Where Do Your Leads Go? A Simple Lead Follow-Up System for Singapore SMEs

October 29, 2026 · 6 min read · by Furoki

Most Singapore small businesses don't have a lead problem so much as a leak. Enquiries arrive through WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, Facebook, email, a website form and the occasional phone call. Some get a quick reply. Some get a reply two days later. Some get "will check and revert" and then nothing, because the person who saw it got busy and nobody else knew it existed.

You don't need expensive CRM software to fix this. You need one place where every enquiry lands, a clear owner, and a simple rule for what happens next. This guide shows how to set that up, starting with tools you already have.

Where leads leak

Before building anything, find your leaks. Look back at last month and ask:

• Channels nobody watches: an Instagram inbox only one person checks, a website form that emails an old address, a Facebook page with messages from weeks ago.
• Slow first replies: enquiries that came in after hours or while you were with a customer.
• "Let me think about it": warm leads who went quiet and never heard from you again.
• Staff phones: customers messaging a staff member's personal number, which disappears when that person leaves.

Every one of these is a customer who was interested enough to reach out. Fixing them is usually cheaper than finding new ones.

Step 1: Capture every enquiry in one list

Create one shared spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Excel Online both work) with these columns:

Column	Example
Date	29 Oct
Name	Rachel
Channel	WhatsApp / Instagram / form / call
Interested in	Keratin treatment; P4 English; 10-class pilates pack
Stage	New / Replied / Waiting / Booked / Lost
Owner	Who is responsible for the next step
Next step and date	"Send Saturday slots, Thu"
Lost reason	Price / timing / location / no reply

Keep it short. A list with 20 columns doesn't get updated; a list with eight does.

Step 2: Mirror the stages in WhatsApp

If most enquiries come through WhatsApp, use the Business app's labels (WhatsApp is renaming them "lists" and rolling that out gradually) to match your stages: New, Waiting, Booked. You can create up to 20 labels and filter chats by label, so "show me everyone waiting to confirm" becomes one tap. WhatsApp itself suggests labels for prioritising follow-ups.

Also move customer conversations off personal numbers and onto one business number that the team can share. That's the single biggest fix for leads disappearing when staff change.

Step 3: Agree on response times

Write a simple rule and stick it where everyone can see it, for example:

• New enquiry during opening hours: first reply within 15 minutes.
• New enquiry after hours: an automatic away message with your prices and booking link, then a personal reply first thing next morning.
• "Waiting" leads: one follow-up after two or three days, then mark as Lost if there's no answer.

Pick numbers that suit your business. What matters is that everyone knows the rule and the list shows whether it's being kept.

Step 4: Follow up like a person, once or twice

A good follow-up is short, specific and easy to answer:

Hi Rachel, just checking in on the keratin treatment you asked about. We still have Saturday 11am or Sunday 3pm open. Would either work?

Two specific options are easier to reply to than "Any update?". If there's still no reply after a second message, mark the lead as Lost with a reason and stop. Repeated chasing does more harm than good.

Step 5: Review once a week

Pick a fixed slot, say Monday morning, and spend 15 minutes on the list:

1. How many enquiries came in, and from which channels?
2. How many booked?
3. Which leads are stuck in "Waiting" and need a nudge?
4. What are the most common lost reasons? If it's always price, look at how you present prices. If it's "no reply", look at response time.

After a month, you'll know which channels bring in customers who actually book, which is far more useful than likes or follower counts when deciding where to spend on marketing.

Follow-ups versus marketing: the PDPA line

Replying to someone about the thing they asked about is customer service. Sending them promotions is marketing. Under the PDPA's Do Not Call provisions, before sending a marketing message to a Singapore phone number you need either a valid check against the DNC Registry (results are valid for 21 days) or the person's clear and unambiguous consent, given by a positive action, such as ticking a box, and recorded so you can refer to it later. Add a "Marketing consent: yes/no" column to your list and only send promotions to the yeses.

When a spreadsheet isn't enough

The spreadsheet works as long as someone updates it. The usual sign you've outgrown it is that it's always a few days behind, because typing every enquiry in by hand is itself a chore.

That's the gap Furoki Concierge fills for appointment-based businesses. It takes the first reply on your website chat (WhatsApp is rolling out with our first pilot businesses), answers from your own approved prices in English and 中文, books real slots, sends reminders, opens a handoff for your team when a chat needs a person, and sends a weekly one-page report of enquiries, bookings and handoffs. Every chat it handles is recorded without anyone typing it in.

And if your leaks start before the enquiry, with people not finding you at all, Furoki Marco runs a free audit of how Google, Google Maps and AI assistants see your business.

Frequently asked questions

Do small businesses need CRM software?

Not at first. A shared spreadsheet with stage, owner, next step and lost reason, plus WhatsApp Business labels, is enough to start. Move to a tool when the spreadsheet stops being updated.

What stages should a small business use for leads?

Keep it short: New, Replied, Waiting, Booked and Lost, with a reason recorded for every lost lead.

How many times should I follow up on an enquiry?

Once or twice, with a short, specific message offering two options. If there is still no reply, mark it as lost with a reason.

Can I send promotions to people who enquired?

Only within Singapore's Do Not Call provisions: a valid DNC Registry check (valid for 21 days) or the person's clear and unambiguous consent, recorded for later reference.