Hidden Gap In Prospecting

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Everyone knows that prospecting is getting harder and harder. According to HubSpot, 42% of sales reps consider it the most challenging part of their job, harder even than closing or qualifying leads. Every response you get is hard-earned and precious. But so many reps waste those precious replies by not responding back quickly enough.

Your speed to reply is so important and it’s something I’ve seen too many reps overlook.

The Critical First Hour

When a prospect replies positively to your outreach, the clock starts ticking. They are the most interested they will be at the time of response. Their interest level is only going to decrease as time goes on. To make matters worse, our prospects are bombarded with emails from all over the place, meaning your message quickly sinks to the bottom of an overflowing inbox. To pile on further, 88% of people expect replies to work-related emails within an hour.

Nearly half of buyers select the vendor who responds first to their inquiries. Speed of response doesn't just set a good impression; it directly increases your chances of booking that first meeting.

In our lead generation campaigns for clients, we've observed firsthand how quickly opportunity slips away. Even a modest delay of 2–3 hours in replying to a prospect’s interest has reduced the meeting-book rates by around 30%. Conversely, when our clients respond within the first 30 minutes, we've seen substantial improvements in conversions.

Unfortunately, the average rep takes over 12 hours to respond to an email...

Imagine you spent all that effort prospecting to generate a reply only to let it squander because you took too long to respond back.

Responding quickly isn’t just effective, it’s expected.

Persistence Pays Off

But speed alone isn't enough. Persistence is equally crucial. According to Corporate Visions research, about 50% of sales opportunities are created after 6 touch points and 80% are created after 11 touch points... This is just to create an opportunity. Let alone the extra calls, meetings, follow-ups, required to close a deal.

A Yesware study highlights the effectiveness of continued follow-up. They recommend six touches over approximately three weeks after that first reply. But most importantly, sending your first follow-up within 24 hours of your initial reply to their positive reply. This alone improves your chances of securing the next step by about 25%.

This isn't about being pushy. They showed interest already! People are busy and you're the last thing on your mind. If they're interested, they will appreciate your follow-up and keeping it top of mind.

Add LinkedIn

Speed and persistence isn’t limited to email. By simply adding LinkedIn as part of your follow-up you'll 2x your chances of getting a reply and the next step. Our clients are seeing reply rates on LinkedIn anywhere from 18–25%! But the conversion rates can be equally diminishing as managing the LI inbox is brutal and they're less likely to check it on a regular basis. To truly leverage your LinkedIn outreach, apply the same quick-response SLA (under 30 minutes) you would for emails. Rapid follow-up ensures you capture interest when prospects are most engaged and potentially on the platform.

Quick Checklist for Better Results

Here’s what you should start doing immediately to improve reply-to-meeting conversion rates:

1. Set a strict internal SLA of less than 30 minutes for responding to any positive reply (email or LinkedIn).

2. Use alerts for positive replies and have pre-written (but personalized) templates to ensure rapid responses. Most prospects ask the same 5-6 things, so have a reply ready.

3. Implement a structured multi-touch follow-up cadence. Aim for at least six interactions spanning emails, LinkedIn messages, and phone calls over three weeks.

4. If they truly showed interest, send the first follow-up 24 hours after your initial follow-up reply.

5. Track and measure your team’s “speed-to-reply” weekly alongside your standard open and meetings-set metrics. Visibility drives improvement.

It's hard enough just to get a response. Don’t let it slip away due to delays or lack of follow-up. Prioritize rapid response, stay persistent, and take advantage of each reply that you get.

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