Most brokers and advisers who struggle with lead conversion don't have a lead quality problem — they have a process problem. The leads arrive, but without a clear, consistent system for handling them, opportunities are missed: calls are made too late, follow-ups are forgotten, promising conversations fall through the cracks, and the money spent on lead generation is wasted.

This guide is purely practical. It walks you through building a lead follow-up system from scratch — from choosing a CRM to writing call scripts to setting up tracking. Whether you're buying leads from a provider, generating your own, or both, this process is what turns raw enquiries into paying clients.

Step 1: Choose and Configure Your CRM

A CRM is the foundation of your lead process. Without one, you're relying on memory, email searches, and scattered notes — which means leads get lost, follow-ups are missed, and you have no way to measure what's working.

What to look for in a CRM

You don't need an expensive, feature-rich platform. For most brokers starting out, you need these core capabilities:

  • Contact management: Store lead details (name, phone, email, enquiry type, notes).
  • Pipeline stages: Track where each lead is in your process (new, contacted, appointment booked, application submitted, completed, lost).
  • Follow-up reminders: Set and receive reminders for scheduled callbacks and next actions.
  • Activity logging: Record calls made, emails sent, and conversations had.
  • Basic reporting: See how many leads are in each stage, how many you've converted, and your conversion rate.

CRM recommendations by budget

Free:

  • HubSpot CRM (free tier): Surprisingly capable for a free product. Contact management, deal pipeline, email logging, basic reporting, and even email templates. More than sufficient for sole practitioners handling up to 20-30 leads per week.
  • Google Sheets / Excel: Not a true CRM, but a well-structured spreadsheet can work as a starting point. Columns for lead date, name, phone, email, status, next follow-up date, and notes. It won't send you reminders, but it's better than nothing.

Low-cost (£15-40/month):

  • Pipedrive: Visual pipeline management with a clean interface. Easy to learn, good mobile app. Popular with individual brokers and small teams.
  • Zoho CRM: Comprehensive features at a competitive price. Steeper learning curve than Pipedrive but more customisable.

Industry-specific:

  • FLG: Built specifically for UK financial services lead management. Integrates with many lead providers via API for automatic lead import. Purpose-built pipeline stages for mortgage and insurance workflows.
  • Mortgage Brain Lead Manager: Another industry-specific option for mortgage brokers, with integration into sourcing systems.

Configuring your pipeline stages

Set up your CRM with the following pipeline stages (customise the labels to match your language):

  1. New Lead — Lead received, not yet contacted.
  2. Contact Attempted — You've tried calling but haven't spoken to the consumer yet.
  3. Contacted — You've spoken to the consumer and had an initial conversation.
  4. Appointment Booked — A formal appointment, fact-find, or consultation is scheduled.
  5. Appointment Completed — The appointment has taken place and you're gathering information or preparing recommendations.
  6. Application Submitted — Application or proposal has been submitted to a lender or insurer.
  7. Offer / Approved — Offer received or application approved.
  8. Completed — Case completed, client onboarded.
  9. Not Proceeding — Lead is not going ahead (with a note explaining why).
  10. Nurture — Not ready now but may be in future. Requires periodic follow-up.

Every lead should be in exactly one stage at all times, and every lead should have a next action and a follow-up date. If a lead has no scheduled next action, it will be forgotten.

Step 2: Build Your Follow-Up Sequence

Your follow-up sequence is the step-by-step process you follow for every new lead, from the moment it arrives to the point where the consumer either becomes a client or is moved to long-term nurture. Consistency is everything — every lead gets the same treatment.

The first 5 minutes

When a new lead notification arrives:

  1. Add to CRM (if not automatically imported via API). Record the lead's details and set the status to "New Lead."
  2. Call immediately. Aim for under 5 minutes from lead arrival. This is the most important action in the entire process.

If they answer: The initial call

Keep it brief, warm, and focused:

Opening (10-15 seconds):

"Hi [name], this is [your name] from [firm]. You just made an enquiry about [product type] and I wanted to give you a quick call. Is now a good time to chat for a couple of minutes?"

If yes — discovery questions (2-3 minutes):

  • "Can you tell me a bit about what you're looking for?"
  • "What's your timeline — is this something you're looking to sort out soon?"
  • "Have you spoken to anyone else about this yet?"
  • For mortgages: "Do you have a property in mind?" / "When does your current rate expire?"
  • For insurance: "What prompted you to look at cover now?" / "Do you have any existing policies?"

Establishing value (1 minute):

"Based on what you've told me, I think I can help. Here's what I'd suggest as a next step: [book a full consultation / gather some documents / send you some options to review]. Does that sound reasonable?"

Close with a clear next step:

"I'll send you an email confirming what we've discussed and the next steps. What's the best email for you?"

Add detailed notes to your CRM immediately after the call, while the conversation is fresh.

If they don't answer: The follow-up chain

Not reaching someone on the first attempt is completely normal. Here's the sequence:

Immediately after the unanswered call:

  • Leave a voicemail (15-20 seconds maximum): "Hi [name], it's [your name] from [firm]. I'm calling about the [product] enquiry you just made. I'd love to help — I'll try you again shortly, or feel free to call me back on [number]. Thanks!"
  • Send a text message: "Hi [name], this is [your name] from [firm]. I just tried calling about your [product] enquiry. I'll try again shortly, but feel free to call or text me back on this number whenever suits you."

30 minutes later: Try calling again. No voicemail this time unless you want to vary the message.

2-3 hours later: Third call attempt. If still no answer, send a follow-up text: "Hi [name], I've tried calling a couple of times about your [product] enquiry. No rush — just let me know a good time to chat and I'll call you then."

End of day 1: Send an email introducing yourself. Include your name, firm, what they enquired about, and how you can help. Keep it short and include your phone number prominently.

Day 2 (morning): One more call attempt, ideally at a different time of day.

Day 3: Final call attempt. Follow up with a "last chance" style text or email: "Hi [name], I've been trying to reach you about your [product] enquiry. If you've already sorted this, no problem at all. If you'd still like help, just reply to this message or give me a call. Best wishes, [name]."

Day 7: If still no response, one more email with helpful information (a relevant guide, market update, or FAQ). Frame it as providing value rather than chasing.

After day 7: Move to the "Nurture" stage in your CRM. Set a reminder for monthly follow-up.

The nurture sequence

Leads in your nurture stage aren't dead — many will convert over time. The key is maintaining low-frequency, high-value contact:

  • Monthly: Send a brief email with genuinely useful content. Market updates, rate changes, relevant news, or helpful tips. Don't sell — inform.
  • Quarterly: A direct check-in: "Hi [name], just wanted to check in and see if you're still thinking about [product]. I'm here whenever you're ready — no rush."
  • Trigger-based: If there's a market event relevant to their enquiry (a rate change, a regulatory update, a new product launch), reach out with specific information: "Thought you might find this useful given what we discussed."

A surprising proportion of eventual clients come from leads that initially seemed unresponsive. The adviser who stays in touch patiently tends to win the business when the consumer is finally ready to act.

Step 3: Prepare Your Email Templates

Having pre-written email templates saves time and ensures consistency. Here are the essential ones to prepare.

Initial introduction email

Sent after your first conversation or when you can't reach someone by phone. Include:

  • Your name, role, and firm.
  • Reference to their specific enquiry.
  • A brief explanation of how you can help.
  • Your direct phone number (prominently displayed).
  • A clear call to action ("Call me back" or "Reply to this email").

Keep it under 150 words. Long emails don't get read.

Post-appointment follow-up

Sent immediately after a consultation or fact-find. Include:

  • A thank-you for their time.
  • A summary of what you discussed.
  • Clear next steps and timelines.
  • Any documents or information they need to provide.

Application update

Sent at key stages of the application process. Keep clients informed proactively rather than waiting for them to chase you.

Nurture email

For leads in your long-term nurture stage. Focus on providing value rather than selling. Share relevant market updates, tips, or helpful content. Keep it brief and include a soft call to action: "If you'd like to discuss your options, I'm here to help."

The "door is always open" email

Your final direct outreach before moving to passive nurture. Something like: "I understand the timing might not be right at the moment, and that's absolutely fine. If your situation changes or you'd like to revisit your options in the future, my door is always open. Just reply to this email or call me on [number]. Wishing you all the best."

This email often generates responses weeks or months later — it removes pressure while leaving the door open.

Step 4: Get Your Timing Right

When you call matters almost as much as how quickly you call.

Best times to call leads

Based on general patterns across the financial services industry:

  • 8:00-9:30 AM: Good contact rates. People are often available before their workday gets busy.
  • 12:00-1:30 PM: Reasonable contact rates. Lunch breaks mean more availability.
  • 5:00-7:00 PM: Often the best contact rates. People are home from work and more available for personal calls.
  • Saturday 9:00 AM-12:00 PM: Can be productive if you're willing to work weekend mornings. Many consumers are more relaxed and available.

Avoid calling during typical commute times (7:30-8:30 AM and 5:00-6:00 PM) if possible, as people are often driving and can't properly engage in a conversation.

If your first attempt doesn't connect, try your next attempt at a different time of day. Some people are always unavailable during office hours but pick up immediately at 6 PM.

Setting lead delivery hours

Configure your lead delivery to match when you can actually call. If you can't reliably call leads after 7 PM, there's no point receiving them at 9 PM — they'll sit overnight and your contact rate will suffer. Most providers allow you to set delivery hours. Use this feature.

Blocking time for lead follow-up

If you're receiving 10-20 leads per week, block specific time in your diary for follow-up activities. This might be:

  • 30 minutes at the start of each morning for follow-up calls on leads from the previous day.
  • 15 minutes at lunch for a second round of call attempts.
  • 30 minutes at 5-6 PM for evening follow-up calls.

Without blocked time, follow-up gets deprioritised by client meetings, admin, and other urgent tasks. Scheduled follow-up time ensures consistency.

Step 5: Set Up Your Tracking

If you're not measuring, you're guessing. Tracking a small number of key metrics tells you whether your process is working and where to improve.

Essential metrics to track weekly

  • Leads received: Total number of new leads this week.
  • Contact rate: Percentage of leads you actually spoke to (had a conversation with, not just called).
  • Speed to contact: Average time between lead arrival and your first call. Aim for under 5 minutes.
  • Appointments booked: Number of formal consultations or fact-finds scheduled.
  • Replacements claimed: Number of leads flagged as invalid and replaced by the provider.

Essential metrics to track monthly

  • Conversion rate: Percentage of leads that converted to paying clients. Track by cohort (all leads received in January, regardless of when they convert).
  • Cost per acquisition: Total lead spend divided by number of clients acquired. This is the single most important number.
  • Revenue per client: Average revenue (fees/commission) generated per converted client.
  • ROI: Revenue from converted clients divided by total lead spend. Anything above 3:1 is strong; 5:1+ is excellent.
  • Pipeline value: Total potential revenue from all leads currently in your pipeline (appointments booked, applications in progress).

How to track

Your CRM should provide most of these numbers through its reporting features. If not, a simple monthly spreadsheet works fine. The key is consistency — review the same metrics at the same frequency so you can spot trends.

Set a calendar reminder for a monthly review. Spend 15-20 minutes looking at your numbers, identifying what's working, what's not, and what you'll adjust for the following month.

Step 6: Continuously Improve

Your lead process should never be finished — it should always be getting better. Here are the most impactful areas to optimise.

Speed to contact

If your average speed to contact is 15 minutes, getting it to 5 minutes will likely produce a meaningful improvement in contact rate and conversion. Look at what's causing delays and fix it. Is it notification settings? Meetings that run long? A delivery method that's too slow?

Follow-up persistence

If you're averaging 2 call attempts per lead, increasing to 4-5 will almost certainly convert more leads. Many brokers underinvest in follow-up because each individual additional call feels like low probability — but across dozens of leads, the cumulative effect is significant.

Conversation quality

Record yourself (with appropriate consent and compliance) or ask a colleague to listen to your calls. Are you asking the right questions? Are you listening more than talking? Are you establishing trust quickly? Are you clearly articulating your value? Small improvements in conversation quality compound over time.

Objection handling

Note the most common reasons leads don't proceed: "I'm just looking around," "I need to discuss with my partner," "I'm not ready yet," "I've already spoken to someone." Prepare thoughtful responses for each. The goal isn't to overcome objections through pressure — it's to address genuine concerns and keep the door open.

Nurture effectiveness

Are your nurture emails getting opened? Are nurture leads eventually converting? If not, try different content, different frequency, or different communication channels. A nurture sequence that nobody reads is a waste of time.

For more guidance on getting started with leads specifically, see our beginner's guide to buying leads. And for help choosing the right provider, read our guide to choosing a lead provider.