Automated lead follow up that answers new leads while you work

What slow lead follow up costs

Most leads are not lost to price. They are lost to silence. The form came in, nobody saw it until the next afternoon, and by then the person had already booked a call with someone else.

Example: a cleaning company gets six web leads on a Saturday. The owner sees them Monday morning and calls all six. Two do not pick up, three already hired someone, one books. With a reply on Saturday, even an automatic one, more of those six would still be talking to the company on Monday. You cannot know the exact number, but you can see the pattern in your own lead list.

A follow up plan you can copy

1. Reply right away. A short text or email that thanks them and says when you will call.
2. Assign the lead. One named person owns it, so nobody assumes someone else called.
3. Remind the owner the next day if the lead is still new.
4. Send a second touch a day or two later, then stop.
5. Check back on lost leads months later, when plans change.
6. Stop the moment they act. A reply or a booking ends the sequence.

How Dheed runs automated lead follow up

Leads arrive in Dheed from your Google Sheet, Facebook and Google ads, Zapier and your website contact form, all in one list with their source. The Automations page has ready made recipes that start turned off, so you choose what runs. See lead management in Dheed for the list and pipeline itself.

• Instant lead reply: texts a new lead within a minute, the classic speed to lead step.
• New lead follow-up: creates a task for the assigned person after 1 day, then texts the lead 2 days later if the status is still New.
• AI calls new leads: with the AI Receptionist on Pro or Business, calls about 2 minutes after the lead comes in, only with call consent and during daytime hours.
• Missed opportunity check-back: a lost lead check back 90 days after a lead is marked Lost.

After every wait, Dheed checks the lead again. If the status changed, the next step does not run. Leads can be assigned by taking turns across the team (round robin lead assignment), tagged, or sent to a teammate by email notification. Texts go only to people who agreed and have not opted out, and a daily cap limits automatic customer messages. More on the engine in marketing automation.

Build your own rules

Each lead follow up automation is "when this happens, only if, then do that." Triggers include lead created and status changed. Conditions include lead source, service, workspace and tag. Steps include wait, text, email, AI call, create task, assign, tag and notify team.

Setting it up in Dheed

1. Connect your lead sources in Settings, Lead sources, and your business email in Settings, Email.
2. Add business texting if you want text steps. Carrier approval usually takes a few days to a few weeks.
3. Turn on Instant lead reply and New lead follow-up, then review each message.
4. Use test mode, which lists the last 30 days of leads that would have triggered, without sending.
5. Read the run history after a week and adjust waits.

Tips and mistakes to avoid

• Promise a call, then make it. An automatic reply buys you time, not the job.
• Do not stack five messages. Two touches and a task is plenty for most service work.
• Record consent where the lead gives it, so text and call steps can run.
• Roofers chasing storm leads and cleaners with weekend form fills get the most from fast replies. See roofing CRM software and cleaning business software.

Automated lead follow up is part of the all-in-one business platform, and automations come on every plan. See plans and pricing, or start free.

Frequently asked questions