How quickly should I respond to a new lead?

As fast as you reasonably can. Set a standard, such as within the hour during business hours, and return every missed call the same day. Customers often contact more than one business and go with whoever answers first.

How many times should I follow up on a quote?

Follow up on a schedule until you get a clear yes or no. A common pattern is the same day, two to three days later, one week, and two weeks.

Do I need CRM software to track leads?

No. A spreadsheet with one row per inquiry and a stage for each is enough to start. Software helps once the volume is more than you can review weekly.

WithFunded › Academy › Sell more

Follow up faster: turn more leads and quotes into sales

Before spending more to find new leads, look at the ones you already have. Unreturned calls and quotes that were never followed up are some of the cheapest sales you can recover.

WithFunded Academy · Lesson 13 of 16 · 3 min read · Updated November 2026

Key takeaways

Reaching more of the leads you already get raises sales with no added marketing spend.
Respond to every inquiry as fast as you can. The first business to reply often wins.
Follow up on every quote on a set schedule until you get a yes or a no.
Track four stages: new, contacted, quoted, and won or lost.

Where the sales go

Say you get 100 inquiries a month. You reach 60% of them, quote 50% of those, and win 40% of the quotes at $1,500 each. That is 12 sales and $18,000 a month.

Now reach 75% instead of 60%, with nothing else changed. Sales rise to 15 and revenue to $22,500, a 25% increase from leads you were already paying for.

1. Respond fast

Set a response standard, such as within the hour during business hours, and measure it.
Return every missed call the same day. Many callers do not leave a voicemail. They call the next business.
Have a ready reply for web forms and messages that confirms you got it and says when you will call.
Decide who owns new inquiries. When it is everyone's job, it is no one's.

2. Follow up on every quote

A quote with no follow-up is a decision left to chance. Use a schedule and stop only at a clear answer:

When	What to do
Same day	Send the quote and confirm they received it
Day 2 or 3	Call to answer questions
Day 7	Check in, and offer an option at a different price if cost is the concern
Day 14	Ask plainly whether to keep the quote open

A no is useful too. Ask why, and write it down. The reasons repeat, and they tell you what to fix.

3. Keep a simple pipeline

A spreadsheet is enough. Give every inquiry one row and one of four stages: new, contacted, quoted, won or lost. Review it weekly. Anything sitting in a stage too long is your to-do list.

4. Measure two rates

Contact rate: inquiries you actually spoke with ÷ total inquiries
Close rate: jobs won ÷ quotes sent

Improving either one lowers what each customer costs you. See CAC and lifetime value.

Contact people the way they agreed to be contacted. Text and email marketing have consent rules, so message only customers who gave you their details for that purpose. WithFunded guidance. Not legal advice.

Common questions

How quickly should I respond to a new lead?: As fast as you reasonably can. Set a standard, such as within the hour during business hours, and return every missed call the same day. Customers often contact more than one business and go with whoever answers first.
How many times should I follow up on a quote?: Follow up on a schedule until you get a clear yes or no. A common pattern is the same day, two to three days later, one week, and two weeks.
Do I need CRM software to track leads?: No. A spreadsheet with one row per inquiry and a stage for each is enough to start. Software helps once the volume is more than you can review weekly.

Next lesson · Manage your cash flowHow to build a 13-week cash flow forecastSee a shortfall weeks before it arrives, and decide what to do about it calmly.

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Educational content. WithFunded Academy lessons are general information for small-business owners. They are not financial, legal, or tax advice, and they are not an offer or a commitment to lend. Figures are representative examples and WithFunded calculations, not quotes. WithFunded and Big Think Capital are a financing marketplace; we are not the direct lender and do not guarantee funding, approval, rates, or terms. Actual rates, fees, payments, and terms are set by the funding lender and depend on your business, credit, and the product. Where required by state law, the lender provides cost-of-financing disclosures before any agreement is signed.