The Short Answer
To improve your sales close rate, measure each step from enquiry to sale so you can see where prospects drop off. Respond to new enquiries quickly, follow up more than once, ask questions that uncover what the customer needs, and use a simple, consistent process your team can repeat. Research published in Harvard Business Review found firms that contacted online leads within an hour were far more likely to qualify them than those that waited longer.
Key Takeaways
- Track enquiry, contact, appointment and sale as separate steps.
- Speed of first response matters.
- One follow-up is rarely enough.
- Ask before you pitch.
- A repeatable process lets the whole team close, not just you.
By The Numbers
- ~7x
- Firms that contacted online leads within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify the lead as those that waited longer. (Harvard Business Review, 2011)
- 23%
- Of companies studied never responded to an online sales enquiry at all. (Harvard Business Review, 2011)
Find where prospects drop off
Count enquiries, first contacts, appointments or quotes, and sales for the last month. The step with the biggest drop is where to start. A low contact rate is a speed or follow-up problem; a low quote-to-sale rate is usually a fit, price or conversation problem.
Respond fast and follow up
Set a target for first response and give someone clear ownership of new enquiries. Plan a short follow-up sequence by phone, text and email, within your brand's guidelines and consent rules.
Ask before you pitch
Prospects buy when they feel understood. Ask what prompted them to get in touch, what they've tried and what a good result looks like for them, then connect your offer to their answers.
- What made you reach out now?
- What have you tried so far?
- What would a great result look like?
Make it repeatable
Write a simple call guide, practise it with your team and review a few calls or quotes each week. Ask your franchisor which scripts and offers convert best across the network.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good close rate for a franchise?
- It varies widely by industry and lead source. Ask your franchisor for network benchmarks and compare your own trend month to month.