Where leads leak, stage by stage
Most lost leads are lost before a salesperson ever speaks to them, not at the point of sale. That is the only loss you can recover without spending another dollar on advertising.
Out of 1,000 leads generated, here is how many clear each stage on the way to a sale. Rates marked “study” come from published research; the others are working assumptions, to be adjusted with your own numbers.
| Stage | Entering | Clearing | Lost here | Basis for the rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Leads actually contacted One lead in two never gets a call or a reply. It was paid for, then forgotten. | 1000 | 500 | 500 | assumption |
Contacted fast enough to matter The average business takes 42 hours to respond, and 78% of prospects buy from the first responder. Past that delay, the lead has usually chosen elsewhere. | 500 | 250 | 250 | assumption |
Qualified Not every contacted lead is a fit for the offer. That is normal and healthy. | 250 | 150 | 100 | assumption |
Followed up to the end 80% of sales require at least five follow-ups, yet 44% of salespeople stop after the first. The gap between the two is the leak. | 150 | 84 | 66 | study |
Showed up to the meeting A meeting booked with no reminder or preparation often ends in a no-show. The rep loses the time along with the lead. | 84 | 59 | 25 | assumption |
Became customers The final stage is the only one most businesses measure, and the only one they try to improve. | 59 | 15 | 44 | assumption |
How to read this table
This model applies successive rates to a starting volume of 1,000 leads. It illustrates a chain of events; it does not measure any particular business. The four classic stages use the same rates as our return-on-investment calculator: we do not publish two different numbers for the same thing.
