Speed to lead: how fast should energy brokers call?
By Qazi Shahroz
Last updated:
Call a new energy enquiry within five minutes if you can. Then make at least five attempts, with 12 hours or more between them, and log each one in your lead sheet. A business that has just asked for quotes is expecting a call, and that expectation fades as the day goes on.
Why speed matters
A business owner who has just completed an energy form has the bill in mind and is waiting for a call. The sooner you ring, the more likely they remember asking.
Later in the day they are back in their own work, meetings and customers. They may also be speaking to other brokers if they asked elsewhere. Speed doesn't guarantee a sale, but a slow first call makes every later step harder.
We don't quote conversion statistics here because they vary by team, bill band and region. Measure your own: compare outcomes for leads called within five minutes against those called later.
Setting up to call in five minutes
Calling within five minutes is mainly about set-up: alerts that reach the right person, a clear owner for each lead, and cover for breaks.
Send lead emails to a shared inbox or a group your callers watch, and turn on phone notifications. Decide who takes each lead, by rota or round robin, so no one assumes someone else has it. Keep the lead sheet open on a screen during working hours.
Have the opening ready: who you are, that the business asked for energy quotes, and one simple question about the current supplier or bill. The goal of the first call is to confirm the enquiry and book the next step.
The call routine
Make at least five attempts with 12 hours or more between them. Spread them across different times of day, and log each one.
A practical pattern: first call within five minutes; second call the next morning; third the following afternoon; fourth early the next day; fifth at the end of a working day. Leave a short voicemail and send a brief email after the first missed call so the business recognises your name.
Log every attempt in the shared sheet with the date, time and outcome. That record helps your team, and with us it is also what qualifies a lead for a no-response replacement.
When to treat a lead as no response
Only after the full routine: at least five unanswered calls, 12 hours or more apart, recorded in the sheet.
With our leads, a no-response replacement needs those attempts reported within 7 days of delivery, with the attempts noted. Leads where the business answers but has renewed, or chooses another broker, are not replaceable, so record outcomes accurately.
After you get through
Confirm the enquiry, the current supplier and the bill, then agree how you will get the details you need, such as a recent bill or a letter of authority.
Many owners don't know their contract end date, so the first call is where you confirm the contract position. Respect any request to stop calling and record the opt-out so the business isn't contacted again.