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What We Solve · Answering fast

Reach every lead while they're still interested.

A lead is most interested in the first few minutes after they reach out. If the reply comes the next afternoon, they've often moved on.

01The problem

Interest fades fast.

An insurance agency gets a quote request at 7 PM. It lands in a shared inbox. The next morning someone sees it, calls at 11, and gets voicemail. By then the shopper has already talked to two other agents who replied while they were still on their phone.

Harvard Business Review's well-known study on lead response found that companies who reached out within an hour were far more likely to qualify a lead than those who waited longer, and most companies waited much longer. The pattern still holds. Leads come in from forms, ads, calls and social, scatter across inboxes and apps, and wait for someone to notice.

The usual fixes rely on people remembering. A sticky note, a spreadsheet, a reminder to call back. Busy teams follow up once, maybe twice, and stop. A basic autoresponder sends one generic email and goes quiet, which feels like nobody's home.

02What changes

What changes when follow-up runs on time.

  1. Replies in minutes

    Every new lead gets a personal text and email within minutes, day or night, so they know you're on it.

  2. Follow-up that doesn't quit

    A planned series of texts, emails and call reminders keeps going until the lead books, replies or opts out.

  3. Hot leads go to people

    When a lead replies or asks to talk, your team gets an alert right away with the full history in front of them.

  4. Nothing falls through

    Every lead from every source lands in one place, so you can see who was contacted and who still needs a call.

03How we fix it

How we keep leads warm.

A repeatable process, run by the same in-house team from kickoff to launch.

  1. Step 01

    Gather every source

    We connect your website forms, ad leads, calls, chats and social messages into one CRM so no lead sits in a forgotten inbox.

  2. Step 02

    Write the first reply

    We write a short, human first message for each type of lead that answers the obvious question and offers a next step, like a booking link.

  3. Step 03

    Build the follow-up plan

    We set a schedule of texts, emails and call tasks over the following days and weeks, with rules that stop the moment someone replies or books.

  4. Step 04

    Hand off and review

    Ready leads are routed to the right person with an alert. Our team reviews replies and results, and tunes the messages as we learn what works.

04What you get

What you get.

  • 01

    One lead inbox

    All leads from every source in a single CRM view, with the history of every text, email and call.

  • 02

    Instant first response

    Personal text and email replies that go out within minutes to leads who opted in, at any hour.

  • 03

    Follow-up sequences

    Multi-step follow-up for each lead type, written in your voice, that respects opt-outs and quiet hours.

  • 04

    Lead tracking report

    A simple view of response times, booked appointments and where leads stall, so you can see the gaps close.

05Any industry

Works the same in any business.

  • 01

    Insurance agencies

    Quote requests get an immediate text with a short question set, and licensed agents get alerted when a shopper is ready.

  • 02

    Medical practices

    Appointment requests get a quick reply with a booking link, with private details kept inside your secure system.

  • 03

    Contractors

    Estimate requests get a same-hour reply and photo request, then reminders until the site visit is on the calendar.

  • 04

    B2B companies

    Demo and contact requests get a fast personal reply, and the right salesperson is assigned before the lead cools off.

07Questions

Questions about lead follow-up.

How fast should I respond to a new lead?

As fast as you can, ideally within minutes. Harvard Business Review's lead response research showed that waiting even an hour makes a real difference. An automatic first reply buys your team time to make the personal call.

Won't automated messages feel spammy?

Not when they're written well and sent to people who asked to hear from you. We keep messages short and human, stop the sequence the moment someone replies, honor opt-outs right away, and avoid late-night texts.

How many times should I follow up?

More than most businesses do. Many leads reply on the third, fourth or fifth touch, not the first. We spread follow-up over days and weeks with a mix of text, email and call reminders, and stop when they book or say no.

Does this work for my industry?

Yes. Any business that gets inquiries from forms, ads, calls or messages can use it, from law firms and clinics to contractors, insurance agencies and B2B sales teams. We write the messages for your customers and your process.

Do I need a new CRM?

Not always. We can often build this into the CRM you already use. If leads are spread across email and spreadsheets, we'll set up a CRM that fits your team and move everything into it.

Adam Segall, founder and CEO of Unified Marketing

Written and reviewed by

Adam Segall

Founder & CEO, Unified Marketing · Since 2006

Adam founded Unified Marketing in 2006 and still oversees the strategy behind every account. He brings more than 25 years of media relations, with national placements on CNBC, FOX News, the Today Show and Good Morning America, and holds the agency to one standard: senior specialists run every account.

Stop letting good leads go cold.

Show us how leads reach you today and we'll map where they're slipping away.