Swansway drives AI to boost appointments and sales conversions
Swansway Group is doubling down on AI to convert more website enquiries into appointments their sales team can close. Speaking at a recent AI webinar with Impel, director John Smyth outlined how the group approached AI, what changed, and the results they're seeing.
Why after-hours response matters
"We found that nearly 50% of our enquiries came through our website after hours, and it's all about speed of response. Between 7pm and 8am there's no guarantee those enquiries would be dealt with, and customers can easily go elsewhere."
If you don't respond when interest peaks, someone else will. That's the gap Swansway targeted.
What they implemented
Swansway evaluated sales-focused AI and partnered with Impel. The goal wasn't to replace reps; it was to feed them higher intent opportunities.
"With most chatbots, you know you're not going to get anywhere. But the AI we use actually creates genuine appointments, collects genuine data, and does it at the hours when otherwise customers could easily go elsewhere."
Results snapshot (August)
The system sent 54,562 emails and texts, equating to a reported 3,637 hours back to the sales team. 40% of lead engagement happened out of hours, and 47% of AI-set appointments were out of hours.
In total, 249 appointments were created. 117 were booked during advertised working hours; the rest happened outside. As Smyth put it, while sales execs were at home watching the telly, the AI was setting up next-morning conversations.
What sales leaders can copy
- Audit lead response by hour. Find the drop-off between 7pm-8am and quantify lost demand.
- Use AI that can book firm appointments, capture structured data, and hand off cleanly to a human.
- Measure what moves revenue: appointments created and conversion to sale-hours "saved" are secondary.
- Set SLAs for after-hours and business hours. Route accordingly and ensure clear ownership.
- Train reps to prioritize AI-booked appointments first thing. Give them tight follow-up scripts.
- Coordinate email and SMS cadences. Keep tone consistent with your brand and obtain consent.
- Review transcripts weekly. Improve objection handling and qualification prompts.
Metrics that matter
- Lead-to-appointment rate (by channel and by hour).
- Appointment show rate and appointment-to-sale conversion.
- Time-to-first-response segmented by business hours vs after-hours.
- Share of engagement and appointments set out of hours.
- Human follow-up speed once an AI books the appointment.
- Revenue per appointment and cost per appointment.
Practical next steps
- Run a two-week baseline: response times, after-hours volume, and appointment conversion.
- Pilot AI on one brand or region for 30 days with clear success criteria (appointments and sales).
- Integrate with your CRM to auto-log conversations and outcomes.
- Set daily huddles to action overnight inquiries and AI-booked slots.
Tools and training
If your lead flow skews after hours, explore solutions like Impel that can set real appointments and pass clean data to your team.
Want to upskill your sales team on AI-driven lead response and automation? Explore curated programs at Complete AI Training - Courses by Job.
The playbook is simple: tighten after-hours response, prioritize appointments over activity metrics, and let your team focus on closing. AI fills the gap; your people finish the deal.
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