Beat your competition to every lead by 59 seconds.

Studies show leads contacted within 5 minutes are 21x more likely to close than leads contacted within 30 minutes. Most contractors respond the next day. With Automated Lead Follow-Up, every inbound lead gets a personalized text from your number within 60 seconds — even when you’re on a job site or asleep.

The 5-minute rule that’s killing your close rate

The Lead Response Management Study by MIT and Insidesales.com found that the odds of qualifying a lead drop 10x when the response time crosses the 5-minute mark, and 21x when it crosses 30 minutes. By the time you check your phone at lunch and call back the form submission from this morning, the homeowner has already talked to two competitors and probably scheduled an estimate with one of them.

This isn’t about answering 24/7 yourself — it’s about your business sending the first response within 60 seconds, every time, automatically. A friendly text in your voice that says "Got your message about the gutter work — I'll call you in a couple hours, but quick question first..." That single message keeps the lead warm and stops them from calling the next contractor on their list.

What gets automated

What the 7-day sequence looks like

Here’s the default contractor template — we customize the wording and timing to match your business and voice.

• 0 minutesInitial text confirming you got the message and giving an honest call-back time. "Hey [name], got your note about the [project]. I'll call you back by [time]."
• 4 hours laterIf no reply, a follow-up offering to text instead. "Easier to text? Happy to answer questions here if calls are tough today."
• Day 2Email with photos of similar past work and a brief description of how you'd approach the project.
• Day 4Short text checking in — this is when most contractors give up but homeowners are often still shopping. "Still need a hand with [project]? Happy to swing by for a free estimate this week."
• Day 7Final touchpoint with a soft close. "Last note from me — if it’s no longer top of mind, no worries. If it is, here’s the easiest way to get on my calendar." With a link.

Bundled with Review Automation

The $299/mo Lead Machine package includes both Automated Lead Follow-Up and Automated Review Requests — because they’re two halves of the same flywheel. Lead follow-up wins the job. Review automation gets the review. Reviews drive new leads. The cycle compounds every month.

What’s included in setup

• Trigger setup: Connect your contact form, AI phone intake, web chat, and any other lead sources to the automation.
• Template writing: I draft your sequences in your voice, you approve and revise, we go live.
• SMS provider setup: Use your existing business number or get a dedicated SMS line.
• Calendar link: Optional booking link in the sequence for self-serve scheduling.
• Test sends: I send the full sequence to my own phone before go-live to catch anything that reads off.

FAQs

Will this annoy customers?

Not if it’s done right. The sequence stops the moment they reply, and the messages are short, helpful, and human. The biggest complaint we see when contractors don’t do this is "you never followed up" — not the opposite.

Can I use my existing CRM?

Probably yes. The system integrates with HighLevel, JobNimbus, ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and most contractor CRMs. If you don’t have a CRM, we can use a lightweight one or just run it through your phone’s SMS app and a simple lead dashboard.

What if I want to text someone manually mid-sequence?

You can. Reply from your phone normally and the automation pauses for that conversation. Resumes only if you tell it to.

Do you handle the actual conversation when they reply?

No — that part is yours. The automation gets the lead warm and engaged. You take over the moment they reply, because the close happens person-to-person.