The follow-up role closes the gap between "the phone rang" and "we won the work". It's usually the fastest-paying role in a growth team, because it recovers enquiries you've already paid to generate.
What it is
We trace the path of an enquiry through your business: who answers a call at 10 a.m. and at 5:45 p.m., where texts land, who reads the website emails, how quotes are sent and whether anyone chases them. Then we fix the gaps with rules your staff can follow and a log that makes every enquiry visible.
A typical finding in an owner-run company: calls are answered well in the morning, voicemail takes over at lunch, website emails go to an inbox only one person checks, and quotes over a certain size are never followed up because everyone assumes someone else did it.
Who it's for
- Businesses spending on ads or search but unsure how many enquiries become customers.
- Owners whose staff handle enquiries alongside other jobs, such as reception, dispatch or an office manager.
- Firms with long quote cycles, such as renovation, B2B supply, professional services or commercial work, where follow-up decides the result.
What's included
- Enquiry path map. Every route an enquiry can take, with who owns each step.
- Lead log. A single list of every call, text and email with source, time, response time, status and result. It can be a spreadsheet to start.
- Response targets. Written targets for business hours and after hours, and what happens when they're missed.
- Follow-up rules. For example: a quote not answered within three business days gets a call; a second follow-up a week later; then a polite close-out.
- Message templates. Short, plain call scripts, text replies and emails with placeholders such as [Customer name] and [Service], written for your staff to adapt.
- Consent records. A simple way to record how and when each person gave consent to receive messages.
The legal context, briefly
Two federal laws shape follow-up in Ontario. Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, enforced by the CRTC, requires consent for commercial electronic messages, clear sender identification and a working unsubscribe option, and the sender must be able to prove the consent. PIPEDA governs how private-sector businesses in Ontario collect and use personal information in commercial activity. As of October 2026, those are the two to know. We build processes that respect them; for legal interpretation, ask your lawyer.
A worked example: the cost of a missed call
Say your business receives 120 enquiries a month, and the lead log reveals that 15% go unanswered or are answered the next day. That's 18 enquiries. If one in three answered enquiries normally becomes paying work, and your average sale carries $900 of margin, those 18 slow or missed enquiries represent roughly six lost sales, or about $5,400 of margin a month. Even recovering half of that pays for a lot of process work. Swap in your own numbers; the point is to put a dollar figure on the gap.
After hours
Ontario buyers contact businesses in the evening and on weekends. Decide in writing what happens then: an answering service, a text auto-reply that promises a call by a stated time, or an on-call rota. Whatever you choose, measure it like any other step.
Timeline
| Weeks | Work |
|---|---|
| 1 | Path map, interviews with whoever answers enquiries |
| 2 | Lead log live; baseline response times |
| 3–4 | Targets, follow-up rules and templates in use |
| 5–8 | Weekly review of misses; adjustments |
How results are measured
The scorecard tracks median response time, the share of enquiries answered within target, the share of quotes followed up on schedule, and the win rate by source. Within a few weeks you'll know which channel sends the enquiries that actually close.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying a CRM before writing the process. Software doesn't fix an unclear owner.
- Automated messages that sound automated. Buyers notice. Keep templates short and human.
- Texting people who never agreed to it. Consent first, always.
- Measuring only volume. Ten enquiries answered in five minutes beat thirty answered tomorrow.
This role often starts in the first weeks of an embedded growth team. Our onboarding guide shows where it fits, and the contact page explains how to reach us.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need new software?
Often not. Many businesses can run a good process with their existing phone system, a shared inbox and a simple lead log. We recommend new tools only when the volume justifies them.
Can you answer my phones?
No. We design and measure the process; your staff or your chosen answering service handle the calls. We'll help you write the call script and the after-hours rules.
Is it legal to send follow-up texts and emails?
Canada's anti-spam law sets rules on consent, identification and unsubscribe options. We build your process around those rules, but we don't give legal advice; check specifics with your lawyer.
How fast should we respond to a new enquiry?
Set a target you can actually hit during business hours, measure it, and improve it. Faster is almost always better, because buyers often contact more than one business.