The Question That Changed Everything
Here's what most businesses get wrong: They think marketing is about getting MORE leads. It's not. It's about getting more signal from the leads you already have. You don't need 500 leads. You need 50 leads who will actually talk to you.
Vince Calabrese
11/4/20251 min read
The Question That Changed Everything
We had a 23% response rate on our initial SMS outreach for a client.
Not bad. But not great.
Then we changed one sentence in the text message.
Response rate jumped to 61%.
Here's what we changed:
Old text:
"Hi [Name], thanks for your interest in [Service]. When's a good time to talk?"
New text:
"Hi [Name], quick question - are you looking to get this done in the next 2 weeks or just exploring options?"
Why did this work?
It's specific (not the dreaded "let's schedule a call")
It's low-pressure (we're acknowledging they might just be researching)
It gives them an easy out that still gives us valuable information
The leads who respond "just exploring" → nurture sequence
The leads who say "next 2 weeks" → straight to the sales team
Same leads. Same ads. Same landing page.
Just smarter qualification.
Here's what most businesses get wrong:
They think marketing is about getting MORE leads.
It's not.
It's about getting more signal from the leads you already have.
You don't need 500 leads. You need 50 leads who will actually talk to you.
What's the first question you're asking your leads?