Lead response time calculator: what do slow replies cost you?

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Results are estimates to guide decisions, not financial advice. Your numbers stay in your browser.

Why speed matters so much

Most buyers contact two or three businesses at once. The first to reply sets the frame, and often wins before the others call back.

A Harvard Business Review study of over 2,200 US companies found that firms contacting a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify it as firms that waited longer, and over 60 times as likely as those that waited a day or more.

How we estimate your loss

We assume you keep 80% of the deals you would win by replying within 5 minutes if you reply in 5–30 minutes, 60% at 30–60 minutes, 40% at 1–24 hours and 20% after a day. That is deliberately more cautious than the study above.

Close rate if fast = your close rate ÷ share kept at your speed
Lost sales a year = enquiries × (fast close rate − your close rate) × sale value × 12

How to get faster

An instant WhatsApp or email reply that answers the first question and offers a call slot
One person owns new enquiries each shift, with a 5-minute target
Enquiries go straight to phones, not a shared inbox checked once a day

Source: The Short Life of Online Sales Leads, Harvard Business Review, March 2011.

Questions

Is the 5-minute target realistic?

During working hours, yes, with alerts on phones and one person responsible. Out of hours, an instant automated reply plus a call first thing the next morning keeps most leads warm.

Does this apply to real estate and clinics?

Especially. Property buyers and patients usually contact several options the same day, and book with whoever responds clearly first.

How accurate is the estimate?

It is an estimate based on published research and cautious assumptions. Track your own reply times and close rates for a month to see your real numbers.

Is my data saved?

No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is sent unless you choose to email yourself the result.

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