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📞 Answer Your Calls, Boost Your Bookings

📞 Answer Your Calls, Boost Your Bookings

Live answering can increase conversions by 3–10x. Here’s how you fix what many businesses struggle with.

Ben Wright
September 22, 2025

Welcome to The Growth Report

It’s Ben Wright here, founder of Risely.

When someone calls your business, what happens in the first few seconds can make all the difference. Answering live vs. letting it go to voicemail often determines whether you win the customer or they go somewhere else.

Some businesses don’t realize just how much conversions drop when a call goes to voicemail. Here’s the breakdown:

⭐ Live Answer vs. Voicemail

Conversion Odds: Live Answer vs. Voicemail

Live Answer

Conversion rate: 60–80%

Why so high?

Customers keep calling down the list until someone picks up.
A friendly, helpful voice builds trust instantly.
Giving a quote or booking an estimate right away stops their search.

Voicemail

Conversion rate: 10–20% (often less)

Why so low?

Most people won’t leave a voicemail.
If they do, they’ll still call competitors while waiting.

Unless you call back within 5–10 minutes, you’ve likely lost them.

✅ A Quick Example

Imagine 100 new leads call your business:

Answer 70 live → ~50 become customers.
Let 30 go to voicemail → only 3–6 convert.

That’s a 10x difference.

🔧What High-Converting Companies Do

Have dedicated call staff or use a 24/7 answering service
Send instant text follow-ups if a call is missed
Call back within 5 minutes, speed shows professionalism
Use call tracking & missed-call alerts to plug gaps

📈Proof It Works

Check out a moving-company case study where we helped a client reach 7 figures. That was in part by improving how they handle inbound calls.
Want to understand the full strategy you should follow? Our Marketing Strategy page lays out what works (from call handling to conversion optimization).
From local service providers to national brands, we’ve helped companies increase conversions, streamline their lead flow, and boost revenue by focusing on what happens when the phone rings.

🚀The Takeaway

If your goal is more booked jobs, answering live on the first ring is one of the highest-ROI changes you can make.

👉 Even moving from a 50% live answer rate to 80% could double your bookings.

Need help setting up a call service, missed-call alerts, or scripting for your team? Reply to this email and we’ll connect you with someone who can help.

Ready to Boost Your Marketing?

Imagine what a customized marketing plan could do for your business. Book a 20-minute audit call with me, and together we’ll uncover opportunities to elevate your strategy—no strings attached.

Whether we partner up or not, you’ll walk away with actionable insights to drive growth. Let’s explore your potential!