What speed to lead means
Speed to lead is how long it takes your company to reply after someone asks about your service. The question might come from a website form, a missed call, a text, a social message or a booking page. The reply that counts is the first real one: a person, or a message that actually moves the conversation on.
What the research found
The study most people mean when they say “speed to lead” is “The Short Life of Online Sales Leads” by James B. Oldroyd, Kristina McElheran and David Elkington, published in Harvard Business Review in March 2011 (record at BYU ScholarsArchive).
- The authors audited how 2,241 companies responded to web leads.
- Companies that tried to contact a lead within an hour were about seven times as likely to qualify the lead as companies that responded later.
We quote only figures we can trace to the original study. You will see other speed-to-lead numbers online; we leave out any we can't trace to the research behind them.
The study looked at companies answering web leads in 2011, so treat it as a strong sign of direction rather than a promise for your own company. Its authors' own summary: most companies weren't responding nearly fast enough.
Why a slow reply loses the client
- The question is fresh. The person is thinking about their problem now. In a day, they're thinking about something else.
- They asked more than one company. Whoever replies first gets the first real conversation.
- Silence reads as an answer. To the person waiting, no reply can feel like a no.
A follow-up routine that still sounds like you
- Reply straight away, automatically, in your words. A short text or email that says who you are, thanks them and asks one question. For example: “Thanks for getting in touch. What would you most like help with?”
- Catch missed calls. A missed call is a lead too. Missed call text back sends a text from your company when you can't pick up.
- Have a person follow up within the hour during working hours. That's the line the study drew.
- Offer a time, not a pitch. A booking link with a few open slots does more than a paragraph about your services.
- Follow up a few times, then stop. Two or three short check-ins over a week, each one asking a question. Stop the moment they reply or say no.
- Cover evenings and weekends. An after-hours answering setup or an AI agent can give the first reply when nobody is at work, and hand it to you in the morning.
For coaches, real estate and home services
Coaches and consultants
Most enquiries end in a discovery call. Make the first reply a booking link and one question about what they want help with, then remind them before the call. See a CRM for coaches and consultants.
Real estate
Enquiries arrive about a specific listing. Reply with the details they asked for and two viewing times, and keep the conversation on their contact record so a colleague can pick it up.
Home services
Most leads are phone calls, often while you're on a job. Missed call text back and an AI receptionist keep the first reply going while you work.
Sources
- Oldroyd, J. B., McElheran, K. and Elkington, D. (2011). “The Short Life of Online Sales Leads.” Harvard Business Review, 89(3), 28. hbr.org · BYU ScholarsArchive record