Why Your B2B Enquiries Aren't Turning Into Money
If you run a professional service or a B2B company here in Brisbane—whether you’re an electrical contractor handling commercial fit-outs in Fortitude Valley or an accountant in Milton—you know that winning a new client isn't usually a one-click affair.
In the B2B world, people don't just see an ad and whip out their credit card. They enquire, they ask for a quote, and then... they go quiet. Most business owners I talk to find this incredibly frustrating. You spend money on ads or time on networking to get that lead, only for it to go cold because the timing wasn't quite right.
This is where most Brisbane businesses leave tens of thousands of dollars on the table. They think that if a prospect doesn't book within 48 hours, they’re a 'bad lead.'
In reality, that prospect just isn't ready yet. If you don't have an automated way to stay in front of them, you’re basically handing that customer to your competitor who happens to call them on the day they finally decide to pull the trigger.
Today, I’m going to break down the different ways you can ‘nurture’ these leads—which basically means staying in their ear until they are ready to buy—and compare which approach actually puts more money in your bank account.
The Three Ways to Handle B2B Leads
I’ve seen dozens of local businesses try different things. Usually, it falls into one of three buckets: the 'Wait and Hope' method, the 'Newsletter' method, or the 'Educational' method. Let's look at the data on what actually works.
1. The 'Wait and Hope' Method (The Profit Killer)
This is what 80% of small businesses do. You send the quote, you maybe follow up once, and then you wait for them to call you back.The Cost: It feels free, but it's the most expensive mistake you can make. You’ve already paid for the lead; letting it sit there is like buying a carton of milk and letting it go sour in the fridge. The Result: You only win the 'low hanging fruit'—the people who were ready to buy immediately. You lose the other 70% of the market. The Timeline: Total guesswork.
2. The 'Monthly Newsletter' Method
This is where you send a generic email once a month to everyone on your list. It usually contains some company news, maybe a photo of the team at a Christmas party, and a 'contact us' button.The Cost: Low, but often a waste of time. The Result: Better than nothing, but honestly, your customers don't care about your office renovation. They care about their own problems. The Data: We see very few phone calls coming from generic newsletters because they aren't specific enough to the customer's needs.
3. The 'Educational Nurture' Method (The Gold Standard)
This involves a sequence of 5 to 7 automated emails that go out over a few weeks after someone enquirers. Each email solves a specific problem or answers a common question they have.The Cost: Higher upfront effort to set up, but it runs on autopilot forever. The Result: This is where the real money is made. You position yourself as the expert. By the time they are ready to book, you are the only logical choice. The Data: Businesses using this method typically see a 20% to 30% increase in 'closed' sales from the same number of leads.
To make this work, you need to ensure you aren't falling into common traps. For instance, many owners get caught up in email platform costs without looking at the actual return on investment. A 'free' tool that doesn't let you automate these sequences is actually costing you thousands in lost sales.
Comparing the Approaches: Which One Wins?
Let’s look at the numbers. Imagine you get 20 new enquiries a month for a service worth $5,000.
| Approach | Close Rate | Monthly Revenue | Yearly Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wait and Hope | 10% (2 sales) | $10,000 | $120,000 |
| Monthly Newsletter | 12% (2.4 sales) | $12,000 | $144,000 |
| Educational Nurture | 20% (4 sales) | $20,000 | $240,000 |
How to Build a Nurture Sequence That Actually Makes Money
You don't need to be a writer or a tech genius. You just need to know your customers. If I were sitting down with a mate who runs a commercial plumbing business in Morningside, here is the exact 5-email sequence I’d tell him to set up for every new enquiry:
Email 1: The 'Immediate Value' (Sent 5 minutes after enquiry)
Don't just say "we received your message." Give them something useful. If they asked about a warehouse fit-out, send them a "5-point checklist for warehouse plumbing compliance." It shows you know your stuff before you've even spoken to them.Email 2: The 'Social Proof' (Sent 2 days later)
People are afraid of making a bad choice. Send a short story about a similar client you helped. "We recently helped a local logistics firm save $4k on their water bills by fixing a design flaw their previous plumber missed." This builds trust.Email 3: The 'Common Mistake' (Sent 4 days later)
Tell them what to avoid. "The #1 mistake most Brisbane business owners make when choosing an accountant." This positions you as a protector of their interests, not just another salesperson.Email 4: The 'How We Work' (Sent 7 days later)
Explain your process. People like certainty. Tell them exactly what happens after they book. This removes the 'fear of the unknown.'Email 5: The 'Direct Ask' (Sent 10 days later)
By now, they’ve had four helpful emails. Now you can be blunt. "Are you still looking to get that project sorted? I have a couple of spots left for next month. Reply to this email if you want to grab one."The Importance of Being Seen
All of this is useless if your emails don't actually land in the person's inbox. I've seen businesses spend weeks writing great content only for it to end up in the 'Promotions' tab or the junk folder. You need to stop emails going to junk if you want to see these results. If they don't see it, they can't buy from you.
What Most Businesses Get Wrong
I’ve been doing this for a long time at Local Marketing Group, and I see the same three mistakes over and over again in Brisbane B2B companies:
1. They talk about themselves too much. Your customers don't care about your awards or your 20 years of experience unless it helps them*. Frame everything around their problems. 2. They give up too early. Most sales happen after the 5th or 6th contact. If your email sequence stops after two days, you’re missing the majority of the profit. 3. They don't use a 'human' voice. Don't write like a corporate robot. Write like you’re talking to a client over a coffee at a cafe in New Farm. Use plain English. Use 'I' and 'You.'
Is it Worth the Effort?
You might be thinking, "I don't have time to write all these emails."
I get it. You’re busy running the actual business. But look at it this way: how much time do you spend chasing new leads? How much money are you spending on Google or Facebook to get people to your site?
Setting up an automated nurture system is a 'one-and-done' task. You do it once, and it works for you while you’re sleeping, while you’re on the tools, or while you're spending time with your family on the weekend. It is the highest-leverage activity a B2B business owner can do.
If you have a list of old leads who never bought, you can also use these same principles to bring back old customers who might have forgotten about you. It’s often much cheaper to reactivate someone who already knows you than to find someone brand new.
What Should You Do First?
If you want to start seeing more phone calls and bookings, don't try to build a 20-email masterpiece.
1. Pick your most profitable service. The one that makes you the most margin. 2. Write down the top 3 questions every customer asks you during the sales process. 3. Turn those answers into 3 simple emails. 4. Set them up to send automatically after someone fills out your contact form.
Don't worry about 'responsive design' or fancy graphics. In fact, plain text emails often work better in B2B because they look like a personal message from you, not a marketing blast.
The Reality Check
Marketing experts will tell you that you need complex 'funnels' and high-end software. Rubbish. You need a way to stay top-of-mind so that when a Brisbane business owner is finally ready to spend their budget, your name is the one at the top of their inbox.
It takes about 3 to 6 months to really see the data-driven results of a nurture campaign, but once it starts working, it's like having a salesperson who never sleeps, never takes a sick day, and never asks for a commission.
At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in helping Brisbane businesses stop the 'leak' in their sales process. We don't care about clicks or 'brand awareness'—we care about how many more jobs you book this month than you did last month.
If you’re tired of seeing good leads go cold and want a system that turns more of your enquiries into actual profit, we should talk.
Ready to grow your business? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get your emails making you money.