Lead Decay 101: Stop Old Quotes Going Cold
- Augusto Pena
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
New quotes don’t stay hot forever. Unanswered quotes slip through the cracks, turning hard‑won marketing dollars into wasted spend. In this post, you’ll learn why quotes go cold, how to calculate your lead decay cost, and a simple 4‑touch cadence to keep your pipeline sizzling.
TL;DR:
Your chance to qualify a new quote drops by 80% in the first five minutes (amplemarket.com)
90% of leads go cold in 30 days (chilipiper.com)
Nearly half of sales reps give up after one touch, yet 80% of deals close after five touches (spotio.com, spotio.com)
Implement this 4‑touch re‑engagement cadence to revive stalled quotes risk‑free
Ready to see it in action? Book a 15‑minute demo and let us revive one stalled quote at no cost.
1. Why Quotes Go Cold
Leads are highly time‑sensitive. If you wait more than five minutes to follow up, your chance to qualify that lead drops by 80% (amplemarket.com) and 90% of leads fall inactive after just 30 days (chilipiper.com). Yet nearly half of sales reps never make a second attempt: 48% give up after one touch and 44% never follow up at all (spotio.com). In short, old quotes go cold because homeowners lose urgency and outreach falls off.
Data Snapshot: In a recent Reehash pilot, following up within 5 minutes yielded a 12% engagement rate, while delays beyond 30 minutes saw engagement plummet below 2% over the subsequent week.
2. The Cost of Lead Decay
Every uncontacted quote is sunk marketing spend. When a contractor invests an average of $228 per roofing lead or $200 per window lead, a single silent quote represents wasted dollars (chilipiper.com). Multiply that by dozens of stale quotes in your CRM, and you’re burning thousands each month before a single call.
3. A Re‑Engagement Cadence You Can Start Today
Reinvigorate old quotes with a consistent, value‑driven touch sequence:
Immediate Acknowledgment (0–1 day): Send a quick text or email thanking the homeowner for their time and offering to answer questions.
Value Add (2 days): Share a one‑page tip sheet on maximizing roof lifespan or energy savings with impact windows.
Urgency Trigger (5 days): Highlight a timely incentive—like pre‑hurricane season inspections or limited‑time financing.
Final Check‑In (7 days): Call to confirm receipt of previous messages and extend a personal invite to a virtual demo.
Consistent multi‑channel touches keep your quote top of mind and demonstrate professionalism (spotio.com).
Field Story: Reviving 8 “Maybes”
A mid‑sized Florida roofer sent us eight ghosted leads—roughly $1,824 in sunk advertising spend. Using our branded follow‑up cadence, we booked four video calls and closed two contracts worth $36,000. After seeing the closed deals, the owner shared: “I thought we’d lost those leads for good, but Reehash brought them back and paid for themselves twice over.” The contractor paid nothing until deals were signed at our 3% rate.
4. Next Steps: Own or Outsource
Assign a team member to manage your re‑engagement cadence, or let Reehash’s 3% success‑only model do the heavy lifting for you. Our success‑only 3% fee means zero risk for contractors — you only pay when a deal closes. Either way, you focus on fresh leads while we revive the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many follow‑ups does it really take to close an old quote?
Research shows 80% of sales require five to twelve touches after the initial contact. Plan for at least four touches on stalled quotes.
Should I use text, email, or calls for follow‑up?
A mix works best: start with low‑effort channels (text/email) and escalate to calls for personalized demos and urgency.
Won’t too many messages annoy homeowners?
Not if each touch adds value—tips, incentives, or new insights. It’s about service, not spam.
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