The 4 leaks that lose you leads + how to plug each one.

A lead is someone who already put their hand up: a form, a call, a DM, a quote request. You paid for that, in ad spend or in time. Then the reply comes hours later, or never, and they book with whoever answered first.

There are four places that silence usually happens. This guide shows you how to find which ones you have, then how to plug each one, with the messages already written.

Pull every lead from the last 30 days: forms, calls (missed ones too), DMs, emails and quote requests. Give each one a row.

Lead	Channel	Came in (date, time)	First reply (date, time)	Booked? (yes/no)	If not, why

Then read it like this:

• The typical gap before a first reply is more than five minutes: leak 1.
• Calls, DMs or after-hours leads with no reply at all: leak 2.
• Fast replies, but few bookings: leak 3.
• You can’t fill in “If not, why”: leak 4.

The leak: people ask two or three businesses at once and go with whoever makes it easy. A reply that comes after lunch is often a reply to someone who has already booked.

The plug: one named person owns new leads during opening hours and checks them at least every five minutes. Put their name on it, and a back-up for their days off.

Aim for a first reply inside five minutes, every time, during opening hours.

The leak: the calls that go to voicemail, the Instagram and Facebook messages nobody checks, and everything that comes in after closing. Nobody is in charge of them, so nobody answers them.

The plug:

• Every missed call gets a text back within a minute. Most phone systems and CRMs can send it automatically.
• Every lead that comes in after hours gets an instant reply that says when you’ll call.
• DMs get checked as often as forms, by the same person.

Hi, it's [Your name] at [Business]. Sorry we missed your call. How can we help? Reply here, or pick a time that suits you: [booking link]

Thanks for getting in touch with [Business]. We're closed right now, but we'll call you at [time] tomorrow. Rather not wait? Book here: [booking link]

The leak: most leads who don’t book after the first reply aren’t saying no. They got busy. Without a schedule, nobody remembers to try again.

The plug: the same 14-day schedule for every lead.

1. Day 0Reply inside five minutes. No answer? Call once more an hour later.
2. Day 1A text that answers the question they’re most likely to have next.
3. Day 3A call. No answer? A short voicemail and a text.
4. Day 7A text that makes it easy to say “not now”.
5. Day 14A last message, then they move to your monthly list.

Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Business] again. Most people ask about [price / availability / how long it takes] next, so: [one-line answer]. Want me to hold a time for you? [booking link]

Hi [First name], just checking in. Still looking for help with [service], or has the timing changed? Either answer is fine.

Hi [First name], I won't keep messaging. If [service] comes back up, reply here or book any time: [booking link]. Thanks for considering [Business].

Stop the schedule the moment they reply or book. Never send a message that ignores something they’ve already told you.

The leak: a lead without a status gets forgotten, and a lost lead without a reason teaches you nothing.

The plug: five statuses, in a CRM or a spreadsheet: New, Contacted, Booked, Won, Lost. Every Lost gets one reason from a short list: price, timing, went elsewhere, never replied, not a fit.

After a month, the reasons tell you what to fix next. Mostly “never replied” means leak 3 is still open. Mostly “price” means the first conversation isn’t showing what the customer gets.

Run the leak check again and compare it with the first one: how many leads got a reply, how fast, and how many booked.

To see what this does to your cost per customer, guide 001 shows how to track it.