The problem: speed beats quality
Research consistently shows that leads contacted within 5 minutes of enquiring are 9x more likely to convert than those contacted after 30 minutes. For law firms juggling caseloads, a 5-minute response window is almost impossible — unless it's automated.
The answer isn't to hire more staff. It's to build a sequence that responds immediately, nurtures over days, and only escalates to a human when the lead is warm.
What is a drip sequence? A drip sequence is a series of pre-written messages sent automatically over time — across email, WhatsApp, SMS, or phone. In Sales Hub Cloud, you build them once and they run on autopilot whenever a new lead arrives.
The 5-step sequence
This is the sequence we recommend for immigration and housing law firms. It runs across 3 days and uses three channels. Adjust the timing to match your firm's working hours.
Immediate WhatsApp message +0 minutes
Send a personalised WhatsApp message the moment a lead comes in. Thank them for enquiring, confirm you've received their details, and let them know a team member will be in touch shortly. This builds trust fast — most firms don't respond for hours.
Follow-up email with intake form +30 minutes
Send a branded email with a link to your client intake form. This does two things: it gathers information you need before the consultation, and it filters out unserious enquiries. Anyone who fills in the form is a high-intent lead — flag them for immediate human follow-up.
SMS nudge +4 hours
A short, direct SMS: "Hi [Name], just checking you received our WhatsApp earlier. We'd love to help with your case — reply here or book a call at [link]." SMS open rates are over 90%. Most leads haven't even opened the email yet.
AI phone call +Day 2
On day 2, trigger an ElevenLabs AI call. The call introduces the firm, explains the next step, and asks the lead to confirm their interest. If they press 1 to continue, a task is created for a caseworker to call them back. This filters the pipeline beautifully.
Final WhatsApp + close +Day 3
A final WhatsApp message: "We haven't heard back — no worries at all. If you'd still like to discuss your case, our calendar is open [link]. We'll close this enquiry in 24 hours." Urgency without pressure. This reactivates 15–20% of silent leads.
Setting stop conditions
A sequence without stop conditions is spam. In Sales Hub Cloud, you configure exactly when a sequence should stop for a lead:
- On reply — if the lead replies to any message, the sequence stops and a task is created for a human to take over
- On booking — if they book a consultation, all remaining steps are cancelled
- On stage change — if a caseworker moves the lead to "Qualified" or beyond, the automated sequence stops
- Manual stop — any team member can stop a sequence on a specific lead at any time
Pro tip: Always stop the sequence on reply. Nothing damages trust faster than a lead responding "I'm interested" and then receiving an automated "We haven't heard from you" message two hours later.
Setting it up in Sales Hub Cloud
Go to Automation → Sequences → New Sequence. Give it a name, select the trigger (new lead arrives, or lead enters a specific stage), then add each step:
- Add step → WhatsApp message → write your template with merge fields like
{{lead.firstName}} - Set delay (0 minutes for the first step)
- Add next step → Email → attach your intake form link
- Continue building steps with appropriate delays
- Configure stop conditions in the sequence settings
- Set the sequence to active
The sequence will now fire automatically for every new lead that matches the trigger. Check the Sequence Performance report after 2 weeks to see delivery rates, stop reasons, and conversion attribution.
Important: Make sure your WhatsApp Business account is connected and your message templates are approved before activating sequences. WhatsApp requires pre-approved templates for outbound messages to new contacts.
What to expect
Firms using this exact sequence typically see:
- 60–75% WhatsApp open rate on the first message
- 25–35% intake form completion rate from warmed leads
- 15–20% reactivation from the day-3 final message
- 40–60% reduction in the time caseworkers spend on initial outreach
The biggest win isn't the conversion rate — it's the time saved. Your team stops chasing leads and starts handling the ones that are already warm.
Next steps
If you're not already using automated sequences, start with a single 3-step sequence — just the WhatsApp, the email, and the SMS nudge. Get comfortable with the format before adding the AI call. Once you see the data, you'll never go back to manual follow-up.
Ready to try it? Start a 14-day free trial and build your first sequence today — no credit card required.