How Kredence's Virtual Sales & Marketing Support Helped NextGen Living Boost Enquiries in Six Months
Overview
NextGen Living is a Sydney-based home improvement business that designs and installs custom indoor and outdoor solutions for local homes. Their core range includes blinds, shutters, sheer curtains, pergolas and outdoor living products that help customers enjoy more shade, privacy and comfort all year round.
As the business grew, enquiries were coming in from the website, phone and social channels, but the team struggled to keep up with sales follow-up, lead handling and campaign reporting. They needed a partner who could step in, bring structure to their sales pipeline and support ongoing marketing activity.
Kredence partnered with NextGen Living to provide a dedicated virtual sales and marketing team that now manages daily enquiries, books measure and quote appointments and gives the owner clear visibility over performance each week.
Business
NextGen Living
Location
Sydney, NSW
Industry
Blinds, Shutters & Outdoor Living
Services from Kredence
Virtual Sales Support, Digital Marketing Support
Website
Engagement Duration
6+ Months
The Objective
The Key Objectives Included:
Faster Response to New Enquiries:
Reply to website forms, phone calls and social messages quickly so potential customers are not lost to competitors.
More Booked Measure and Quote Appointments:
Move qualified enquiries into the firm, home or onsite measure and quote bookings with a clear process.
Live and Accurate Sales Pipeline:
Keep every lead, quote and follow-up step recorded in the CRM so the team always knows what is happening next.
Fewer No-Shows and Wasted Trips:
Use reminder calls and SMS messages to confirm bookings and reduce last-minute cancellations or missed appointments.
Turn Campaigns into a Steady Lead Flow:
Support seasonal and promotional campaigns, such as summer blinds offers, so they produce a reliable stream of new enquiries.
Capture More Leads from Every Channel:
Make sure traffic from website forms, phone calls and social ads is recorded, contacted and nurtured instead of slipping through the cracks.
Revive Old Quotes and Cold Leads:
Run structured follow-ups on past quotes and cold leads to uncover extra jobs without extra ad spend.
Provide Clear Weekly Numbers for the Owner:
Give simple, consistent reports on leads, calls, appointments and sales so the owner can see results and plan the next move with confidence.
The Challenge
Before working with Kredence, NextGen Living was already getting attention from local homeowners through its website, phone enquiries and Facebook activity. The interest was there, but the follow-up was slow and uneven. Some leads were contacted quickly, while others waited days for a call back or slipped away completely.
There was no single place to track what happened to each enquiry or campaign. The owner was on the road most days, quoting jobs and managing installations, which left very little time for structured sales calls, appointment reminders or reporting.
Key Pain Points Before Kredence:
Inconsistent Follow-Up on Web Enquiries
Many website forms and Facebook leads did not receive a same-day response, which meant potential customers often moved on to another blinds supplier.
No Clear Owner for Daily Lead Management
Different team members picked up calls or emails when they had time. This made it hard to know who was responsible for each lead or where it sat in the sales journey.
Limited Time for Outbound Calls to Old Quotes
There was rarely time to go back to past quotes or lukewarm leads. As a result, easy wins and repeat jobs were left on the table.
Manual Spreadsheets Instead of a Single Crm View
Leads were tracked in basic spreadsheets and notes. Information was scattered and there was no live pipeline view that showed which jobs were new, quoted or ready to close.
No Standard Scripts for Calls and Sms
Each staff member used their own words when speaking with customers. The lack of simple call and SMS scripts meant the sales experience was not consistent.
Poor Visibility into Campaign Performance
The team could see spikes in enquiries during promotions, but it was challenging to attribute results to specific campaigns or channels. This made it difficult to plan future marketing spend with confidence.
Seasonal Demand Spikes with No Extra Support
Busy periods, such as summer, created a rush of enquiries. Without extra hands to make calls and confirm bookings, the business could not fully capitalise on peak demand.
Limited Reporting for Weekly Decisions
There were no clear weekly numbers on leads, calls, appointments or won jobs. This lack of reporting made it challenging for the owner to see what was working and where to adjust the sales process.
How the Kredence–NextGen Partnership Rolled Out
Week 1
Discovery and Process Audit
Kredence reviewed every lead source, from website forms to phone calls and Facebook leads. We mapped the existing sales process, response times and handover points so we could see exactly where enquiries were dropping off.
Week 2
CRM Setup and Workflow Design
We set up a central CRM for NextGen Living, created clear pipelines and stages, and built simple call and follow-up workflows. This gave the team one place to track every enquiry from first contact through to booked job.
Week 3
Virtual Team Onboarding and Script Testing
Kredence virtual sales assistants were introduced to the business, trained on NextGen Living offers and service areas, and provided with tested phone and SMS scripts. We ran live trials and refined the messaging based on real conversations.
Month 2
Outbound Follow-Ups on Old Quotes
With the inbound process running smoothly, the virtual team began structured outbound calls and messages to past quotes and cold leads. This helped unlock additional revenue without incurring extra advertising costs.
Month 3
Weekly Reporting and Review Rhythm
Kredence introduced simple weekly reports that showed leads, calls, appointments and conversions. Regular check-ins with the owner helped fine-tune scripts, offers and workload across the team.
Month 4 and Beyond
Scaling Support for Peak Seasons
Once the model was proven, NextGen Living could increase virtual team hours during busy periods, such as summer blind promotions, and scale back in quieter months while maintaining a steady and reliable sales process.
Our Strategy & Solutions
To support NextGen Living, Kredence built a simple but powerful virtual sales engine around the client’s existing website, ads and word of mouth leads. Our focus was to catch every enquiry, respond quickly and guide each customer through to a booked job.
Lead Intake & Triage
- Centralised all web, phone and social enquiries into a single CRM.
- Tagged leads by product type, location and source for clear tracking.
- Set basic rules so high-intent leads were handled first.
Virtual Sales Desk
- Kredence virtual sales assistants handled first response calls and emails.
- Used clear scripts that matched NextGen Living’s offers and brand tone.
- Logged every conversation in the CRM so nothing was missed.
Appointment Setting & Reminders
- Turned qualified enquiries into firm measure and quote bookings.
- Built a simple call and SMS reminder flow to confirm appointments.
- Reduced no-shows and last-minute cancellations for the onsite team.
Campaign Support
- Prepared phone, email and SMS lines for key promotions and seasonal sales.
- Updated talking points when offers, pricing or finance options changed.
- Shared quick feedback on what customers were asking during each campaign.
Pipeline Management
- Created clear stages such as New Lead, Quoted, Follow Up, Won and Lost.
- Updated each lead daily so the owner could see the full pipeline at a glance.
- Highlighted deals that needed action to keep revenue moving.
Re-engagement of Old Leads
- Built outbound call and SMS runs for past quotes and inactive leads.
- Prioritised high-value products such as outdoor blinds and pergolas.
- Recovered extra jobs without increasing ad spend.
Reporting & Dashboards
- Set up simple dashboards that showed leads, calls, bookings and sales.
- Sent weekly summary reports in plain language for the owner and team.
- Used the numbers to adjust focus, hours and campaigns each month.
Quality Control & Training
- Reviewed sample calls to check script use, tone and product knowledge.
- Refined wording based on customer questions and objections.
- Shared quick training tips to help the virtual team continually improve.
Owner Support
- Assigned a dedicated engagement manager as the primary contact for NextGen Living.
- Held regular check-ins to discuss results, challenges and upcoming campaigns.
- Helped plan how to scale virtual support during busy seasons or new launches.
Results & Key Metrics
In six months, NextGen Living turned a busy phone and overflowing inbox into a predictable sales pipeline with clear weekly numbers and more booked jobs.
Sales Outcomes
+60.39% More Qualified Enquiries Handled Per Week
The virtual team captured and worked on a much higher volume of leads from web forms, calls and social channels.
+31.22% Increase in Booked Measure and Quote Appointment
Structured follow-up and appointment setting converted more enquiries into in-home and on-site visits.
+85.58% Uplift in Closed Jobs from Better Quote Follow Up
Consistent call and SMS sequences on open quotes helped move customers from “thinking about it” to “go ahead”.
Significant Drop in Missed Calls and Unreturned Enquiries
With a dedicated virtual sales desk, far fewer customers were left waiting for a response.
Operational and Marketing Outcomes
Standard Response Time of Under 15 Minutes for New Leads
Most fresh enquiries were contacted within minutes, which increased trust and conversion.
Clear Tracking for Every Campaign and Channel
Leads from Google Ads, Meta and website forms were tagged in the CRM so the owner could see what was working.
Simple Weekly Reports and Call Summaries for the Owner
Kredence sent easy-to-read dashboards that showed leads, calls, appointments and wins at a glance.
Flexible Virtual Team Hours for Busy Periods
NextGen Living can scale support up during promotions and peak seasons, then adjust it back as needed, while maintaining a strong sales process in place.
Wrapping Up
By partnering with Kredence, NextGen Living turned a busy, hard-to-track enquiry stream into a transparent and predictable sales engine. The virtual team now works alongside the in-house staff, handling daily calls, emails and messages just as a local team member would. Customers get a friendly, consistent experience, and the onsite team can focus on quoting and delivering projects.
With a proven virtual sales desk in place, NextGen Living has the confidence to run more digital campaigns, knowing every new lead will be answered quickly and guided to a free measure and quote. The owner now sees what is happening across the pipeline each week, which makes it easier to plan staffing, stock and marketing spend.
The next phase of the partnership includes testing finance-focused follow-up for higher value jobs, building more cross-sell offers for outdoor blinds and pergolas, and adding extra virtual hours in peak seasons. This will help the business keep growing without losing the personal, local service that customers expect.
Last 6 Months' Results Snapshot
After successfully implementing the strategies mentioned above, Kredence observed the following results.
Increase In Qualified Enquiries
Increase In Booked Measure & Quote Appointments
Drop In Response Time To New Leads
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