What to do when a new lead comes in.

We all know how exciting it is when a new lead lands in your inbox. It means your marketing is working, your message is landing, and someone is interested. But what you do next can make all the difference between a missed opportunity and a new client or customer.

Here’s our proven process for responding to leads that gives you the best chance of converting interest into income.

1. Speed is everything – respond within 10 minutes

Studies show that responding to a lead within the first 10 minutes dramatically increases your chances of converting them. Why? Because they’re still thinking about you, still on their device, and still motivated.

If they don’t answer the phone straight away:

• Send them a friendly text message (something simple like “Hi [name], just got your enquiry – let me know a good time to call, or I’ll try you again shortly!”).

• Try calling them again two more times over the next 2–3 days.

2. No luck after three tries? Move them into a ‘warming’ sequence

If you’ve tried calling them three times and they still haven’t answered (plus a text and/or email), it’s time to mark them as cold and shift gears.

That doesn’t mean giving up – it just means you need a softer, more long-term approach. Here’s what to do:

• Move them into a warming email sequence – a series of helpful, genuine emails reminding them who you are, what you offer, and how you can help.

• Avoid being too salesy – focus on building trust and offering value.

3. If you reach them but they don’t book, always book a follow-up

Let’s say you finally get them on the phone – great! But they’re not quite ready to book in yet. What now?

Don’t leave the next step up in the air. Instead, say something like:

“No worries – I’ll send you an email with everything we discussed, and I’m sure you’ll have a few more questions. Let’s pop a quick 5-minute check-in in the diary for Thursday. Would morning or afternoon suit you best?”

This keeps the momentum going and prevents leads from falling through the cracks.

4. Always temperature check and schedule the next step

Every time you speak to a lead, finish the conversation by asking one simple thing:
“How does that sound?”

This gives you a clear idea of where they’re at – hot, warm or cold. Based on that, schedule a follow-up:

• If they’re hot (ready to go): lock it in.

• If they’re warm (interested but not ready): book a follow-up.

• If they’re cold (unresponsive): see step 2 above.

5. What if they ghost you completely? Here’s your final message

If you’ve followed up three times and they’ve gone completely silent, it’s time to send a polite final message. Something like:

“Hi [name], I haven’t been able to reach you, so I’ll pause my follow-ups for now. But if your situation changes or you’d like to go ahead in the future, just let me know – I’d love to help.”

This leaves the door open while respecting their space.

In Summary: The Golden Rule of Leads

• Always know where your lead sits (hot, warm, or cold), and always know what the next step is.
• Consistency, genuine follow-up, and good systems win every time.

If you need help creating follow-up automations or warming sequences for cold leads, we’re here to help!