Speed-to-lead is the time between a lead coming in and the first reply. The lead might be a website form, a Facebook lead ad, a phone call or a chat. For many local businesses that time is measured in hours, if the lead gets a reply at all. The owner is on a job, it's after hours, or the form goes to an inbox nobody checks.
Why response time matters
A widely cited Harvard Business Review study of more than 2,000 US companies found that firms that tried to contact a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to have a meaningful conversation with a decision maker as firms that waited longer. A lead that waits goes cold, or books with whoever answered first.
Why it's your problem as the agency
Your work usually stops at the inquiry. Your reputation doesn't. When your client's team doesn't answer leads quickly, the leads look bad, the campaign looks bad, and the client starts asking whether marketing is worth paying for. Fixing response time is one of the most direct ways to keep clients.
How to fix speed-to-lead for every client
- Reply instantly: a text and an email to every new lead within a minute.
- Text back missed calls: callers get a text instead of voicemail. See white-label missed-call text-back.
- Keep following up: 5 to 6 messages over the first 10 days, until the lead replies or books.
- Alert the team: when a lead replies, your client's team hears first, with a backup contact if no one responds.
- Let leads book themselves: a booking page with a confirmation and 24-hour and 2-hour reminders.
- Recover no-shows: a rebooking text the same day and the next morning.
How SellableCRM handles it
These are the six core features in every client account. Our team sets them up and maintains them under your brand, and your client's team uses one login for leads, the inbox and the calendar. It costs $175 a month per live client, plus $300 one-time setup per client. See what's included and pricing.