If you can do one thing, make it answering faster.
A workable rhythm
- Immediately — acknowledge, and say when you will respond properly.
- Day 1 — the substantive response.
- Day 3 — a short follow-up.
- Day 7 — add something useful rather than merely chasing.
- Day 14, then day 30 — spacing out.
- Quarterly after that, if they are worth keeping warm.
Most people stop after one or two. Persisting politely past that is where the difference is.
Give each touch a reason
"Just checking in" adds nothing and reads as pressure. A relevant example, a piece of information, an answer to something they raised — each gives the person a reason to reply and makes persistence feel like service rather than nagging.
Know when to stop
Send a final message saying you will stop unless they say otherwise. It is honest, it respects their time, and it produces a surprising number of replies from people who meant to respond and forgot.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly should I respond to an enquiry?
Within an hour if at all possible. Response speed outperforms almost every other variable, because the person is actively considering the problem and probably asking elsewhere too.
How many times should I follow up?
Five or six spaced touches is reasonable, which is considerably more than most businesses manage. Give each one a reason to exist beyond chasing.
When should I give up?
Send a final message saying you will stop unless they want you to continue. It is respectful, and it prompts replies from people who simply forgot.
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