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Buyer guideHow to choose a database reactivation company (and keep the tools you have)
Josh RidenerFounder and CEO, ScaleLayerUpdated Oct 12, 20266 questions
The right database reactivation company runs the work after launch, doesn't make you replace your tools, and holds a real conversation with each lead. You should only pay for results you've defined in writing before the first text goes out.
I've been in lead gen for 20 years. Before you hand your old leads to anyone, it's worth knowing exactly what you're buying.
Database reactivation means reopening a conversation with the old leads you already paid for. The hard part is picking who runs it. Here are the six questions I'd ask any company, us included. Under each one I've put what a good answer sounds like and how we answer it. For general checks on any AI texting vendor, see how to vet AI vendors.
On this page9 sections
- 01What counts as a result?
- 02Who does the work after launch?
- 03Will I have to replace anything?
- 04What exactly do I pay for?
- 05Does it hold a real conversation, or send a drip?
- 06How do ready leads get to my team?
- 07Which leads should a reactivation company text?
- 08The six questions, side by side
- 09Questions
01 · What counts
What counts as a result?
What to ask
"What exactly counts as a result I'm paying for? Can I have that definition in writing before we start?"
What a good answer sounds like
A definition specific enough that you and the vendor would never argue about whether something counts. Get it in writing. A reply, a click or a "maybe later" shouldn't count.
How we answer it
A qualified hand-off is a booked appointment or estimate on your calendar, a scheduled callback with a lead who asked for one, or a live transfer to your team, and it meets the qualification rules we agree on up front.
02 · Who does the work
Who does the work after launch?
What to ask
"After we go live, who writes the messages, handles the replies, and fixes what isn't working? Is that my team or yours?"
What a good answer sounds like
A named process and a team on their side. If the answer is a login and a training video, you're buying a platform your team has to run.
How we answer it
We're fully managed. We build Sarah, run her, and optimize based on every conversation. You get two real ScaleLayer people and a team of five AI agents. They manage everything and keep optimizing it for you. There's no platform to learn. You won't build campaigns, fix anything or figure it out.
03 · Replace anything
Will I have to replace anything?
What to ask
"Do I have to switch CRMs, move my leads somewhere new, or turn off anything I use today?"
What a good answer sounds like
No. A reactivation company should work the leads your current setup didn't convert.
How we answer it
No. We fit into the systems, workflows and AI tools you've worked hard to set up. Nothing changes on your end. We adapt to how you work. When owners tell us "we already have systems that do this," my answer is the same every time: good, keep it. We'll fit into what you have. Anything you don't convert, we capture and work for you.
Your part is one kickoff call and a short setup form, your lead list and how you want hand-offs to happen, and your OK before launch. Live in a week. Most of that is texting registration, not your time.
04 · What you pay for
What exactly do I pay for?
What to ask
"What do I pay if nothing happens? Is there a retainer, seat fees, a per-message charge or a software subscription?"
What a good answer sounds like
A clear unit you only pay for when it's delivered, and a straight answer on every other fee.
How we answer it
Get results or don't pay. You only pay for qualified hand-offs. If Sarah doesn't deliver hand-offs, you don't get a bill. There's no retainer, no seat fees, no per-message charges and no software subscription. We set the rate on the call.
05 · The conversation
Does it hold a real conversation, or send a drip?
What to ask
"Show me a full conversation, start to finish. What happens when a lead asks a question your script didn't plan for?"
What a good answer sounds like
A live back-and-forth that answers what the lead actually asked, and a clear point where a person takes over.
How we answer it
That's what we mean by Speed to Conversation: getting every lead, new or years old, into a real two-way conversation and keeping it going until they're ready. Every reply is one-to-one, written for that lead. Sarah qualifies on the rules you set and stops talking once a person should take over. She never invents a price. We build each prompt for your vertical, so a roofing conversation and a lending conversation ask different questions. Text START to (629) 265-0095 and talk to Sarah right now to see it for yourself.
06 · The hand-off
How do ready leads get to my team?
What to ask
"The second a lead says yes, what happens? Who gets told, and what does my team see?"
What a good answer sounds like
The next step your team wants, set up the way your team already works, whether that's an estimate, a scheduled call, a meeting, a live transfer or a follow-up to close.
How we answer it
Sarah confirms the next step, or bridges a live call if someone on your team is free. A "call me tomorrow" becomes a scheduled callback with the context attached, and a reminder goes out before the appointment. Your team gets an alert with the conversation details. The logs for your own leads are exportable on request, with timestamps.
07 · Which leads
Which leads should a reactivation company text?
Start with leads you generated yourself, where the person gave you consent, and where things stalled because the follow-up stopped. Leave out bought or resold lists.
Ask every vendor how they handle consent and opt-outs. Under federal rules, marketing texts sent with automated tools need prior express written consent (47 CFR 64.1200(a)(2)), and a person can sue for $500 per violating message, up to $1,500 if a court finds it willful or knowing (47 U.S.C. §227(b)(3)). This isn't legal advice, so run your list past your attorney.
How we handle opt-outs: we honor STOP, DELETE, UNSUBSCRIBE, and the same intent in other words, instantly. Every action is logged and exportable.
08 · Side by side
The six questions, side by side
| Question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| What counts as a result? | A qualified hand-off, defined in writing before launch. |
| Who does the work after launch? | We do. Two real ScaleLayer people and a team of five AI agents manage it for you. |
| Will I have to replace anything? | No. We fit into the systems, workflows and AI tools you've worked hard to set up. |
| What exactly do I pay for? | Only qualified hand-offs. |
| Real conversation or a drip? | Every reply is one-to-one, written for that lead. |
| How do ready leads reach my team? | As the next step your team wants, with the conversation details. |
I've been in lead gen for 20 years.
09 · FAQ
Questions
It can be worth it, but treat any number you're shown, ours included, with care until you know what it counts. A reply isn't a booking, and a booking isn't a paid job, so ask which one the number is and get the definition in writing before the first text goes out. With us, a qualified hand-off is a booked appointment or estimate on your calendar, a scheduled callback with a lead who asked for one, or a live transfer to your team, and it meets the qualification rules we agree on up front. That's what you pay for.
Some ask for it and some don't, so ask before you sign. We don't. We work from the lead list you give us and hand off the ready leads the way your team wants. If you want hand-offs to land in your CRM as well, we can set that up, but it's optional.
Get results or don't pay. With us, you only pay for qualified hand-offs. We set the rate on the call.
A booked appointment or estimate on your calendar, a scheduled callback with a lead who asked for one, or a live transfer to your team, and it meets the qualification rules we agree on up front.
Live in a week. Most of that is texting registration, not your time.
No. Sarah works the leads and hands the ready ones to your team, as a scheduled callback or a live transfer if someone is free. She stops talking once a person should take over, so your team does the selling.
See the conversation for yourself.
Text START to (629) 265-0095 and see how Sarah holds a real conversation.
Text SarahRun the math on your leads.
Old leads or new leads. See what a conversation is worth before you talk to anyone.
Opportunity Snapshot