Leads and follow-up. Reviewed October 29, 2026
Speed to lead
Also called: Lead response time, Response time
Speed to lead is the time between a lead arriving and the business responding, and the first contractor to respond wins a large share of the jobs.
In practice
A homeowner who fills out a form usually fills out two or three. The company that texts back in a minute is the one they talk to; the one that calls back at five is leaving a voicemail. Automation handles the first minute; a person handles the next ten.
Measure it in minutes per lead for each channel. Put the number on the wall.
For example
Skill Mammoth texts every lead back in under 60 seconds, around the clock.
Related terms
- Missed call text backMissed call text back automatically sends a text to any caller the business did not answer, within seconds, so the lead has a way to reply instead of calling the next company.
- Lead nurtureLead nurture is the automated series of texts and emails sent to a lead who has not booked yet, spaced over days or weeks, so the business stays in front of them until they are ready.
- AI receptionistAn AI receptionist is software that answers the business phone in a natural voice, asks the caller what they need, captures their details and books or routes them, at any hour.
- Booking rateBooking rate is the share of leads that turn into a scheduled appointment or estimate, and it is the first place to look when leads are up but revenue is not.
More leads and follow-up terms
Want this handled, not explained?
Skill Mammoth builds the site you own, gets you found on Google and ChatGPT, and texts every lead back in under 60 seconds. Month to month, every price published.