# SMS for sales and customer follow-up: the complete guide

> SMS follow-up is a short series of personal texts to people who agreed to hear from you, sent from a registered number and stopped when they reply.

Updated 2026-10-14. https://usetextually.com/guides/sms-sales-and-customer-follow-up

SMS follow-up is a planned series of short texts to new leads or existing customers who agreed to hear from you. Each text is personal, goes out from a number registered to your business, waits a set time before the next one, and stops the moment the person replies, so your team can take over.

This guide covers new leads (form fills, demo requests, event contacts, quotes) and [existing customers](/guides/texting-existing-customers) (onboarding, renewals, reminders, win-back, reviews): what to set up, how to build a sequence, how to handle replies, and what the evidence shows. Every number links to its source and year.

## What is SMS follow-up?

SMS follow-up is a sequence: a first text, a wait, a check for a reply, and another text if there was none. You build it once and it runs for every person you add, with their details filled in. It has three kinds of steps:

| Step | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Sends a message with fields from your list filled in | "Hi {{First name}}, it's Sam from Northwind." |
| Wait | Pauses for a set time before the next step | 2 days |
| Condition | Checks something before continuing | No reply yet: send the next text |

## Why does texting work for follow-up?

Texting reaches people on the device they carry all day, and most businesses are still slow to answer new inquiries. Both facts are well documented.

**Almost everyone you follow up with has a mobile phone.**

- 98% of US adults own a cellphone and 91% own a smartphone ([Pew Research Center, 2025](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/), survey of 5,022 adults).
- 80.0% of US adults lived in wireless-only households in July to December 2025 ([CDC National Health Interview Survey, 2026](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/wireless202609.pdf)).
- Americans exchanged nearly 2.2 trillion SMS and MMS messages in 2024 ([CTIA, 2025](https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2025-Annual-Survey-Highlights.pdf)).
- 85% of Canadians aged 15 and older used a smartphone to go online in 2022 ([Statistics Canada, 2024](https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/5504-app-y-birthday)).

**Most companies answer new leads slowly, which leaves room for a fast, personal reply.**

- In a 2024 test, the scheduling company RevenueHero requested demos on 1,000 B2B software websites and got 365 replies. The average reply took 1 day, 5 hours and 17 minutes. Companies that automated their first reply averaged 17 hours and 20 minutes ([RevenueHero, 2024](https://www.revenuehero.io/blog/b2b-lead-response-times)).
- In more than 100 secret shops of US real estate brokerages, nearly half of online property inquiries went unanswered. The median reply among those that answered was 39 minutes ([Mike DelPrete, 2024](https://mikedp.com/articles/2024/8/13/secret-shopping-47-of-online-property-inquiries-are-ignored)).

**In some fields, buyers say they prefer text.** Half (50%) of home buyers who used an agent prefer texting or messaging apps when working with agents, against 33% who prefer phone calls, and 47% hired the first agent they spoke with ([Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report, 2025](https://s25.q4cdn.com/975009107/files/doc_news/Zillow-report-Online-research-now-shapes-how-most-agent-relationships-begin-2025.pdf)).

### What about the "98% open rate"?

The figure traces back to a 2010 white paper by the UK analyst firm mobileSQUARED, whose author wrote in 2025 that it no longer reflects today ([mobileSQUARED, 2025](https://www.mobilesquared.co.uk/?p=12447)). SMS gives the sender a delivery receipt and no read receipt, so a true open rate for texts can't be measured. We leave the number out.

## Who uses text follow-up, and for what?

| Team | New leads | Existing customers |
|---|---|---|
| B2B sales | Demo requests, event contacts, [missed meetings](/guides/missed-meeting-no-show-texts) | Expansion check-ins, renewals |
| Agencies | [Their clients' inbound leads](/guides/agency-texting-for-clients), appointment setting | Client reporting reminders, reactivation |
| Recruiters and staffing | [Candidate outreach](/guides/texting-candidates-recruiting), interview scheduling | Shift reminders, re-engaging past candidates |
| Real estate | [New property inquiries](/guides/texting-real-estate-leads), showing requests | Past-client check-ins, referrals |
| Insurance | [Quote follow-up](/guides/insurance-texting-quotes-renewals) | Renewals, claim updates, payment reminders |
| Home services | [Estimate follow-up](/guides/estimate-follow-up-texts) | Appointment reminders, [review requests](/guides/review-request-texts) |
| SaaS customer success | Trial and demo follow-up | [Onboarding](/guides/customer-onboarding-texts), [renewals](/guides/renewal-reminder-texts), [win-back](/guides/win-back-texts) |
| Clinics and appointment businesses | New patient or client inquiries | Appointment and payment reminders, [recalls](/guides/clinic-appointment-reminder-texts) |

For ready-made wording for each of these, see our [follow-up text templates](/guides/follow-up-text-templates). For reminders, see [appointment and payment reminder sequences](/guides/appointment-and-payment-reminder-texts).

## What do you need before you send the first text?

You need five things in place: a registered number, consent on record, an opt-out in your texts, sending hours, and someone who owns the replies. This section summarizes [public rules](/guides/business-texting-rules-us-canada). It is not legal advice, so ask a lawyer about your own program.

1. **A registered number.** In the US, business texts from ordinary 10-digit numbers go through 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry, where brands and their texting providers "are verified" ([The Campaign Registry](https://www.campaignregistry.com/)). Unregistered business traffic gets blocked. To text Canadian mobiles, a verified toll-free number is the usual route. Our [10DLC registration guide](/guides/how-to-register-10dlc) walks through both.
2. **Consent you can show.** US federal rules require "prior express written consent" for marketing calls and texts sent with an autodialer to mobile numbers ([47 CFR 64.1200, eCFR](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200)). The carriers' industry guidance says messages "should be sent only after the Consumer has opted-in to receive them" and that rented, sold or shared lists should not be used ([CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices, 2023](https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230523-CTIA-Messaging-Principles-and-Best-Practices-FINAL.pdf)). In Canada, commercial texts need express or implied consent under CASL ([Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, s. 6](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-1.6/FullText.html)). [Record where and when each person agreed](/guides/sms-consent-opt-in-examples).
3. **A way to opt out in the text.** Tell people they can reply STOP. CASL also requires the message to identify the sender and include an unsubscribe mechanism (s. 6(2)).
4. **Sending hours.** Federal rules bar telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. in the recipient's local time (47 CFR 64.1200(c)), and some states set tighter windows (see the timing section below).
5. **One place for replies, with an owner.** A sequence is only as good as the person who answers the replies it creates.

## How do you build a follow-up sequence?

Build it in seven steps: one goal, the right people, a short first text, waits, a reply check, a closing text, and sending hours.

1. **Pick one goal.** Book a call, confirm an appointment, get a renewal decision, get a review. One sequence, one ask.
2. **Choose who goes in.** Only people with consent for texts. Keep the columns you need for personal details: first name, company, product, the reason they contacted you, a date.
3. **Write a short first text.** Say who you are, why you're texting, and ask one easy question. Use the detail that shows why they're hearing from you, such as "Thanks for asking about {{Product}}", along with their first name.
4. **Add waits between texts.** One to three days between texts suits most sales follow-up. Reminders run to a date instead (3 days before, then 1 day before).
5. **Check for a reply before each new text.** A condition step ("no reply yet") makes sure nobody gets a follow-up after they've already answered.
6. **End with a close-the-loop text.** A last message that leaves the door open ("I'll leave it here. Reply any time if the timing changes.") ends the sequence politely and gives people an easy last chance to answer.
7. **Set sending days and hours, then launch.** Business hours in the recipient's time zone suit B2B follow-up. Watch the first replies and opt-outs closely in the first week.

## What does a good sequence look like?

Here are two complete sequences, one for a new lead and one for an existing customer. Fields in double braces come from the columns on your list.

**New inbound lead (form fill or demo request)**

Text 1, right away:

> Hi {{First name}}, it's Sam from Northwind. Thanks for asking about {{Product}}. Is a quick call today or tomorrow good?

Wait 1 day. If there's no reply yet, text 2:

> Happy to answer by text instead. What would help most?

Wait 2 days. If there's no reply yet, text 3:

> I'll leave it here for now. Reply any time if the timing changes.

**Renewal (existing customer)**

Text 1, about a month before the renewal date:

> Hi {{First name}}, your {{Plan}} renews on {{Renewal date}}. Anything you'd like to change before then?

Wait 7 days. If there's no reply yet, text 2:

> A quick reminder that your plan renews on {{Renewal date}}. Reply here with any questions.

Each text fits in a single segment (160 characters) before the opt-out line is added. More sequences, including missed meetings, event leads, onboarding, win-back and reviews, are in our [templates guide](/guides/follow-up-text-templates).

## How many texts should you send, and when?

Start with two to four texts over one to two weeks, inside business hours, and stop as soon as the person replies. No independent study has measured the best number of follow-up texts, so treat this as a starting point to test against your own reply and opt-out rates.

The closest evidence comes from reminders: in a trial of 54,066 patients, two reminders led to fewer missed visits than one (4.4% against 5.3% and 5.8%) ([American Journal of Managed Care, 2018](https://www.ajmc.com/view/optimizing-number-and-timing-of-appointment-reminders-a-randomized-trial)).

Timing rules for marketing texts in the US:

| Where the recipient is | Allowed hours (recipient's local time) | Other limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (federal) | 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. | National Do Not Call registry applies to telephone solicitations | [47 CFR 64.1200(c)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200) |
| Florida | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | At most three commercial solicitation calls in 24 hours on the same subject | [Fla. Stat. 501.616](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0501/Sections/0501.616.html) |
| Oklahoma | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | At most three in 24 hours on the same subject | [HB 3168 (2022)](https://oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2021-22%20ENR/hB/HB3168%20ENR.PDF) |
| Maryland | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | At most three in 24 hours on the same subject | [Md. Code, Com. Law 14-4502](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gcl&section=14-4502) |

Whether the Florida and Oklahoma limits reach texts and business-to-business sales is a question for a lawyer, and other states have rules we have not checked. Sending between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays in the recipient's time zone covers all of the above.

Related: [how many follow-up texts to send](/guides/how-many-follow-up-texts), [speed to lead](/guides/speed-to-lead-texting) and [texting quiet hours](/guides/texting-quiet-hours).

## How should you handle replies?

Stop the sequence for anyone who replies, answer from the same number they already know, and keep the whole thread in one place so whoever answers sees the history.

Slow answers to texts are common. In J.D. Power's 2024 study of 2,982 insurance claimants, just 39% said their insurer always responded in a timely fashion to emails and text messages ([J.D. Power, 2024](https://insurance-canada.ca/2024/12/05/jd-power-digital-claims-features-apps/)).

Three replies need special care:

- **STOP and other opt-out words.** Under current FCC rules, replies such as "stop," "quit," "end," "revoke," "opt out," "cancel" or "unsubscribe" revoke consent, and requests must be honored "within a reasonable time not to exceed ten business days" ([47 CFR 64.1200(a)(10)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200)). CASL sets the same 10-business-day limit (s. 11). Stopping at once is the safe practice. A further FCC order adopted on 2026-09-30 lets senders make a reply with one of those words the exclusive opt-out method; it takes effect 30 days after Federal Register publication, which had not happened as of 2026-10-14 ([FCC 26-67](https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-26-67A1.pdf)).
- **HELP.** Reply with your business name and how to reach you.
- **"Who is this?" or "How did you get my number?"** Answer plainly with your name, your company and where they gave you their number ("You asked about pricing on our website on May 3"). This is where a consent record pays for itself.

## How do you know it's working?

Track four numbers per sequence and per step, and compare them against your own earlier results:

| Measure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Reply rate per text | Which message earns answers; a weak step is the one to rewrite |
| Opt-out rate per text | Whether a message or its timing annoys people |
| Outcomes (meetings booked, renewals, reviews) | Whether replies turn into results |
| Time to first human answer | Whether your team keeps up with the replies |

Published reply-rate benchmarks for texting mostly come from vendors' own customers, so your own baseline is the fairer comparison.

## What should you avoid?

Carriers, regulators and recipients all dislike these habits:

- **Bought, rented or shared lists.** CTIA guidance says senders "should not use opt-in lists that have been rented, sold, or shared" ([CTIA, 2023](https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230523-CTIA-Messaging-Principles-and-Best-Practices-FINAL.pdf)).
- **Spreading one campaign across many numbers to dodge filters.** CTIA calls this snowshoeing and asks senders not to do it.
- **Texts without your name or business.** People are wary for good reason: people in the US reported $470 million lost to scams that started with a text in 2024, more than five times the 2020 figure ([FTC, 2025](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2025/04/top-text-scams-2024)). Say who you are in the first line and never ask for passwords or card numbers by text.
- **Long texts, all capitals and strings of emoji.** One emoji changes a [segment](/guides/text-message-segments) from 160 characters to 70, so cost goes up and the message reads like an ad. See [pricing](/pricing) for how segments are charged.

## Where does Textually fit?

Textually is a multi-step text sequencer for teams in the US and Canada. You import a list (CSV or paste), push leads into a campaign, write Text, Wait and Condition steps with {{Column}} fields, and launch. Textually registers your business for 10DLC in the US and verifies toll-free numbers for Canada, keeps each person on the number that first texted them, sends only inside your sending days and hours, and requires a consent record or a campaign-wide consent confirmation before any text goes out. Every text carries the opt-out line until the person replies, STOP ends texts at once, and a reply ends that person's sequence and lands in one shared inbox with the full history. See [how the rules are built in](/texting-rules) and [why text](/why-text), or [apply for access](/apply).

## Questions

### Is texting better than email for sales follow-up?

They do different jobs. Texts suit short, time-sensitive questions to people who agreed to receive them, such as "Is tomorrow at 2 still good?" Email suits longer detail, attachments and people who haven't given consent to texts. Many teams use both in the same follow-up.

### Can I text a lead who only gave me their email address?

No. Consent to email is separate from consent to texts. In the US, marketing texts generally need prior express written consent that names the phone number, and under CASL a Canadian's consent must cover texts to that number. Ask for text consent with its own checkbox or reply.

### How long should a follow-up text be?

Keep it under 160 characters so it sends as one segment. An emoji or certain special characters cut a segment to 70 characters, and the opt-out line counts toward the length. Two short sentences and one question is a good target.

### Do I need to register to text customers from my business number?

In the US, yes, if you text from a standard 10-digit number: the business and its use case are registered through The Campaign Registry by your texting provider. Toll-free numbers need their own verification before they can text the US or Canada.

### Can I follow up with existing customers by text?

Yes, with consent for texts. Under CASL, an existing business relationship gives implied consent for two years after a purchase and six months after an inquiry (s. 10(10)). In the US, check that your customer's consent covers the kind of text you're sending, and ask a lawyer if you're unsure.