Most small businesses don't lose jobs to competitors; they lose them to silence. The lead waited, the quote went unanswered, nobody followed up. A simple process fixes that.
Step 1: Reply fast
Reply to every new enquiry as quickly as you can, ideally within minutes. Ask the questions you always need: address, photos, timing, budget range.
Step 2: Log every lead in one place
Website form, chat, email, Facebook: all leads go into one list with the date and status.
Step 3: A follow-up schedule
- Day 0: quote sent
- Day 3: friendly check-in ("Any questions about the quote?")
- Day 7: last helpful nudge with a reason to book (availability, season)
- Stop as soon as they reply
Step 4: Templates in your voice
Write each follow-up once. Keep them short, specific to the job and free of pressure.
Step 5: Review weekly
Who replied, who booked, who went cold, and why. Adjust your templates.
Where AI helps
An AI agent replies instantly, logs every lead, drafts the day-3 and day-7 follow-ups for your approval and sends you a weekly report. It never calls or texts people who haven't agreed to it.
Follow-up templates you can copy
Day 3: Hi {Name}, just checking you received the quote for {job}. Happy to answer any questions or adjust anything. — {Your name}
Day 7: Hi {Name}, we have openings on {dates} for {job}. If you'd like one, reply here and I'll hold it for you. If now isn't the right time, no problem at all.
Track a few numbers
- Response time: minutes from enquiry to first reply.
- Close rate: quotes that became jobs.
- Follow-up rate: quotes that got every scheduled follow-up.
Improving response time and follow-up consistency is usually the cheapest way to win more jobs, because you already paid to get those leads.
Respect people's choices
Stop following up when someone says no, honor unsubscribe requests, and only text people who agreed to texts. A respectful process protects your reputation and keeps you within the law.
Questions
How many times should I follow up on a quote?
Two polite follow-ups is a reasonable default for most service businesses, then stop unless they reply.
Can I text leads automatically?
Only people who have agreed to receive texts from you. Automated calls and texts without consent can break the TCPA.