Re-Engaging Cold Leads: Timing and Tactics

60% of customers say no four times before finally saying yes.

Most contractors stop following up after one or two attempts. The lead doesn’t respond to the quote, so they move on. The prospect says they need to think about it, and the contractor never calls again.

Those leads aren’t dead. They’re dormant.

The homeowner who requested a roof inspection last spring still has the same roof. The family that asked about HVAC replacement before summer didn’t suddenly stop needing a new system. Circumstances change. Timing shifts. The project moves up the priority list.

The question is whether they remember your name when they’re ready.

Why leads go cold

Understanding why leads stall helps you craft better reactivation messages.

Timing wasn’t right. They were researching for a project 6 months out. Now it’s 6 months later.

Price shock. They expected $5,000 and you quoted $12,000. They needed time to accept reality or save more money.

Decision paralysis. Three quotes, all similar. They couldn’t choose and defaulted to doing nothing.

Life happened. A family emergency, a job change, a surprise expense. The home project got pushed down the list.

They forgot. Not about the project, but about you specifically. They requested multiple quotes and lost track of who said what.

None of these are objections to your company. They’re circumstances that a well-timed follow-up can address.

When to reach out

The optimal reactivation window for home services is 30-90 days after last contact.

Shorter than 30 days feels pushy. If they said “we need to think about it” three weeks ago, another call now feels like harassment.

Longer than 90 days risks losing them entirely. After three months, they may have hired someone else, forgotten your name, or mentally moved on from the project.

Seasonal timing

Layer in seasonal relevance when possible.

HVAC leads from March: Reach out in September when they’re thinking about heating. “You asked about AC in the spring. How’s your furnace looking for winter?”

Roofing leads from summer: Contact in fall before winter weather makes the project harder. “Wanted to check in before the first freeze.”

Plumbing leads from any season: Reach out around the holidays when homes host guests and plumbing gets stressed.

Seasonal hooks give you a reason to reach out that isn’t “just checking in.”

What to say

Cold lead reactivation is part art, part science. The message has to acknowledge time has passed without being weird about it.

The direct approach

“Hi [Name], this is [Your name] from [Company]. You reached out about [service] back in [month]. Wanted to see if that’s still on your radar or if things have changed.”

Short. Direct. No pressure. Works for phone calls and texts.

The value-add approach

“Hi [Name], we quoted your [project] back in [month]. Since then, we’re offering [new financing option / seasonal discount / extended warranty]. Thought you might want to know.”

This gives them a reason to reconsider beyond “we want your business.”

The educational approach

“Hi [Name], you were looking at [service] earlier this year. We just published a guide on [relevant topic] that might help with your decision. Here’s the link.”

Positions you as helpful, not salesy. Works well for email.

The urgency approach

Use sparingly, but effective when genuine.

“We’re booking [season] projects now and slots are filling up. If your [project] is still on the list, let me know and I’ll save you a spot.”

Only works if you actually have limited availability. Fake urgency backfires.

The reactivation sequence

One message rarely does it. Build a simple sequence that escalates gradually.

Day 1: Email with value-add or educational angle. Low pressure.

Day 4: If no response, text message with direct approach. “Hey [Name], did you get my email about [project]?”

Day 10: Phone call. Leave a voicemail if they don’t answer. Reference the email and text so they know you’ve been trying.

Day 21: Final email. “I don’t want to bug you. If [project] isn’t happening, no worries. Just let me know either way so I can update my records.”

That last email often gets responses because it gives them permission to say no. Some will say no. Some will say “actually, let’s talk.”

Segmenting your cold leads

All cold leads aren’t equal. Segment before you blast.

By original lead value

A $15,000 HVAC replacement quote deserves more reactivation effort than a $200 drain cleaning. Prioritize high-value cold leads for personal outreach. Use automated sequences for smaller jobs.

By how far they got

A lead that requested a quote but never scheduled an estimate is colder than one where you sent a detailed proposal. The proposal lead was further down the funnel and might need just a nudge.

By reason for stalling

If they told you price was the issue, lead with financing options. If they said timing, check back on timing. If they ghosted with no explanation, use the direct “just checking in” approach.

By time since last contact

30-day cold leads get one sequence. 6-month cold leads get a different approach that acknowledges more time has passed.

Channel selection

Different channels hit differently for reactivation.

Email: Lowest barrier to send, lowest engagement rate. Good for the first touch and educational content. Easy to ignore.

Text: Higher engagement rate. Feels more personal and urgent. Can come across as intrusive if overused. Best for second touch or time-sensitive messages.

Phone call: Highest engagement when they answer. Most effort for you. Best for high-value leads. Leave voicemails that reference your other outreach.

Direct mail: Cuts through digital noise. Higher cost, but stands out. A personalized postcard after 60 days of silence can restart a conversation.

Multichannel outperforms single-channel by significant margins. Don’t just email three times and give up.

Read more about postcard marketing for home services.

What the data shows

Cold lead reactivation campaigns typically see 5-10% response rates when properly segmented. That might sound low, but consider the math.

You have 200 cold leads from the past year. A 7% response rate brings back 14 conversations. At a 30% close rate on reactivated leads (they were already interested once), that’s 4 booked jobs.

If your average job is $2,000, you just generated $8,000 from leads you’d otherwise written off. The only cost was the time to set up and send the reactivation campaign.

One contractor running a “we miss you” email to 18-month dormant customers generated $60,000 in a single campaign. Past customers and cold leads represent untapped revenue.

Mistakes that kill reactivation

Being too apologetic. “Sorry to bother you again” frames you as an annoyance. You’re providing value and reminding them about a project they wanted.

Identical messaging. If your email didn’t work, sending the same email again won’t either. Vary your approach.

No opt-out. After 3-4 touches with no response, stop. Include an easy way for them to say “remove me” before they mark you as spam.

Automation without personalization. “Dear Homeowner” signals laziness. Use their name and reference their specific project.

Wrong channel for the message. A detailed proposal reminder via text is awkward. A quick check-in via 500-word email is overkill. Match format to message.

Building the system

Reactivation should run on autopilot, triggered by time since last contact.

Set up your CRM to flag leads that have been inactive for 30 days. Those enter a reactivation sequence. If they respond, they move back to active. If they don’t respond after the sequence completes, they move to a long-term nurture list (quarterly touches) or archive.

Review cold leads monthly. Look for patterns. Are certain lead sources producing more cold leads? Is one sales rep closing less than others? The data tells you where the real problems are.

Read more about lead nurturing for home services.

The mindset shift

Every cold lead represents money you already spent to acquire. You paid for that Google click or Angi lead. When the lead goes cold, you’re not losing potential revenue. You’re losing actual money you already invested.

Reactivation is cheaper than new acquisition. The lead already knows your name. They already expressed interest. The persuasion work is partially done.

Those 60% of customers who say no four times before saying yes? Someone wins their business eventually. Either you follow up enough to be there when they’re ready, or your competitor does.

Cold leads aren’t dead. They’re waiting.

Read more about speed to lead and follow-up timing.