The First Text To A New Internet Lead
Your first text sets the tone for the whole deal. Most reps send the wrong one, and it costs them the reply.
Why the First Text Matters More Than Any Text After It
When someone fills out a form on a vehicle listing, they are almost always still sitting with their phone in hand, still thinking about that specific car. That window closes fast. If your first message arrives within a few minutes, you are replying to someone who is actively engaged. If it arrives two hours later after a round of phone tag and a generic email, you are reintroducing yourself to someone who has moved on to browsing three other dealerships.
The first text is also doing something beyond timing. It is answering an unspoken question the customer has before they will engage with anything else, which is whether a real person is on the other end or whether this is going to be a canned sales sequence. Get that first message right and every message after it gets easier. Get it wrong and you spend the rest of the deal working uphill.
Timing: Minutes, Not Hours
Aim to send the first text within five to ten minutes of the lead coming in, ideally faster. This is not about being pushy, it is about matching the customer's own timeline. They just took an action. Responding while that action is still fresh in their mind is the difference between a reply and a lead that goes cold before you ever spoke to them.
If you genuinely cannot respond that fast, a fast text still beats a slow phone call. A short text takes ten seconds to send and does not require the customer to pick up, which many will not do for an unknown number anyway. Get the text out first, then follow with a call once they have a name and a face to expect.
What To Say: Specific, Short, and Named to the Vehicle
Use the customer's first name and name the exact vehicle they inquired about, not a generic reference to 'the car you were looking at.' Confirm you got their inquiry, introduce yourself by name, and ask one easy, low pressure question that invites a reply without requiring a commitment. The goal of the first text is not to book an appointment. It is to start a two way conversation.
Keep it to two or three sentences. A wall of text reads like a form letter even when a person wrote it, and it is more work for the customer to read on a phone screen. Short and specific beats long and thorough on the very first message every time.
What Not To Say
Do not lead with price, financing terms, or a request to come in today. All three ask for a commitment before you have earned any trust, and they read as exactly the sales pressure the customer expected when they gave up their phone number. Save pricing conversations for after the customer has replied and told you what they actually care about.
Also avoid anything that sounds copy pasted, like restating the vehicle's full trim and stock number the way a listing page would. The customer already knows what car they looked at. What they do not know yet is whether you are a real person paying attention to their specific situation, and generic language undercuts that impression immediately.
Three Example First Texts
'Hi Jordan, this is Marcus at Ridgeline Toyota, got your info on the RAV4 XLE. Still available and I can grab more details if you want them. Any questions come to mind first?' This one confirms availability, offers help, and asks an open question that is easy to answer.
'Hey Jordan, Marcus here from Ridgeline, saw you asked about the RAV4 in the lot photos. Are you still looking at that one or has anything changed since you filled out the form?' Useful when a lead has sat for a bit before you could respond, since it acknowledges the gap honestly instead of pretending no time passed. A third option for a same day, fast response: 'Hi Jordan, this is Marcus, got your request on the RAV4 just now. I can hold it while we talk if you are still interested, just let me know.' Short, immediate, and gives the customer a concrete reason to respond right away.
Frequently asked questions
How fast should I text a new internet lead?
Within five to ten minutes if at all possible. The customer is usually still holding their phone right after submitting the form, and that window of attention closes quickly. A fast text beats a slower phone call, since many people will not answer an unknown number but will read a text.
Should the first text mention price?
No. Leading with price or financing terms before the customer has replied reads as pressure and skips past the point of the first message, which is simply to start a two way conversation. Save pricing for after they respond and tell you what matters to them.
What if the customer does not reply to the first text?
Follow up, but change the message rather than repeating it. A short follow up a few hours later or the next day that adds something new, such as confirming the vehicle is still available, works better than sending the same text twice.
JOEY keeps every lead warm and your follow-up consistent, so you can focus on closing.
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