How to Shorten Your Moving Company's Sales Lead Response Time

How long does it typically take you to respond to a new sales lead after acquiring his or her contact information? Known as lead response time, it's an important metric in the moving and relocation industry. The longer your sales lead response time, the fewer sales you'll generate.

According to Harvard Business Review (HBR), the average lead response time for B2B companies is 42 hours. That means it takes nearly two full days for B2B companies to respond to new leads. With such a long response time, many B2B companies struggle to convert their leads into buyers. Even if your lead response time is longer, though, there are a few things you can do to shorten it.

Unify Lead Data

The unification of sales lead data can help you achieve a shorter lead response time. Unification involves the curation of sales lead data from all sources into a single, unified platform. Most moving companies don't rely on a single source to generate sales leads from. Rather, they generate sales leads from multiple sources, such as cold calling, email, direct mail, social media, website and of course, SalesLeads' project reports. With unification, data from all of these sources will be placed in a single platform where you can easily access it.

Contact As Soon As Possible

Perhaps the easiest way to shorten your sales lead response time is to contact leads as soon as possible. After all, that's what determines your sales lead response time. When leads provide their contact information, they are expressing interest in your moving company. They may lose this interest, however, if you wait too long to contact them. For a shorter lead response time, you need to contact sales leads immediately after acquiring their contact information.

Ask for an Appointment

Another way to shorten your lead response time is to ask for an appointment. In a sales lead form, for example, you can ask prospects to specify a date and time for an initial consultation. Prospects will expect you to call them when this date and time rolls around, so you'll have an easier time reaching them.

Try Alternative Contact Methods

You can shorten your lead response time by using alternative contact methods. Most sales leads will provide multiple methods of contact. When completing a sales lead form, they may provide you with their phone number as well as their email address. You can always call leads using their provided phone number. But if they don't answer, try an alternative contact method, such as their email address or even LinkedIn. Using alternative contact methods will help you reach sales leads while subsequently shortening your lead response time.