Speed 3 min read · By Grant Ejimone

How to reply to every lead in under 5 minutes

PROBLEMLeads go cold before you reply.

A lead who just filled in your form is thinking about you right now. In a few hours they’re thinking about someone else.

Step 1: Send an instant reply

Set your form to send an email or text the second it’s submitted. Not “we got your message”. Give one clear next step: “Here’s a link to book a 15-minute call” or “Here’s a ballpark for jobs like yours.”

Sarah Kim · Kim BuildersTue 9:12 AM Quote request: detached ADU, Austin Budget around $180k. Can we get a price this week? Real lead

same minute

To: Sarah KimSent: Tue 9:12 AM (automatic)

Re: Quote request: detached ADU, Austin

Thanks, Sarah. Here’s a ballpark for ADUs like yours, and a link to book a 15-minute call this week.

Book a 15-minute call →

The lead arrives, and the reply with one clear next step goes out in the same minute, before anyone at the business has seen it.

Step 2: Put the next step in that reply

A booking link, a price range, or one question that moves things forward. The goal is that they never have to wait for you to do the next thing.

Nights and weekends are where most leads wait the longest.

Step 3: Make new leads the first job of the day

Before email, before meetings. Anyone who came in overnight gets a real reply from a person by 9am.

Step 4: Cover the gaps

Nights and weekends are where most leads wait the longest. An AI assistant can answer common questions and book calls while you’re off, and then hand the lead over to a person.

How you know it’s working

Track the time from form to first reply for 2 weeks. Then track how many leads book a call. The second number should go up as the first goes down.