Playbook
The first ten seconds of a lead
Sara Haddad · June 2026 · 4 min read
A lead is hottest the moment it arrives. Every minute after that is decay — here’s how to win the first ten seconds without sounding like a robot.
Speed beats polish. A fast reply that answers the actual question — a price, a time, an availability — converts far better than a perfect message that lands an hour late. If they asked what something costs, your first message should contain the cost.
But speed and quality aren’t a trade-off. The replies that win share a shape: the answer itself, one qualifying question, and one easy next step. “The full detail is AED 450 and takes 3 hours. Is this a sedan or an SUV? Thursday 2pm is free if you’d like it.” Answer, question, step.
Sent in seconds, every time — the speed gets you the conversation, the question keeps it going, and the step closes it.