Free tool · Checklist
Speed-to-sign checklist: answer inquiries fast enough to sign them
A printable checklist for the first hours after an inquiry: who answers, how fast, what happens after hours and how you check. Free, no sign-up.
Why speed first?
In the Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026, 55–70% of signed clients had signed within an hour of the inquiry, and 85–100% by the end of the same day. A band is approximate. The point is that the first hours decide most signings. See the speed-to-sign table, or compare your own times in the benchmark scorecard or print the benchmark one-pager.
Print this page, or tick the boxes on paper as your team works through them.
Who answers
- Name one person who owns new inquiries.A shared inbox with no owner is where inquiries go to wait.
- Give that person a backup for lunch, sick days and busy hours.A single point of failure shows up as a missed first reply.
- Write the questions the first call must cover.Use your written case criteria, so a short call still qualifies the inquiry.
How fast
- Set a target time to first reply for calls, forms and chats.Pick a number your team can keep, and write it where they can see it.
- Turn on an instant text or email reply to every form.It tells the person you have their message and when a human will reply.
- Route calls to a second line when the first is busy.A call that rings out is a lost inquiry.
Outside business hours
- Decide who answers evenings and weekend days.A person or a service that can take details and book a time.
- Return every missed call within minutes of opening.Log the time it came in and the time you called back.
- Make the after-hours message say what happens next.Not just "leave a message".
From reply to signed
- Send the engagement agreement the same day for a qualified inquiry.Let the person sign on a phone.
- Follow up on a set schedule with a person, not a template alone.Stop only when the person says no or signs.
- Record the time of the inquiry and the time of signing for every client.Without both, you cannot see your own speed.
How you check
- Each month, work out the share signed within an hour and on the same day.Compare with the band in the scorecard.
- Look at the slowest inquiries and ask what held them up.The cause is often a handoff, not a person.
- Ask for a free review if the numbers sit below the band.A second look at what clients see can find what you cannot.
How was this built?
What it covers. Fifteen steps in five groups: who answers, how fast, outside business hours, from reply to signed, and how you check.
Method. The steps follow the stages defined in The Probative Standard (inquiry, qualified, consult, signed client) and the speed-to-sign table in the Probative benchmarks.
Limits. A checklist, not a guarantee. Staffing, case mix and rules for contacting people differ by firm and by state. It is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
Related
Questions people ask
Where do I start?
Read it through once, then start with the first step you cannot tick in each group. Fixing the gaps takes longer than reading them.
What do the stages mean?
They follow The Probative Standard: an inquiry, a qualified inquiry, a consult, and a signed client. Each step on the list helps one of those moves happen faster.
Does it matter when a call comes in?
Yes. Calls outside business hours are where many firms lose clients, so the list has its own group for them.
Sources
- Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026: how each figure is made and protectedAccessed October 26, 2026
- The Probative Standard: how we count leads, signed cases and costAccessed October 26, 2026
- Speed to lead, as defined in The Probative StandardAccessed October 26, 2026
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