The Client & Their Challenge

For New York Bariatric Group (NYBG), every lead isn’t just a name—it’s someone hoping for transformation. Whether it’s reclaiming health, confidence, or quality of life, patients reach out to NYBG with hope and questions, often during moments of vulnerability.

But NYBG was facing a massive barrier: a backlog of 82,000 unprocessed inquiries and 60–100 new inbound questions daily. Many of those leads sat idle, unanswered, despite a pool of people eager for answers. The result? Missed opportunities, for both patients and NYBG.

What they needed was more than volume handling. They needed:

  • A way to cut through the noise and find real, qualified appointment opportunities.
  • Better responsiveness, so prospective patients felt heard and prioritized, not just like a number in a queue.
  • Smarter outreach and re-engagement, so the backlog became a source of patients, not regret.

Our Approach: Human-First Sales Enablement

We knew the numbers mattered, but we never lost sight of the people behind them. Our strategy for NYBG focused on turning inquiries into conversations that felt personal:

  • Stop the backlog from growing: We deployed a team of 12 SDRs, armed with an IVR system and tech stack, to quickly filter inbound inquiries correctly—routing only the right ones to sellers. This protected seller bandwidth while ensuring responses within one business hour.
  • Empathy in qualification: The dedicated SDRs weren’t just checking boxes. They listened, asked, and empathized. That approach nearly doubled inbound conversion rates to 95% (from ~48%).
  • Test, refine, repeat: We treated the backlog like a lab. We ran a 5,400-contact outbound play and discovered which touchpoints resonated. We trimmed the path from 7 steps to 5, and boosted conversion from 22.5% → 32.6%.
  • Meet them where they are (time-wise): Noting lower engagement between 9 a.m.–5 p.m. midweek, we expanded reach with after-hours + Saturday coverage so conversations could happen when prospects were ready—not just when agents were available.

The Results: Connecting Patients with Possibility

Behind every percent and ratio in this story is someone who felt seen, heard, and guided toward change:

  • 95% inbound inquiry conversion meant that almost every lead received a real chance to move forward, instead of stagnating.
  • 32.6% re-engagement conversion showed we could turn even cold leads into new appointments, breathing life into the backlog.
  • Prospective patients weren’t left wondering if someone would call back—they got timely engagement that felt personal and intentional.

For NYBG, the results weren’t just metrics. It was transforming curiosity into commitment, leads into patients, and neglect into trust.

The Harte Hanks Difference

NYBG’s journey wasn’t just about contact volume—it was about converting hope into tangible possibilities.

We paired data, process, and empathy to build a system where every inquiry is treated as a potential life change. Whether someone was reaching out in pain, frustration, or hope, NYBG’s prospective patients didn’t feel like leads—they felt like people.

That’s how you move from backlog to breakthrough.

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