Warming Up Cold Leads

The difference between a cold lead and a lost opportunity often comes down to timing, follow-up and strategic engagement. 

While some companies may consider a lead cold after 60 days with no response, others extend that window to 90 days or even a year. The reality is that purchasing cycles vary widely, and companies that master lead nurturing put themselves ahead of the competition when homeowners are ready to invest in service or upgrades.

Why leads go cold

Radostina Stoycheva, director of performance marketing at Compass Digital, emphasizes the importance of staying relevant throughout the process. Many factors can make a lead go cold, she says — a potential client may not be ready to book service due to budget, timing or other priorities.

On the service side, a lack of urgency or poor follow-up can also cause leads to disengage. Businesses that maintain stronger engagement strategies can easily capture these lost opportunities.

“Being top of mind for when they’re ready is a crucial part of the sales process,” Stoycheva says. 

First impressions matter

Some pool owners might book a service call the same day they reach out. Others take weeks or months to decide. Either way, your business should have a plan.

Automation can help. A simple autoresponder triggered within 15 minutes of a form submission acknowledges the inquiry and sets expectations for follow-up. From there, mix in personal outreach to build trust over time.

A combination of automated and human touchpoints — spread over days and weeks — keeps your company visible without being pushy.

Targeted outreach

For leads that have gone cold, personalized reengagement efforts can be effective. 

For example, if a customer requested a quote for a variable-speed pump last year, send an email with a limited-time discount on that model. 

Retargeting campaigns on Google and Meta can also help revive engagement, ensuring previous visitors continue to see relevant content. 

Being top of mind for when they’re ready is a crucial part of the sales process.”

Radostina Stoycheva, Compass Digital

Don’t treat all cold leads the same. A homeowner who browsed your site once shouldn’t get the same incentive as someone who’s opened multiple emails or clicked on promotions. Start small — like offering a free filter check — and increase offers for higher-engagement leads.

Tracking metrics is also important. Understanding the size of a company’s cold lead pool, past engagement rates and cost per acquired lead nurtures efficient marketing efforts. If a lead originally cost $100 to acquire, it makes sense to reengage them rather than simply discarding their contact information. 

Creative tactics

One tactic Stoycheva employs is a “Hail Mary” strategy, where bottom-funnel leads who suddenly went cold receive a physical postcard. This campaign has successfully reactivated leads, with many bringing the postcard into the store to finalize their service or purchase. 

Win-back flows are another valuable strategy, giving contacts about 90 days before confirming whether they want to remain subscribed. This prevents inactive leads from hurting engagement rates while preserving potential opportunities.

Kristan Hart, chief operating officer at The Get Smart Group, agrees that a lead is never truly dead unless they explicitly request not to be contacted or their information is no longer valid. 

“Everybody else is still fair game,” she says, especially for services that aren’t urgent or are tied to big decisions, like equipment upgrades or annual maintenance packages.

Some purchases can take six, 12 or even 18 months from initial inquiry to final sale. While early engagement is important, maintaining contact over an extended period is equally meaningful. 

The power of automation

Hart emphasizes that sales teams don’t need to handle all touchpoints manually. Automated lead nurturing through a CRM system ensures consistent engagement without overwhelming sales representatives. 

“Give people a reason to open [emails],” Hart advises, whether that’s a seasonal tip, service reminder or special offer.

Text messaging can be another effective channel. It allows for quick, low-effort interactions and can be automated. 

Don’t overlook current customers 

Hart adds that one of the most overlooked lead sources is existing customers. Offering referral bonuses and maintaining engagement with them can generate new leads without additional acquisition costs. 

“If you want to sell [your product or service], there are lots and lots of ways to do that,” Hart says. “It’s important for teams to work the leads they have and think outside of the box.”