The CRM Emails That Turn New Leads into Booked Clients Faster (Without the Sales Call) with Kara Duncan

I am excited to welcome Kara Duncan, Founder of The Kara Report, back to the podcast. Today we are diving into the CRM emails that actually helps your marketing efforts turn into booked clients. If you don’t know Kara, she is my blog writer, and the last time she was on the podcast she joined me during one of my marketing series to talk about the importance of blogging for long-term visibility.

But today, we’re shifting gears. We’re talking about what happens after your marketing starts working. When the leads come in… now what? How do you communicate, follow up, and guide someone from “I’m interested” to “I’m in!”?

Kara has such an interesting take on her own process, and I cannot wait for you to hear it. I am also going to link my episode on her podcast, The Kara Report, because what we are discussing today ties directly into what I emphasized over there. I said more than once that everyone needs a five minute booking process, and Kara has her own version of this that fits her brand and converts beautifully.

What CRM do you use for your marketing agency?

I use Dubsado for my marketing agency!

It’s funny, I remember you talking about this on your podcast, and I think people listening will relate. You mentioned a five-minute booking process, and after our interview about having a CRM booking process, I immediately thought, I need a five-minute booking process. That sounds amazing.

But there’s a difference between setting things up so they’re technically correct and having them actually work well. I technically had a proposal, a contract, and an invoice in place, but something still felt off.

Then I heard you say on a recent episode that people think they’re hiring you for workflows, but they’re actually hiring you for emails. And I remember thinking, That can’t be right — I just need better workflows. But I signed up for Email Like You Mean It anyway, and honestly, it was night and day. My emails improved immediately.

Note from Colie: Before Email Like You Mean It, Kara had a client inquiry come in while she was still using the kind of plain, generic email I tell everyone to stop sending. The client didn’t book, and it was a wake-up call. She switched to the client communication approach I teach, and the very next inquiry became the fastest booking and payment she’s ever received. Tune into the episode to hear the full story!

How did you improve your proposal (and CRM emails) to get a higher conversion rate?

What I do now is record a super quick Loom video to go with my proposal, mostly because I am firmly in my “avoiding sales calls” era. As a writer, I want to stay in my zone as much as possible, but I realized that with a long-term service relationship, I was missing a piece of connection. So I started recording Looms and adding them to my Emails Like You Mean It–style proposals, and it feels so much better.

I walk them through their website, just like I would on a sales call, then take them over to the proposal. People are so visual, so if someone inquires about Pinterest or blogging, I’ll quickly show a sample quarterly blog plan or how their pins will be delivered for approval—nothing long, just enough for them to see what it’s like to work with me.

And like Colie mentioned, I once missed out on a major client because I was busy, didn’t Google the name, and sent a standard, bare-minimum response. My booking rate was solid, so I didn’t think much of it—but afterward I realized that if I had done it properly, it might have been a different outcome. That’s exactly why we need systems for our busiest days.

Note from Colie: During the episode, Kara talked about linking the loom in her email, but I always recommend people embed the loom video into their actual proposal. Those “email opened” indicators aren’t reliable anymore. Email providers like Gmail now pre-scan every message for spam and bad links, which tricks your CRM into marking an email as opened—even if your client never actually clicked it. If the sent time and open time are identical, that was the scan, not your client.

This is why I always recommend using a clickable element, like a button, because that data is far more accurate. And when you embed your Loom video directly inside the proposal, you’re ensuring they actually click through, see your face, hit play, and then scroll through the offer and pricing while they listen. Tune into the entire episode to hear me talk about staying on Gmails good side with your autoresponder.

Are follow-up emails an important part of your booking process?

The online space has changed so much over the last couple of years. I’ve always felt like I offer a more unique service, so when people inquire, they’re usually not comparing me to eight other providers. But something I’ve really noticed this year. You have to follow up now.

When you said emails were important, I don’t think I realized just how many emails there actually are. And it really does take away that self-conscious feeling of, “Um… just bumping this to the top of your inbox,” when you’re not sure what to say. Instead, you’re like, “Oh—here’s exactly what to say,” because you give us a whole list of follow-ups and options that make it so much easier.

Note from Colie: There are so many things you can do in a follow-up besides saying “just following up.” When you plan your client communication intentionally, your follow-ups can answer questions, share resources, add value, and genuinely support their decision-making—so it never feels repetitive or awkward. Tune into the whole episode for extra tips around including Frequently Asked Questions!

Let’s back up for a second. Why did you start sending loom videos with proposals?

I feel like when I was giving people less information, back when I wasn’t sending a Loom video and was just sending a little PDF, there was a lot more tension before they could actually book. And more often than not, people would book a sales call with me almost because they felt like they had to. They didn’t want a sales call, I didn’t want a sales call, and yet it kept happening. Now I still mention in the email that they can hop on a call if they want, but most people don’t take me up on it because they’ve already watched the Loom where I’m excited and they can feel my energy.

I remember messaging you after I lost that one client and thinking, “This will never happen to me again—I’m just going to do everything Colie says forever.” I implemented everything, and for the first time ever someone went proposal → contract → invoice faster than anyone had ever paid me. We didn’t even have a conversation. I recorded the Loom, they watched it, and that was it.

You’d been telling me the whole time that it could be that easy, but I don’t think I fully believed you 😅

And honestly, when I was sending those old-school PDF proposals or even my very first basic Dubsado proposal, it felt so forward to send something that immediately linked to a contract and invoice. As a business owner who hated feeling “salesy”, it all felt so transactional. But now, when I send it, I feel great about it. It doesn’t feel pushy because in the Loom I’m explaining exactly what happens if they say yes, and I’m inviting them to email me or book a call if they have questions. It lets the part of me that hates feeling pushy relax, and now I feel really good about every proposal I send.

How long are the loom videos you send?

Yeah, like seven minutes. Honestly, I try to keep it under five because people are busy, and that’s really the power of video and visuals. It takes me one second to show you an Airtable with what your pins will look like loaded, and instantly you know exactly what it’s going to be like to work together.

And because I’ve been doing this for a long time—and you’ve been doing what you do for a long time—I can look at someone’s website and immediately see what they need to do before we get started, what I’d recommend, or why they’re already in a great position. I can pick those things up right away.

I can also batch them when I have a few inquiries at once. For my service specifically, I need to know what cold traffic is going to think of their website. And honestly, that’s another reason I prefer Loom. Telling someone on a sales call that their website needs work makes me sweat. I’d be like, “Uh… is this the final version of your website?” But in a Loom video, it’s so much easier to say, “Here’s what I think needs updating.”

With a Loom, I can communicate clearly and get most of the information I need. They might add a few extra details, but I already have enough to tell them if it’s not the right fit—or what would need to change for it to become the right fit. And for any service providers listening, I know a big hesitation is, “I don’t want to give away my whole process in a Loom video.” Because yes, I’m literally showing them what it looks like to work with me.

But here’s the truth: my people do not want to do it themselves. I could give them everything and they still wouldn’t want to handle it on their own.

And I’d say that even if they’re not ready, whether they decide that themselves or I’m the one who tells them they need to do a few things first, I know I’ll be the first person they come back to. I sent the best email, I recorded a Loom video for them, and now I’m going to follow up. That alone ensures they remember me when they’re ready.

How has improving your CRM emails changed your booking process?

Dramatically. I think we’re often too close to our own work to know what to include in those emails—not the marketing ones, but the ones in that closer sales process. Like, the marketing worked, they’re in my inbox… now what do I say? It feels like I’ve already said everything, and I don’t want to seem pushy, but I still want personality and clarity.

It’s so easy to get stuck. And those final moments are really important. They don’t have to be perfect, but when you get them right, it makes all the difference.

After losing one really promising lead because I sent a “basic” email, I decided I was done letting that happen. I implemented the Loom video, I rebuilt my proposal, and I swapped in the emails from Emails Like You Mean It.

The next inquiry booked me faster than anyone ever had. There was no call and no back-and-forth. Just clarity moving someone toward a confident yes.

And now that my proposal is stronger and my email strategy is doing the heavy lifting, sending a proposal no longer feels pushy. It feels supportive. I’m telling them exactly what’s going to happen, what to expect, and how to move forward, and they feel taken care of every step of the way.

Thanks to Kara for coming on this episode! Below, are a few more FAQs about CRM emails with Colie!

Why is writing client emails so much harder than writing marketing emails?

Marketing emails are planned, polished, and usually written when you’re not under pressure. Client emails happen in real time. Someone’s waiting on you, so now you feel rushed and you want to sound warm and confident without oversharing or overwhelming them. It’s stressful!

When the communication leading up to that point is inconsistent or weak, the pressure only gets worse. You feel like you can’t wait a few hours to respond, or like you’re bothering them, or you feel like one wrong sentence could cost you the booking. But when your email strategy is strong from the beginning with an autoresponder, inquiry response, proposal email, and follow-ups that are already dialed in, you actually can step away from your inbox without sabotaging the experience.

Why do leads need reassurance the second they inquire?

The moment someone hits “submit” on your contact form, their confidence dips. They were sure right up until they clicked the button, and then suddenly they’re wondering, “Did I choose the right person? Did they get my message? What happens now?”

And it gets even more intense once they pay. That moment when they actually send money is when they’re most nervous. If they don’t immediately receive a clear, reassuring booking confirmation email that tells them exactly what happens next, those doubts snowball fast. You don’t need to over-explain, but sending an automatic email once they’ve paid that confirms their payment and send them next steps will make them feel reassured when they need it most.

Why do CRM emails matter so much?

The closer someone gets to hiring you, the more clarity they need, not less. And if you’re scrambling to write those emails manually, you will always default to saying too little, sounding unsure, or skipping steps that help leads feel grounded and confident.

That’s why having your email strategy mapped, written, and ready before someone inquires is the real game-changer. You save time, reduce stress, and you show up consistently, even on your busiest day.

Turning Your Email Strategy Into a System That Actually Converts

If there’s one thing Kara’s story proves, it’s that your email strategy can completely transform the client experience, but only if it’s intentional, consistent, and systemized. Marketing gets people to your door. A solid email strategy is what gets them to say yes.

You don’t need to become a salesperson to create a high-converting client experience. You just need a process that shows your personality, answers the right questions, and guides someone smoothly from inquiry to booking.

If you’re wondering where to start, I’m not even going to pitch you a paid offer. Instead, I’ll point you to two resources Kara wrote for my blog that break down the five-minute booking process step-by-step:

1. How to Create a Booking Proposal That Converts Clients with Confidence
2. How to Create a 5-Minute Booking Process Inside Your Client Experience

Both posts will help you audit your current process and see exactly where leads might be slipping through the cracks.

And if you’re ready to take the next step, whether that’s tightening your booking workflow, improving your client emails, or building out your full system, my tools and programs are here to support you every step of the way.

For now? Take Kara’s advice: do what Colie says… just do it faster than she did.