A new lead is a fragile thing. Reply too late, sound too salesy or go silent after the first message and the trail goes cold. Reply quickly, sound like a real person and follow up with patience and most leads stay warm long enough to convert.
Here's a follow-up approach you can run consistently without sounding like a script.
Reply within four working hours
Speed matters more than polish. A short, useful reply within four hours beats a perfectly written one the next day. Set up an inbox rule, a notification, a phone alert, anything that means you actually see new enquiries when they arrive.
Make the first reply useful, not generic
The first reply should answer the actual question, suggest the next step and read like you wrote it for them, because you did. Avoid 'Thanks for your enquiry, one of our team will be in touch shortly'. That's an autoresponder, not a relationship.
Use a six-touch sequence, not a one-shot reply
If they don't reply, follow up. Most small businesses give up after one or two messages. Most sales happen after three or four. The rule of thumb: be useful, not pushy and stop only when they say so or after the sequence ends.
- Touch 1, day 0: useful reply with a clear next step.
- Touch 2, day 2: short follow-up with one piece of extra value.
- Touch 3, day 5: one-line check-in asking about timing.
- Touch 4, day 12: value email with no ask.
- Touch 5, day 25: a 'before I close your enquiry' email.
- Touch 6, day 60: a low-pressure re-engagement.
- Touch 1: 'Hi [Name], thanks for getting in touch. Quick answer to your question: [answer]. Want to grab a 20-minute call this week to talk it through? Here's my calendar: [link].'
- Touch 3: 'Hi [Name], just checking whether the timing on this is now or further out. Either is fine, just want to know how to be useful.'
- Touch 5: 'Hi [Name], I'll close your enquiry on Friday unless I hear back. No pressure either way, but if it's still on your radar, just reply with 'still here' and I'll keep it open.'
Track every lead so none slip
A simple spreadsheet beats a forgotten one in your head. Name, source, last contact, next action, date. Look at it once a day. The best follow-up system is the one you actually run.
What to do next
Write the six messages once. Keep them in a templates folder or a saved-replies tool. Use them on the next new lead today. The system pays for itself the first time it converts a lead you would otherwise have lost.
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