Stop Letting Hot Leads Go Cold
You know that feeling when a new enquiry comes through your website at 8:00 PM on a Tuesday? You’re finally sitting down for dinner, or maybe you’re at the kids' footy practice. You think, “I’ll get back to them in the morning.”
By Wednesday morning, you’re on a job site in Chermside or stuck in back-to-back meetings in the CBD. By the time you actually call that person back on Thursday, they’ve already booked with a competitor who answered faster.
This is where most Brisbane small businesses bleed money. You spend hard-earned cash on ads or SEO to get people to your site, they finally reach out, and then the ball gets dropped because you’re busy actually running your business.
An automated welcome sequence is your solution. It’s a series of emails that send themselves the second someone signs up or makes an enquiry. It’s like having a 24/7 sales assistant who never takes a tea break and always says exactly the right thing.
What is an Automated Welcome Sequence?
Forget the fancy name. Think of it as a "Digital Handshake."
When someone gives you their email address—whether it’s to get a quote, download a price list, or join a newsletter—they are the most interested they will ever be. Their problem is top-of-mind. If you wait 24 hours to contact them, that interest drops off a cliff.
An automated sequence is a set of 3 to 5 emails that go out over a week or two. - Email 1: Sent instantly. It delivers what they asked for and introduces you. - Email 2: Sent 24 hours later. It shares a success story or a "before and after." - Email 3: Sent 2 days later. It answers the most common questions you get asked. - Email 4: Sent a few days later. It gives them a reason to book now.
You write these once, pull the trigger, and they work for you forever.
Why This Makes You Money
I’ve seen this work for dozens of Brisbane businesses, from pest controllers in North Lakes to accountants in Milton. The logic is simple: people buy from people they trust. Trust usually takes time to build, but automation lets you build that trust on autopilot.
Most business owners think they need to send out a monthly newsletter. Honestly? Most monthly newsletters are a waste of time. People don't care about your "company news." They care about their own problems. A welcome sequence is different because it hits the customer right when they are ready to spend money.
If you're worried about the tech side, don't be. Choosing the right tool is the first step, but you need to watch out for email platform costs that can creep up as your list grows. Start simple.
The "Keep It Simple" Rule
Here is a mistake I see daily: a business owner decides to start email marketing and spends three weeks trying to design a beautiful, graphic-heavy template with logos, buttons, and professional photography.
Stop. You are wasting your time.
In my experience, plain text emails that look like they were written by a real person get more replies and more sales. Why? Because they don't look like an ad. They look like a message from a local business owner. We’ve found that fancy emails kill sales because they feel impersonal and often get ignored or deleted immediately.
Write your emails like you’re talking to a mate who asked for your professional advice. No jargon, no corporate speak. Just: "Hey, thanks for reaching out. Here is the info you wanted. By the way, here is how we helped a family in Indooroopilly solve the same problem last week."
What to Put in Your Emails
If you’re staring at a blank screen, here is a 4-email framework that works for almost any service-based business in Queensland.
Email 1: The Immediate Delivery
When: Instantly. Goal: Give them what they want and prove you’re reliable. If they asked for a quote, tell them when they can expect it. If they signed up for a guide, give them the link. Include your phone number clearly. Tell them exactly what the next step is.Email 2: The "Social Proof"
When: 24 hours later. Goal: Show them you aren't a cowboy. Share a story about a recent customer. "We just finished a deck for a couple in Coorparoo who were worried about termites... here’s what we did." People love stories because they can see themselves in the outcome.Email 3: The "Frequently Asked Questions"
When: 2 days after Email 2. Goal: Clear the path to a sale. What are the three things everyone asks you on the phone? Price? Timeline? Warranty? Answer them here. This saves you time on the phone later because the customer is already educated.Email 4: The "Why Us?" and The Close
When: 3 days after Email 3. Goal: Get the booking. Explain what makes you different. Do you show up on time? Do you clean up the site? Do you have a 10-year guarantee? Give them a clear call to action, like "Reply to this email to book a 15-minute chat."Common Pitfalls to Avoid
I'll be blunt: if your emails don't actually get into the inbox, this whole exercise is a waste of money. Many businesses find their automated messages going straight to the junk folder because they haven't set up their account properly. You need to make sure you stop emails landing in spam by following some basic setup rules, otherwise, you're just talking to yourself.
Another mistake is being too "salesy." If every email is "BUY NOW, 10% OFF, LIMITED TIME," people will unsubscribe faster than a tourist running from a magpie in spring. Provide value first. Give them advice. Help them understand their problem. Then, and only then, ask for the sale.
How Much Does This Cost?
If you do it yourself, it can cost as little as $20-$50 a month for a basic email tool.
If you hire an agency like us to write the strategy, craft the messages, and handle the technical setup, you’re looking at a one-off investment.
Think about it this way: what is the value of one extra customer? If you’re a plumber and a hot water system replacement is worth $2,500, and this sequence lands you just one extra job a month that you otherwise would have missed... it pays for itself in the first 30 days.
How Long Until You See Results?
You will see results the moment the first person goes through the sequence. Unlike SEO, which can take months to kick in, automation works as soon as you turn it on. If someone signs up today, they get the first email today. It’s the fastest way to improve your "enquiry-to-sale" ratio.
Your First Step
Don't overcomplicate this. You don't need a 20-email masterpiece.
1. Pick an email tool (we can help you choose one that isn't a rip-off). 2. Write one email that sends automatically when someone fills out your contact form. 3. Make that email helpful and personal.
Once that’s working, add a second email. Then a third.
Most of what you read online about marketing makes it sound like you need a degree in data science. You don't. You just need to be helpful to your customers and stay in front of them while they are making a buying decision.
If you’re too busy on the tools or running your shop to set this up yourself, that’s exactly what we do at Local Marketing Group. We build systems that make Brisbane businesses more money without adding more work to the owner's plate.
Ready to stop losing leads? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get your 24/7 sales assistant up and running.