Sales text message examples that get replies (20 to copy)

The sales texts that get replies are short, say who is texting, refer to something the lead actually did, and end with one easy question. Below are 20 sales text message examples (seven first touches, seven follow-ups, six closers), each with a note on why it works and when not to use it.

All of these assume the person asked to hear from you. They filled out a form, booked a demo, texted a keyword, or replied to an earlier message. Sales texting works with consented or replied leads. Cold outreach belongs on the phone or in the mail. That rule shapes every example here: each one points back to the action the lead took, because that reference is what separates a welcome text from spam.

What makes a sales text get a reply

Every example below follows these five rules:

• Name and company in the first line. "Hi Dana, it's Marcus from Ridgeline Roofing" answers "who is this?" before the lead has to ask.
• A reason tied to their action. "You asked for a quote a few minutes ago" works better than "Hope you're well."
• One question, easy to answer. Either/or questions ("repair or replacement?") get more replies than open-ended ones.
• One segment where possible. That means 160 plain characters or fewer. Shorter texts cost less and are easier to read on a lock screen.
• No public link shorteners. Shared bit.ly-style links are a common filtering trigger. Use a link on your own domain (see why shared shorteners get filtered).

Sales text message examples for the first touch

These go out within minutes of the lead's action. The longer you wait, the more the context fades. The first message to a new contact should include opt-out language.

1. Quote request (home services)

Hi Dana, it's Marcus from Ridgeline Roofing. You asked for a roof quote on our site just now. Is this a repair or a full replacement? Reply STOP to opt out.

Note: An either/or question qualifies the lead and gives them a one-word answer. The STOP line goes on the first text only.

2. Demo booked (SaaS)

Hi Priya, Sam from Ledgerly. Thanks for booking Thursday's demo. What's the one thing you'd want to see working by the end of the call?

Note: This makes the demo about their problem and gives you prep material.

3. Callback request

Hi Tom, this is Ana at Brightside Solar. Got your callback request. Is now still good, or would 4 PM work better?

Note: Offering two times beats "when works for you?"

4. Pricing page download

Hi Lee, Jordan at Northpoint HVAC. You grabbed our maintenance plan pricing. Want me to check which plan fits your home, or just send the quote?

Note: This lets the lead choose how much contact they want, which keeps the reply rate up.

5. Webinar attendee who opted in to texts

Hi Chris, Rachel from Keystone Payroll. Thanks for joining Tuesday's session. Want the slides, or a 15-minute look at your own payroll setup?

Note: The low-commitment option (slides) still opens the conversation.

6. Saved quote or cart (opted-in shopper)

Hi Mia, your quote for 3 office chairs is still saved. Any sizing questions before it expires Friday? - Ben, Ergo Supply

Note: Only use a deadline that actually exists.

7. Keyword reply to an ad

Thanks for texting PLAN, Alex. I'm Kim at Harbor Insurance. Are you shopping for home, auto or both?

Note: A keyword text is consent to the reply. Keep your own record of how the lead opted in.

Follow-up texts when the lead goes quiet

Most sales happen after the second or third touch. Space these out: a day, then a few days, then a week or more. For timing detail, see what to send after no response.

8. Day-two nudge

Hi Dana, Marcus again from Ridgeline. Still want that roof quote? A yes or no is plenty.

Note: "A yes or no is plenty" makes replying easy. A "no" is also useful information.

9. Something useful

Quick one, Priya: here's the 2-minute walkthrough of the reporting screen you asked about: [your-domain link]. Worth adding to Thursday's agenda?

Note: Give before you ask. Host the link on your own domain.

10. After a call

Thanks for the call, Tom. Proposal will be in your inbox by 5 PM. Anything you want me to add for your partner?

Note: This confirms the next step and surfaces the second decision-maker early.

11. Proposal sent, no response

Hi Lee, did the maintenance quote make it to your inbox? Happy to walk through it in 5 minutes by phone if easier.

Note: Blaming the inbox lets the lead off the hook for not replying.

12. Price objection

Fair point on price, Chris. Want me to price it without the quarterly review? It lowers the cost and you can add it later.

Note: Offer a smaller version instead of a discount.

13. Thirty-day check-in

Hi Mia, Ben at Ergo Supply. Did the office chairs get sorted? If it's on hold, just say so and I'll stop checking in.

Note: Offering to stop often brings back a real answer.

14. The breakup text

Hi Alex, I haven't heard back, so I'll close out your quote for now. If coverage comes up again, text this number.

Note: This is often one of the highest-reply texts in a follow-up run. It ends the outreach respectfully and leaves the thread open.

Closing texts

These are for leads who are engaged and near a decision. Keep the ask specific.

15. A real deadline

Hi Tom, the install slot for the week of the 14th is still open. I can hold it until Friday at noon. Want it?

16. Recap and ask

Recap so we're aligned, Lee: Gold plan, 2 visits a year, starts in March. Should I send the agreement to sign?

Note: A written recap catches misunderstandings before the contract does.

17. Decision-maker check

Priya, is anyone else who should see the proposal before you decide? Happy to set up 15 minutes with them.

18. Choice close

Chris, want to start on monthly or annual? Either way I can have you set up by Monday.

Note: Use this only when they've signaled yes. If they haven't, it comes across as pushy.

19. Checkout link

Here's your secure checkout link for the Gold plan, Lee: [your-domain link]. Reply here if anything looks off.

20. Post-sale handoff

Welcome aboard, Dana. Your crew lead is Jose, and he'll text from this number the day before. Questions before then? Reply here.

Note: Retention starts with the first post-sale text. Tell the customer who will contact them next and from which number.

If you'd rather draft variations than copy these, Ready's AI message writer helps write a text, and the spam-filter check flags phrasing likely to get filtered. More on that in our AI text generator post.

What these texts cost to send

Carriers bill by segment, not by message. One segment holds 160 plain characters. Longer texts split into 153-character segments. An emoji or other non-GSM character drops the limit to 70 characters (67 per part in multipart texts). Ready swaps curly quotes, long dashes and ellipses for plain ones before sending, so those don't inflate the count.

Here's a worked example, with stated assumptions:

• You send text #8 to 400 leads from last month's forms. It's well under 160 plain characters, so it's 1 segment.
• On Ready Standard: 400 × 1 × ($0.0075 + $0.0045 carrier fee). The rate portion is $8.00. The carrier fee is itemized separately.
• Now make that text 140 characters and add a single 🙂. It becomes unicode, and 140 ÷ 67 rounds up to 3 segments. That triples the cost (1,200 segments instead of 400) for one emoji.
• Replies are billed like a sent text, at the same per-segment rate plus the carrier fee. A follow-up that gets lots of replies costs more, and that's a cost worth paying.

Ready's all-in prices per segment include the carrier fee but not screening: Scrub lists and Number validation, the two switches in Settings under Compliance, each add $0.003 per segment when switched on, shown as screening on your bill, and both are off by default. Unless you turn the opt-out footer off, the first text to each contact, and one again from time to time, also gets "Reply STOP to opt out" and your business name if the message does not already have them, so a text close to the segment limit can bill one more segment.

Full rates are on our pricing page.

To start, the first 20 texts are free for one-to-one sends (campaigns are paid from the first text), and to send any text you need a card and a number ($2 a month, the first month charged when you get it). Use those free texts before you register, because they end once a registration is paid for. Registration costs $25 at submit (the first month), then $25/mo for registration + $2 per number. Most approvals take 2 to 7 days.

The compliance lines that keep these deliverable

A well-written sales text still fails if it's sent to the wrong person, at the wrong time, or on an unregistered route. Here's what Ready handles and what stays your job:

TCPA exposure runs roughly $500 to $1,500 per text, so a scrub is cheap insurance. It reduces risk, but it doesn't make you lawsuit-proof, and compliance is ultimately the sender's responsibility. If texts still get filtered after approval, the cause is usually the content itself. This post on post-approval filtering covers what to change.

If you're sending from your own app, the messages API docs show the send call, including the consent_attested field that records your promise that the recipient agreed to texts.

Pairing the text with a call

Texts #3, #11 and #12 all offer a phone call, and that's deliberate. Many deals close once the lead hears a voice. The Ready Dialer lets a rep click to call from the dial pad in the dashboard or in GoHighLevel, with consented recording and transcripts. It's billed at $0.025/min, with each started minute billed as a full minute. It's manual click-to-call. There's no auto-dialing or voicemail drop, so if your process depends on those, look elsewhere for that part. For a team working a few dozen warm leads a day, the pattern works well: send text #1 instantly, then call from the pad while the lead is still on your site.

The short version

Text only people who asked to hear from you. Say who you are, refer to what they did, and ask one easy question. Keep most texts to a single segment, follow up three or four times with growing gaps, and send a respectful breakup text at the end. Pick the five or six examples above that fit your sales cycle, swap in your own names and details, and test them on your next batch of form fills. If you want to try them on Ready, you can sign up here and send your first one-to-one texts free.

FAQ

How long should a sales text be? Aim for under 160 plain characters, which is one segment. Most of the examples above fit. A text that runs to two segments is fine when the extra words carry real information, like a recap or a deadline.

Can I text leads who never opted in? No. Sales texts should go to people who consented or already replied. Reach cold contacts by phone or mail, and keep your own record of how and when each lead opted in.

How many follow-up texts should I send? Three or four over two to four weeks is a common range, ending with a breakup text like #14. Stop immediately if someone replies STOP. Ready blocks further sends to that number automatically.

Should I use emojis in sales texts? Sparingly. One emoji switches the whole text to unicode, so a 140-character message goes from 1 segment to 3. Use one only if it earns its cost.

Does Ready reply to leads automatically with AI? Not on a new account. Ready's AI helps you write a text and checks it for spam-filter risk, but new accounts can't create an AI agent that replies on its own. An account that set up an AI agent before agents were retired still has it, and an agent in auto mode answers texts on its own until you pause its automation in Automations. Otherwise a person sends every reply. Inbound replies land in the Inbox (and in GoHighLevel for connected accounts) for your team to answer.