Topic
Many people ask, get distracted and don't come back. A second message, sent on time and with something useful, recovers part of those sales. If the person replies, the agent or your team picks up the conversation.
Each inquiry that didn't end in a purchase got stuck on something different. The message addresses that.
| The person… | When | What they get |
|---|---|---|
| Asked the price and didn't reply | At 22 hours, within the WhatsApp window | The most common question for that inquiry, answered, with the link to book |
| Got the quote and didn't pay | At 22 hours and at 3 days | How long the price is valid and the answer to the most frequent objection |
| Started paying and didn't finish | After an hour | A new link and a question about whether they had a problem with the payment |
| Asked for a fully booked date | When a spot opens up | Availability notice, with a deadline to confirm |
| Said "I'll think about it" | At 3 days | A review from a customer with a similar plan |
| Asked about a date far ahead | 30 days before that date | Updated availability for what they had asked for |
A study published in Harvard Business Review found that companies that tried to contact a lead within the first hour were nearly 7 times more likely to qualify them than those that did so an hour later, and more than 60 times more likely than those that waited 24 hours or more (HBR, 2011).
Recommendation. The first follow-up goes out automatically and within minutes. A team member steps in when there is clear intent.
The sequence is defined in writing: when someone enters, what they get at each step and what stops it. Stopping on time matters as much as sending.
secuencia: cotizacion_sin_pago
entra_si: quote sent and no payment after 2 h
pasos:
- espera: 20 h
canal: whatsapp, free text (the window is still open)
mensaje: the open question, answered, with the current link
- espera: 48 h
canal: whatsapp, marketing template
mensaje: review from a guest with the same plan
- espera: 5 days
canal: email
mensaje: alternative dates if theirs filled up
sale_si:
- paid
- replied (goes back to the agent)
- asked not to receive messages
- the requested date has passedRecommendation. Three contacts at most, each with something new: an answer, a date, a review. An "Are you still interested?" doesn't give anyone anything.
The follow-up uses the profile: dates, number of guests and the question they raised. "Martina, did you get a chance to look at the transfer from Cancún? We can add it for $1,800 to your booking on the 13th" reminds her what they were talking about and answers what held her back.
Recommendation. If the profile has no useful detail for the message, better not to send it.
Outside the 24-hour window, a WhatsApp follow-up is a marketing template: it requires that the person agreed to receive messages and it must offer an option to opt out. Blocks and reports lower the number's quality.
Recommendation. Ask for permission within the conversation, with a clear sentence, and save it on the profile with the date.
How many stalled inquiries were recovered, and at which step.
From follow-up to booking · square-root scale
Bookings by step
| Step | Sent | Bookings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · WhatsApp at 22 h | 380 | 26 |
| 2 · Template at 3 days | 241 | 11 |
| 3 · Email at 8 days | 162 | 4 |
Case analysis
The website chat only worked Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and nobody measured what happened to the inquiries.
Why it worked. Every inquiry got an answer and a next step, at any hour.
Analysis of a public case. North Marketing did not take part in this work. The figures are the ones published by the vendor (HiJiffy).
Sources: HiJiffy
If they bring something useful and are limited in number, they usually don't. Each sequence has a maximum number of contacts and stops as soon as the person replies, buys or asks not to receive more messages.
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