Any business that uses paid customer acquisition to keep its doors open knows how vital and expensive leads are. But acquiring leads is only the beginning. Converting them into paying customers is the next challenge — and the key to higher conversions is in a fast follow-up. Companies who attempt to reach a new lead within an hour are seven times likelier to have a sincere conversation with decision-makers than those who wait even 60 minutes.
That’s why text is a powerful communication tool for following up with new leads. Not only is texting the fastest way to reach a new lead, but it also has a 39 percent higher response rate than email. In this article, we’ll cover how your business can use text to follow up with new leads, with examples of the different types of messages you can use.
Text message scenarios with examples
There are numerous ways companies can use business texting to contact a new lead, and most of them depend on how in-depth the conversation needs to be. In the following sections, we’ll go over successful follow-up text messaging examples from a diverse range of industries and use cases.
Texting as soon as a form is filled
Companies with a saturated market benefit the most from a quick response time because an immediate follow-up is essential to beat out the competition. A study by Lead Connect found that 78 percent of customers buy from the company that responds to their inquiry first.
These businesses need to be fast because they might need to schedule an in-person consultation before a lead loses interest. To avoid losing a warm lead, here are some ways you can follow up with them.
Apartment leasing is one of the more common use cases for businesses needing to text a new lead immediately. That’s because the apartment rental industry is competitive, and the need to book an in-person appointment is crucial to acquiring a tenant. In this example, the company is trying to book an apartment viewing with a lead by using business texting to reach out.
Texting is also useful for handling multiple leads. For example, car dealers can text with prospective customers to schedule a showing or test drives.
Another example of a company-type that may need to text a lead as soon as a form is filled is after-school programs, like tutoring services. Below is an example of one using business texting to reach a new lead post-form fill.
When the lead requires more prequalifying
Business texting is also an excellent way to better qualify leads before putting the time and energy into converting them into paying customers. Some companies can use text to pre-qualify a lead by sending an initial text that asks a few more questions to better understand if a lead is a good fit for their business or not. This strategy works best for companies who have high volumes of leads and need to filter them.
Nurse staffing agencies need a lot of documentation from their applicants to match them to jobs. In the above example, a nurse staffing agent uses text to confirm a new lead’s credentials.
Insurance companies receive multiple quotes throughout the year and need a method of communication to manage their leads. Companies in the banking and financial industries also have similar conversations with their prospective clients to determine if someone is eligible for various financial products like loans, credit cards, etc.
When extensive info is needed from a lead
While some businesses are ready to set up an appointment in their first text, others require a more extensive back and forth to gather more information from a lead to better assist them. Home service businesses are a great example of an industry that needs to engage with their customers in an ongoing two-way conversation, like the text conversation example below.
Home service businesses like solar panel installers have to gather a ton of information about their leads to give an accurate estimate of the time and money it costs to complete a project. Texts make this method of question and answering easier because they’re more accessible and top-of-mind than an email or drawn-out phone call.
Travel agencies are another example of a business vertical that needs a lot of information from their leads to provide them with options to convert them into paying customers.
Healthcare is a booming industry across the globe. Medical practices receive hundreds of different procedure requests that require personalization and HIPAA compliance. For this reason, health professionals need to have extensive and protected discussions with potential clients to communicate the expectations of said procedures.
Using texts to follow-up with unresponsive leads
Sometimes a new lead is unresponsive to your initial attempt at contacting them. There are many reasons why a lead may not reply to your first message. They could either be unreachable on the channel you communicated with them on, or they simply need another tap on the shoulder to get their attention. Here are a few ways you can use business texting to send another round of follow-ups with unresponsive leads.
After a phone call or email
You can use business texting as an alternative channel to follow up with a new lead if they don’t reply to your phone call or email attempts. Texting is convenient because it’s more personable, quick, and as a reminder, it has the highest response rate out of all other channels. A study found that following up with a lead using text led to a 112.6 percent higher engagement rate.
Below is an example of how a company uses business texting to reach a new lead alternatively:
After an initial text
Don’t be discouraged if you’ve already texted a new lead and they didn’t reply. It happens in the world of texting! Sometimes people are just busy and need a reminder to get them to answer. Here’s an example of how you can shoot another text to a lead if they didn’t respond to your initial outreach:
In this example, the apartment leasing company threw in a timely offer to entice a new lead. Adding a value proposition can make your follow-up texts more attractive and increase your chances of getting a reply.
The bottom line
When speed is of the utmost importance, texting is one of the most significant ways to communicate with new leads. A faster response time will help your company convert more leads and ultimately give your business the reputation of being an attentive and customer-focused brand.
As a reminder, keep your text conversations concise and free of grammatical errors. Need help writing the perfect business text? Learn how to write them in our latest guide.
