When a new lead submits a form or engages with your content, you have a precious 30-90 seconds to engage while you’re still top of mind.
Miss that window and you could miss your chance to lock in a meeting, according to Aloware CEO (and speed to lead expert) Anoosh Roozrock. Far too often, SMBs don’t have automated workflows in place that allow them to meet such a tight deadline—costing them that critical first conversation, and ultimately the deal.
In our recent webinar, Roozrock shares best practices for engaging leads immediately based on his firsthand research with customers. In this blog, we’ll share his valuable tips for crushing speed to lead—including the exact text message language you should use when reaching out.
Read on to learn the following:
- How to move beyond standard “thank you” messages to start a conversation
- The text message template you should send every lead to maximize engagement
- The AI-driven workflows you need to automate lead follow up
Table of Contents
The importance of timing
When a lead submits a form, they’re in a temporary state of heightened interest. Through helping LA-based personal injury attorneys optimize their speed to lead, Roozrock learned that 80% of high-ticket sales happen within 30 to 60 seconds of form submission. This critical window means that if you fail to act promptly, you risk losing leads to competitors who respond more efficiently.
Through automated sequences and CRM workflows, Aloware makes it simple to reach leads within your brief window of opportunity to secure next steps. Whether it’s pushing fresh leads to the top of your reps’ power dialer queues or instantly sending a strategic text message, Aloware takes the pressure off your team to manually follow up.
Move beyond standard thank you messages
In the not-too-distant past, many SMBs relied on sending automated thank you emails after every form submission. However, such messages no longer suffice in our modern pace of business. Prospects expect more than just a generic acknowledgment; they want to feel recognized and informed about the next steps.
That’s why sending a simple “thank you for contacting us” doesn’t cut it anymore. Instead, you need to establish a personal connection with each lead via call or text—both of which help you start a conversation much faster than email. This is where the power of personalized, real-time messaging comes into play, giving your reps the opportunity to build genuine rapport with each prospect.
The winning text message template
The moment a lead submits a form, you should send a text message that introduces yourself and your company. According to Roozrock, using the following template optimizes results:
“Hi [LEAD NAME], this is [REP NAME] from [YOUR COMPANY]. I’ll be reaching out to you within the next two minutes to discuss your needs!”
Roozrock says this straightforward-yet-effective approach serves two primary purposes:
- Builds recognition: By identifying yourself and your company, you provide context for the upcoming discussion. This familiarity increases the likelihood that the lead will pick up the phone when you call, as they already have a sense of who you are and what your agenda entails.
- Creates anticipation: Informing leads that you’ll call shortly keeps them engaged and helps them look forward to your conversation. Instead of drifting back to search results or considering other options, they’re more likely to remain focused on your ability to meet their needs.
Encouraging engagement through text
According to Roozrock, one major benefit of this strategy is seeing many leads respond directly to your text and qualify themselves. Since consumers already spend a great deal of their time texting, they’re accustomed to replying right away when they receive an SMS. By sending a personalized text message, you not only introduce yourself but invite leads to engage in conversation with you before your call.
For example, after your initial text, a lead might reply with questions or additional context about their needs. This early engagement sets a positive tone for your subsequent call and allows you to tailor your approach based on their responses. Engaging with leads through text can also alleviate any hesitation they may have about speaking on the phone with you and make them more comfortable with your upcoming conversation.
With Aloware’s bulk SMS tool, you can easily text large volumes of leads while staying compliant and whitelisting your campaigns with carriers. This helps you refine lead lists based on the responses you receive and eliminate low-quality leads from your funnel.
Leveraging AI-driven workflows for enhanced conversations
Roozrock also points out that Integrating AI-powered workflows can further elevate your business communications. With AI, you can automate follow-up texts and quickly qualify leads, even when your sales team is busy. This helps you effectively hold prospects’ interest while nurturing them through the funnel.
Aloware’s HubSpot integration is your all-in-one solution for automating follow up workflows. Here’s how you can easily get started:
- Automate introductory texts: Set up workflows that automatically sends leads a welcome text (using the template above) within seconds after they show interest.
- Prioritize rep dialing lists: Make sure your reps call the hottest leads first after they submit forms or view content by automatically pushing them to the top of their power dialer queues.
- Enable intelligent call routing: Automatically assign new inbound leads to the right reps on your team through AI-driven call routing. Aloware analyzes your CRM records to pair leads with the best-qualified reps on your team to assist them based on territories, account assignments, previous interactions, and more.
- Monitor engagement: Use Aloware analytics to view SMS engagement and evaluate the impact of your text campaign success. By tracking progress through responses, opt-outs, and media engagement, you can understand which SMS tactics are best serving your business.
- Personalize follow ups: Have your reps use data from previous customer interactions to tailor follow-up outreach. If a lead has specific needs or preferences, addressing these directly can improve the likelihood of conversion. Aloware’s two-way CRM sync makes it simple to view phone data in your CRM (and vice versa) so reps always have the context they need.
Conclusion
Responding quickly and efficiently to every new lead is key to sales success. By adopting a proactive texting strategy that emphasizes personal connection and immediate engagement, you can dramatically improve your chances of conversion. Combining personalized messaging and timely follow-ups can make a significant difference in how your team nurtures leads.
Ready to improve speed to lead with impactful, automated text messages? Schedule a demo or start a free 14-day trial, no credit card required.
