Time to first reply — why your follow-up timing is probably wrong

Most teams set follow-up gaps by gut. The data on when cold prospects actually reply should set them instead.

How we measure it

Average hours between a lead's first sent message and the detected reply, across 1OAKS campaigns where a reply occurred.

Why it matters

Two practical consequences:

1. Speed-to-lead. Once a prospect replies, your response time competes with their attention span. The reply is a short window, not a standing invitation.
2. Follow-up spacing. If most replies land within a couple of days of *a* touch, then 7–10-day follow-up gaps leave the prospect cold between touches. Tighter, 2–4-day spacing keeps you in the window — which is exactly why 1OAKS lets you set per-step day gaps.

The pattern

Cold replies cluster: a burst right after a send, then a long tail. A prospect who hasn't replied within a few days of a touch usually needs *another touch*, not more waiting. Sequences that stop at one or two emails leave most of the available replies unclaimed.

The takeaway

Set follow-up cadence to the reply-timing data, not habit. Shorter gaps and one more follow-up than feels comfortable is the usual correction.