How Fast Should I Respond to Inbound Leads?
I'm Jerrod Anthraper, founder of Tykon.io. I've built and scaled service businesses. I know the truth: most operators lose 80% of their leads before they even talk to a human.
Why? Slow responses. No follow-up. After-hours black holes.
You don't need more leads. You need a system to capture them instantly. Inbound leads are gold. But they cool off fast. Data proves it.
In this post, I'll break down the optimal response times. The math on conversions. And how our Revenue Acquisition Flywheel fixes it with AI sales automation. No staff. No gimmicks. Just revenue.
The Hard Math on Speed-to-Lead
Speed-to-lead isn't a buzzword. It's math.
Harvard Business Review studied 1.25 million leads. Results?
Respond in 5 minutes: 21x higher conversion rate.
30 minutes: 391% drop.
1 hour: gone.
1 day: 80-90% lost forever.
| Response Time | Conversion Odds Ratio | Leads Lost |
|---------------|----------------------|------------|
| Under 5 min | 21x baseline | 0% |
| 5-30 min | 9x baseline | 20-30% |
| 30min-1hr | 4x baseline | 50% |
| 1-24 hours | 1x baseline | 70% |
| Over 24 hours | 0.2x baseline | 80-90% |
Source: InsideSales.com benchmark.
Dentists see it daily. A patient Googles "emergency root canal" at 8pm. Your voicemail picks up. They book with the competitor who answers.
Home services? Roof leak call at night. No response. Next truck wins.
Medspas, lawyers, real estate—same story. Leads decay exponentially.
Operators think: "We'll call tomorrow." Math says: You're throwing money away.
After-Hours Leads: Your Silent Killer
70% of leads hit after 5pm.
Your team logs off. Phones ring to voicemail. Websites go dark.
Result? The first leak in our 3 Leaks framework:
After-hours leads (70% loss).
Under-collected reviews.
Unsystematic referrals.
One dental practice: $50k/month ads. 200 after-hours inquiries. 80% ghosted. That's $40k revenue bleed monthly.
Fix? Not night shifts. That's labor cost insanity ($15-25/hr x 8 hours x 30 days = $12k+ waste).
AI sales automation responds instantly. 24/7. No breaks.
Why Humans Fail Lead Response
Staff dependency kills consistency.
Problems:
Slow starts: Mornings buried in emails.
Inconsistent SLAs: Some reply in 2 minutes. Others forget.
After-hours blackouts: No one's paid to care.
Follow-up drops: 50% of sales need 5+ touches. Humans stop at 1.
Agencies promise SLAs. They miss 60%.
CRMs track. Don't act.
Podium chats. Leaks reviews/referrals.
Fragmented tools = choppy processes. Funnels leak.
AI Lead Response System: Instant, Reliable, Scalable
Tykon.io isn't a chatbot. It's a revenue machine.
Plugs into your inbound channels: website forms, Google Ads, Facebook, calls.
What it does:
Instant engagement: AI qualifies leads in seconds. Books appointments.
24/7 coverage: Fixes after-hours lead loss.
SLA-driven follow-up: Texts/emails/calls until close.
Unified inbox: One dashboard. No app-switching.
Install in 7 days. No IT. No training.
For a medspa: Lead texts "Botox specials?" AI replies: "Yes, $250/unit. Available slots? Tue 2pm or Thu 4pm. Book now?"
Conversion jumps 5-10x.
Dentist: "Chipped tooth, open now?" AI: "Sorry, office closed. Emergency consult via video? Or first slot tomorrow 9am."
No more leaks.
Old Process vs. Tykon Revenue Acquisition Flywheel
| Aspect | Old Way (Humans/CRMs) | Tykon.io AI Sales System |
|---------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Response Time | 2-24 hours (or never) | Under 30 seconds, 24/7 |
| After-Hours | Voicemail hell | Instant AI engagement |
| Follow-up | Inconsistent, staff-dependent | Automated SLA: 5 touches in 24hrs |
| Cost | $5k+/mo staff/agency | $997/mo fixed |
| Conversion Lift | Baseline | 10-21x speed-to-lead boost |
| Reviews/Referrals | Manual beg | Auto-triggered post-close |
| Scalability | Headcount limited | Unlimited, no extra cost |
Flywheel spins: Leads → Instant response → Appointments → Reviews → Referrals → More leads.
Compounds weekly.
ROI Math: Recover Revenue Now
Assume: Service business. $10k/mo ad spend. 200 leads/mo. 20% baseline close ($100k revenue potential).
With slow response: 80% lost = $80k bleed.
Tykon fixes:
70% after-hours capture: +$56k.
5x conversion lift: +$40k.
Total recovered: $96k/mo.
Cost: $997. ROI: 96x.
Real client: Home services firm. $22k recovered first month. Now $150k+ annual run-rate.
Dentist: 15 extra bookings/mo at $800 each = $144k/year.
Math doesn't lie. Feelings do.
Speed-to-Lead for Service Businesses
AI for dentists: Instant consult booking.
AI for medspas: Qualify skin treatments.
AI for home services: Schedule quotes 24/7.
Legal firms: Intake forms → calls.
Real estate: Showing requests.
Insurance: Quote automation.
All win with speed to lead fix.
Don't Let Leads Slip—Plug the Leak Today
Optimal response? Under 5 minutes. Always.
Manual can't deliver. AI does.
Tykon.io: Your Revenue Acquisition Flywheel. Instant replies. Review engine. Referral automation. All unified.
Guaranteed appointments. Or your money back.
Written by Jerrod Anthraper, Founder of Tykon.io