Why speed matters with internet leads
A shopper fills out one form on a quote site and hears from the agencies that bought the lead. Shared leads go to more than one agency, so the first agent to reach them with a real quote usually gets the conversation. Even exclusive leads cool off: they're comparing prices today, not next week.
So the plan is simple: reach them in minutes, keep trying for a few days, follow up every quote, and stop the moment they reply.
The first five minutes
- Get the lead in instantly. EverQuote can post leads straight into your CRM with a direct post URL, so there's no inbox to watch or file to download.
- Text first, if they agreed to texts. A short text from your agency's number saying who you are and that you're about to call warms up the call.
- Call right away. Work new leads in a power dialer, so the next one rings as soon as you hang up.
- Have their details on screen: the car, the current carrier, and what they pay now. A quote that beats today's price is the reason to keep talking.
The rest of the first day
- No answer? Leave a short voicemail, and try again later in the day at a different hour.
- Send one text after a missed call, not five.
- Write down what you learned on the lead: current carrier, renewal date, and what they pay.
- Set the next call before you move on, so nobody has to remember it.
After the quote: follow up until they reply
Most quoted leads don't buy on the first call. They wait for other quotes, talk it over at home, or let it slide. A follow-up plan by stage keeps you in front of them without anyone keeping a list.
- Text a short summary of the quote right after the call, with the savings in it.
- Space the follow-ups out: a few in the first days, then fewer over the next two weeks.
- Stop the moment they reply, and hand the reply to an agent.
- For leads who aren't ready, set a requote date, like a few weeks before their renewal.
Mark a lead Quoted and the Quoted workflow sends 8 texts over 15 days, then stops the moment they reply, and the reply waits in the Texted column for an agent. After a call, AI drafts the next text from what was said, and the agent reads it and sends it. See texting and follow-up
Text only the leads who agreed to it
Text the leads who agreed to texts, keep quiet hours, and honor STOP replies right away. Business texting from your agency's number also needs carrier registration. The calling rules to check first apply to calls, too.
EverQuote posts leads straight in with one URL, and EverQuote leads come in opted in to texts, so their first text goes out right away. Leads from other vendors come in with texting off until you have their consent. See lead vendors
Measure what works
- Contact rate: how many new leads you actually talk to.
- Quote rate: how many of those conversations turn into a quote.
- Close rate by vendor: which lead source sells, so you buy more of it.
- Calls and talk time per agent, so you see who's working the list.
Track every lead's source from the day it lands, and put the numbers where the team can see them. A scoreboard with calls, quotes, and sales does more than a weekly report.