Lead Response Hacks

James Dooley: So you've got your first inquiry—or maybe multiple inquiries by now—and you're now responding to the leads. You've trained a team on this exact process, so I’ve got a few questions. What should your first message to a lead look like? Should you include lots of details or keep it simple? What’s your personal approach? Kasra Dash: The first message is just about grabbing traction and confirming you’ve received their inquiry. I keep it very simple: thank them for the inquiry and ask a quick question to get them to reply. It’s all about responding as quickly as possible. Our data showed that if you respond within an hour, it's 10x better than responding within a day. Within 30 minutes is even better—conversion increases as response time decreases. James Dooley: So response time is everything? Kasra Dash: Absolutely. It's the most important factor. And the first email should be plain text—no links, no images—because rich emails are more likely to end up in spam or junk. James Dooley: So no branded footer or photo? Kasra Dash: Not in the first email. I just say “Thanks for the inquiry,” ask an open-ended question, and get them talking. Once they reply, you go into their safe senders list. James Dooley: Does this apply only to email? What about SMS or WhatsApp? Kasra Dash: It depends on the niche. If it's an emergency service like locksmithing, you call immediately. For general inquiries, you can email, WhatsApp, or text. Sometimes the call center emails and messages to ask for the best time to talk. But ideally, I get key information first so I can pass it to the right person. James Dooley: How fast is fast? What’s your benchmark? Kasra Dash: For financial lead generation, we aim for 23 seconds. I know not every business can do that, but the closer you get, the higher your conversion rate. Some companies lose leads because they respond six or seven hours later. James Dooley: How should businesses decide which leads to respond to? Kasra Dash: If the inquiry is outside your service area or outside your service offering, you can delete it. But ideally, your lead provider should send only qualified leads. If they don’t charge per lead—like Fat Rank—then they can redirect mismatched leads elsewhere. James Dooley: Do all leads reply back? Kasra Dash: No. Across 500+ industries, about 50% of leads never respond. Some are bots, competitors, wrong emails, or messages landing in spam. That’s why follow-ups via WhatsApp, SMS, or phone can help. Even after follow-ups, some just never reply. On average, you convert 10–15% of qualified web leads. James Dooley: What is OneClick Response? Kasra Dash: It’s all about speed. People ask the same common questions. If you install artificial grass, you’ll hear questions like “Is it dog-friendly?” or “What subbase do you use?” OneClick Response lets you answer these recurring questions instantly with pre-built templates—speeding up your response time dramatically.