Pulse Check

Before you chase new leads, do a pulse check on your cold ones.

“We treat ‘cold’ as inactive — not dead — and maintain systems to reengage them,” says.

Marsha Carter, general manager for The Hot Tub Store in Santa Rosa, California.

Carter considers a cold lead any inquiry that showed interest but hasn’t engaged for over 30 days, despite structured attempts. 

“We regularly see conversions from leads that were unresponsive for months,” Carter says. “One common pattern is a guest who stopped responding after pricing discussions but later reengaged when contacted with a simple check-in message tied to a wellness benefit or lifestyle use case — not a discount.” 

Consistent, respectful follow-up keeps relationships open long enough for timing to align.

“Simply reaching out with a hello and asking if they still have any interest has yielded a number of sales,” says Breanna Rickels, co-owner of Blue Lagoon Pool & Spa in Hiawatha, Iowa.

Categorizing the cold leads you have is critical for strategizing reengagement. With specific categories, Carter says future outreach can be tailored instead of treating all cold leads the same.

Ghosted after a contract sent 

When a client ghosts you after getting a quote or contract, and you’ve tried to follow up with them across multiple channels, Carter suggests moving them either into a “lost but not forgotten” status or into a 30-day unresponsive follow-up campaign with 10 additional touchpoints. “This ensures consistency without overwhelming the guest,” Carter explains.

Rickels says after sending a formal quote, her team will reach back out on a decreasing scale from every couple of days to every 30 days. “All of our estimates have expiration dates, so that is a helpful tactic to reach back out when they are nearing the end of that expiration date,” Rickels says.

How to reengage a ghost: 

• Short, curiosity-based messages perform best — texts, emails or voicemails that are personal and low-pressure but invite a quick reply.
• Avoid long explanations and instead focus on simple prompts that reopen the conversation.
• Based on previous experience with the client, check in with a simple, “Are you still looking?” email or consider sending an updated estimate with special sale pricing.

Met at a show but never came in

For this category, Carter says, all event leads enter a 30-day structured follow-up program immediately. “If they remain unresponsive, we reinvite them to the next event and increase outreach frequency during the show window when interest is typically highest,” she says.

How to reengage a no-show: 

• Use urgency-based messaging such as “We’re back,” “Event pricing extended” or limited-time opportunities tied to the show.
• Focus on reconnecting them to the original reason they stopped and spoke with you.

Seasonal and long-term leads

Carter says they see fewer strictly seasonal repeats and more long-cycle decision-makers — guests who pause, then reappear months or even years later when timing aligns, which makes long-term nurture systems essential.

“We maintain continuous nurture through email drip campaigns combined with periodic personal outreach via call, text or voicemail,” Carter says. “We never fully ‘drop’ a lead unless they request removal. Timing changes, and we want to be present when it does.”

Rickels says her team touches on the things the customer previously showed interest in, making sure to mention new features or accessories. 

How to reengage a seasonal lead: 

• Remember that it can come down to timing, so don’t completely drop them unless they request it.
• Use email drip campaigns combined with personalized outreach via call, text or voicemail.
• Touch on things they previously showed interest in, mentioning new features or accessories that may not have been available when they initially reached out.

Budget-stalled leads 

When a customer pauses because of finances, Rickels suggests offering alternative price points that fit or justify the additional cost when applicable. “Show them what that price point does for them versus spending less and getting less,” she says. 

Prechecking in on budget and pricing tends to prevent this, Rickels says, but if it still becomes a snag, start an open and honest conversation about how they feel about the price and what you can do to help with their hesitation.

“We return to discovery,” Carter says. “Price hesitation is often a surface objection — we work to understand the real concern behind it.” 

Value-based conversations convert better than discount-based ones, so focusing on lifestyle and wellness outcomes, brand reliability and ownership experience is another helpful approach. “Low monthly payment plans help, but only after value is clearly established,” Carter says. “Guests move forward when they feel understood, not pressured.”

Don’t overshare

Carter and Rickels both warn against generic promotion blasts and overinforming leads. “We learned that overexplaining often reduces response,” Carter says. 

Rickels says sending too much information at any stage will only cause them to skip over the email or be able to “shop” without ever engaging with you. 

“Overinforming leads has the effect of them not needing to respond,” Rickels says. “They already have all the information they could want.”