What you'll get
- A clear owner and response-time target for every inquiry
- Copy-paste email and SMS scripts for the first week
- A cadence you can run with or without a CRM
The most expensive gap in most practices is not traffic or design. It is the silence after someone fills out a form. Inquiries land in an inbox, the day gets busy, and a ready-to-book patient quietly books somewhere else. This SOP removes the guesswork: who responds, how fast, and exactly what they say, for the first week after an inquiry.
Why speed-to-lead decides the outcome
These are general benchmarks, but the pattern holds everywhere: the first practice to respond, in a human and helpful way, usually wins the appointment. The goal of this SOP is to make a fast, consistent response automatic instead of dependent on who is at the desk.
The follow-up cadence at a glance
- 01
Minute 0 — Auto-confirm
An automatic email and on-screen message confirms the inquiry was received and sets expectations for when they will hear back.
- 02
Minute 5 — Personal reply
A real person sends a short, personal text or email answering their question and offering two times to talk or book.
- 03
Hour 1 — Call attempt
If the inquiry included a phone number and warranted a call, attempt one call and leave a brief, friendly voicemail.
- 04
Day 1 — Value follow-up
Send one genuinely helpful message: what to expect, pricing clarity, or an answer to a common concern for their service.
- 05
Day 3 — Gentle nudge
A light check-in that makes booking the obvious next step and removes any small barrier in the way.
- 06
Day 7 — Final touch
A final, no-pressure message leaving the door open and pointing to an easy way to reconnect later.
Who owns each step
A cadence only works if every step has a name attached. Assign each role before you turn anything on.
Front desk / coordinator
- Sends the 5-minute personal reply
- Makes the Hour 1 call attempt
- Books or routes the appointment
- Logs the inquiry status
Provider / clinical
- Answers clinical questions when needed
- Confirms fit for the requested service
- Reviews flagged or complex inquiries
Owner / manager
- Owns the response-time target (SLA)
- Reviews missed or slow follow-ups weekly
- Adjusts scripts based on what converts
Copy-paste scripts
Adapt these to your voice and services. Keep them short, specific, and free of clinical detail in unsecured channels.
Subject: We received your message Hi [First name], Thanks for reaching out to [Practice]. We have your request and a team member will personally follow up within [one business hour]. If it is urgent, you can reach us at [phone]. Talk soon, [Practice] team
Hi [First name], this is [Name] at [Practice]. Thanks for reaching out about [service]. Happy to help you get started. Would [day/time] or [day/time] work for a quick call, or would you prefer I book you in?
Subject: A little more on [service] Hi [First name], Wanted to make the next step easy. Here is what a first visit for [service] usually looks like, and roughly what to expect on cost and timing: [1-2 lines]. If you would like, you can book here: [link]. Or just reply with a question, I am glad to help. [Name]
Hi [First name], just checking in. We have a couple of openings this week for [service] if you would like one. Want me to hold one for you?
Implementation checklist
Stand this up in about an hour
Running it with and without a CRM
Do
- Start manual if you must, a shared sheet and saved templates beat nothing
- Automate the instant confirmation first, it is the easiest win
- Track every inquiry with an owner and a status
- Review what converts and refine the scripts monthly
Don't
- Let inquiries live only in an inbox where they get buried
- Depend on memory or "whoever sees it first"
- Send the same generic auto-reply and call it follow-up
- Skip the weekly review, that is where leaks get caught
A CRM and a Growth System make this effortless: confirmations, reminders, and cadences run automatically, and nothing depends on a busy front desk. But the procedure matters more than the tool. Get the cadence right on paper first, then let a system run it for you.
Related: Growth System Setup
Want this looked at for your own site?
A free Website and Lead Flow Snapshot turns this into specific recommendations for your practice: trust, structure, visibility, and follow-up, with a short Loom and a clear next step.