5 Ways You’re Throwing Away Leads

Not Responding

It goes without saying, you have to actually respond to leads if you want those leads to turn into customers.  

There are a variety of reasons why you or your staff might not respond to a lead. Often, you’re too busy and it falls through the cracks or you just don’t think the lead is a good fit. But take a moment to consider how many customers you’re pushing toward your competitors by failing to respond to each and every lead. 

If you’re not tracking your leads, you should be. Tracking will give you a clear picture of how many leads are actually coming through the door, how many you attempt and achieve contact with, and how many convert into customers. 

The data might surprise you. 

Taking Too Long to Respond 

In a perfect world, someone on your team would respond to every lead immediately. But this isn’t a perfect world and day-to-day business often prevents those instantaneous responses. 

If you can’t respond immediately, you at least need to respond quickly. But what is considered quick? Multiple studies have shown the optimal lead response time is 5 minutes or less. That’s right—5 minutes or less. In fact, you are 100 times more likely to get in touch with an inbound lead 5 minutes after they have contacted you versus even 30 minutes later. 

With these stats in mind, it’s worth it to ensure someone on your staff is available to respond to a lead contact at a moment’s notice. 

Whether you’re responding to a lead by phone, by email, or via another channel, it’s always a delicate balance between demonstrating patience and actively pushing them toward the next level in the sales funnel. The task gets even harder when you haven’t told your lead what the next step actually is. 

A strong call to action (CTA) is a must-have when you’re responding to leads. Whether you want your lead to book an appointment, set a follow-up call, or do something simple like complete a questionnaire, your CTA needs to be clear and easy to understand. 

If your lead is left with any question about what to do next, there’s a risk they’ll look elsewhere for help. 

Not Actually Answering the Question or Addressing the Concern 

It's natural to want to tell your prospective customers all the great things about your company. And you should—but only to a point. 

You know the guy at the party who constantly talks about himself? Don’t be that guy. He’s annoying and eventually, no one wants to talk to him. Likewise, if all you do is brag about how great your company is, your lead is going to get turned off pretty quickly. 

Your leads have problems they need solved or questions they need answered. Focus on those issues and tout your company's virtues sparingly and only when appropriate. If you adequately explain how your company can solve the lead’s problem, you will already be demonstrating your company’s expertise. 

Neglecting Old Leads 

Sometimes old leads are referred to as “dead” leads. But are they really dead? Maybe not. 

Consider all the reasons a lead might get moved to the “cold” pile: They never responded to your contact. They’re ultimately not in your target audience. They told you to leave them alone. They weren’t in the market for your services at that time. They had just been laid off and couldn't make a big purchase. They decided to go with a competitor. These are just a few scenarios. 

In some of these cases, the lead really is dead (and should be left that way.) If the lead wasn’t in your target customer base anyway, there’s no reason to contact them again. And of course, if a lead tells you to leave them alone, you should. 

But in many cases, old leads are worth revisiting. If someone isn’t in the market for your services at the moment, they might be later on. Someone who is on a tight budget when you initially speak to them might have a little more spending flexibility a year down the road. 



 Don’t miss out on the potential for old leads to become new customers