Why trade businesses lose jobs to slow replies.

The finding

Whoever replies first wins the work.

A 2024 study by Lead Connect found that 78% of customers buy from the business that responds to their enquiry first. That figure has been consistent across lead response research for close to two decades. The MIT and InsideSales Lead Response Management Study found that replying within five minutes made a lead 21 times more likely to convert than waiting thirty.

The advantage decays fast. After the first five minutes, the odds of qualifying a lead drop by around 80%, according to a Harvard Business Review analysis of 2,241 firms. After an hour, the window is effectively closed.

The reality

Most businesses reply far too slowly, or not at all.

The same Harvard Business Review study found the average business takes 42 hours to respond to an online enquiry. 23% of enquiries receive no reply at all.

For trade businesses this gap is structural. Enquiries arrive while the firm is on a job, driving between sites, or finished for the day. 41% of home improvement enquiries land outside normal working hours. By the time the tradesperson is free to reply, the homeowner has already spoken to someone else.

The follow-up gap

One attempt is not enough.

Velocify's research on lead follow-up found that the average sales rep makes 1.3 contact attempts before moving on. The same research puts the point of diminishing returns closer to six attempts.

A homeowner who does not reply to a first message is not necessarily uninterested. They may have been busy, or waiting to confirm dates. Most firms give up before finding out.