Time-to-active is the number that decides whether a new member becomes a long one. Every day a member sits between signing and their first appointment is a day they can quietly reconsider.
The cadence
- Same day as signing: the full pack, in one message, with the shortest possible path to completing it on a phone.
- Day 1: only if nothing has been returned. One line, friendly, naming the single outstanding item.
- Day 3: name what is blocked. "We can book your first appointment as soon as the consent is back" is more effective than another reminder.
- Day 7: a call task for the front desk. By day seven, a message is not going to work.
- Day 10: offer to complete it with them at the first appointment instead. Removing the blocker beats chasing it.
Two details that move the number
- Ask for one thing per message. A pack of four forms gets nothing back; a single named form gets returned.
- Book the first appointment before the paperwork is complete where your clinic allows it. A booked date gives the paperwork a deadline.