Forgetting to Follow Up With Leads? Automate It the Simple Way

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Disclosure: Some links in this post are my referral links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you keep forgetting to follow up with leads, the honest fix is to stop relying on memory and let an autoresponder send your follow-up emails for you. You write the messages once, and every new person who signs up on your capture page gets them in order, automatically. I use Automated Toolbox for this, but below I'll lay out the free and paid options too so you can pick what fits.

Why do my leads go cold after they sign up?

Most beginners don't lose leads because their offer is bad. They lose them because nobody talks to those people after the first day.

Here is how it usually happens:

• Someone fills out your form, and you mean to email them "tomorrow."
• Tomorrow turns into next week, and now they don't remember who you are.
• You have names in a spreadsheet, a notebook or your phone, but no system that reaches out on its own.
• When you do email, you're writing every message from scratch, so it feels like a chore.

People rarely decide on the first visit. They need to hear from you a few times, get to know you and see that you actually help. That takes follow-up, and doing it by hand doesn't last once you have more than a handful of leads.

How do people usually follow up with leads automatically?

There are a few common routes, and each one has a trade-off.

• Doing it by hand from Gmail. Free, but it doesn't scale, and it is easy to forget.
• Free autoresponder plans. Several email services have a free tier. They are a fine way to learn, but they usually cap your contacts or features, and you build pages somewhere else.
• Monthly autoresponders like AWeber or GetResponse. These are solid tools. When I looked at them, the thing that stopped me was that the price goes up as your list grows. The more successful you get, the more you pay every month.
• A page builder plus a separate email tool. This works, but now you're connecting two systems and paying for both.

I learned the hard way why this matters. For about 10 years I built my business inside one company. When the owner retired and shut it down, I lost every contact I had, names, emails and phone numbers, because I never backed anything up. I wrote about that in why I build my email list with Automated Toolbox. Whatever you choose, make sure the list and the follow-up are yours.

How Automated Toolbox handles follow-up for you

Automated Toolbox is a done-for-you autoresponder and lead-capture system. Here is how each piece connects to the follow-up problem:

• 100+ niche capture pages. You don't have to design a page to start collecting leads. Pick one that fits your topic and brand it. If you're new to these, my plain-English guide on what a lead capture page is explains the basics.
• Built-in autoresponder. The page and the email follow-up live in the same place, so a sign-up goes straight into your follow-up series. No connecting two tools.
• Contact groups. You can put people into groups, so leads from one page get the messages meant for them.
• Redirect after sign-up. After someone signs up, you can send them to the next page you choose, like a video or an offer page.
• Email broadcasting. Besides the automatic series, you can send one email to everyone, any day.
• Unlimited contacts. Your price doesn't climb as your list grows. That was the main reason I moved over from MyCapturePage.com.

Here is the part I like most for beginners: I can share my email follow-up series with my team. Someone who joins under me picks a capture page, chooses the contact group, adds their own redirect, and uses my series without copying emails one by one. That takes away the "what do I even write?" problem on day one.

I use Automated Toolbox for every lead capture page I run, and it's my autoresponder. As I like to say: "I don't promote anything I wouldn't personally show my own audience. Automated Toolbox earned its place because it's a real tool I use to own my list, not rent it."

Who should use it, and who should choose something else?

It may fit you if:

• You plan to build a list for years and don't want a monthly bill that grows with it.
• You want capture pages and follow-up emails in one place.
• You're on a team and want to use a shared follow-up series.

Pick something else if:

• You're only testing the idea of email marketing. A free autoresponder plan is a cheaper way to learn first.
• You can't comfortably spend a one-time fee right now. Don't stretch your budget for any tool.
• You need advanced e-commerce features from a big email platform.

If you want leads coming in to follow up with, you might also read my My Lead Gen Secrets review, which is about getting new leads every day.

Quick facts

• What it is: an autoresponder and lead-capture system with 100+ niche capture pages.
• Cost as listed when written: $500 one-time, plus $97 per year hosting. I paid about $1,000 one time when I joined. Check the official page for current pricing.
• What you get: capture pages, built-in autoresponder, unlimited contacts, email broadcasting, contact groups and a redirect after sign-up.
• Who it's for: people who want to own their list and automate follow-up without a price that rises with list size.
• Pay plan: there is also a referral plan ($500 instant commission on qualifying kept sales, "Power 4" pass-up structure). Results vary and many people earn nothing. I have made no money from it and joined for the product.

Frequently asked questions

How do I follow up with leads automatically?

Use an autoresponder. You write a series of emails once and set the order. Every new sign-up gets them on schedule without you sending anything by hand.

How many follow-up emails should I send to a new lead?

There's no magic number. A short welcome series that helps people and introduces you is a good start. Watch who replies, and adjust from there.

Does Automated Toolbox charge more as my list grows?

As listed when this was written, it has unlimited contacts with a one-time fee and yearly hosting. Always confirm current terms on the official page before buying.

Do I need to know how to code or design pages?

No. It comes with 100+ niche capture pages you can brand. You pick a page, set the contact group and the redirect, and connect your follow-up.

Start following up without having to remember

Following up is where most of the relationship happens, and it shouldn't depend on your memory. If you want capture pages and automatic follow-up in one place, take a look at Automated Toolbox's lead capture and autoresponder system and check the current details there.

What's the hardest part of following up with your leads right now? Tell me in the comments.

Results vary. Your results depend on your own effort, skills and situation, and many people earn nothing.