Lead Response Timing Calculator

2026 BENCHMARKS
CPL$198
CAC$847

Your Response Delay

1 min240 min
102,000
$500$50,000
5%50%

Local-First

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The Cost of Waiting

Money You're Leaving on the Table

$455,633.57

Per month from slow response

Annual Leakage

$5,467,602.86

Yearly opportunity cost

Current Conversion Probability

1.2%

At 60 min response

Optimal Conversion Rate

19.5%

At 5 min response

Deals Lost Monthly

91.1

6.2 current vs 97.4 optimal

Lead Coverage

24%

128 hours/week uncovered

Conversion Probability Over Time

Instant
25.0%
5 min
19.5%
15 min
11.8%
30 min
5.6%
60 min
1.2%
120 min
0.1%

Half-life: 14 min (probability drops 50%)

Performance vs. 2026 Industry Standards

You
Your response timeBottom 20%

Speed wins deals

At 60 minute average response time, you're losing 78% of potential conversions. Glimpss AI responds in under 60 seconds, 24/7.

Respond instantly with Glimpss

Calculator Knowledge Base and Scientific Documentation

Quick Reference

Lead conversion probability drops by 21% for every 5 minutes of response delay, with a 50% probability decay occurring at 14 minutes. The first vendor to respond wins 35-50% of deals. After 30 minutes, conversion rates drop by 80%. After 60 minutes, leads are 8x less likely to convert than leads contacted within 5 minutes.

The Scientific Model

Exponential Decay Model for Lead Response

Formula

Where P(t) is conversion probability at time t, P₀ is baseline conversion at instant response, λ (lambda) is the decay rate constant, and t is response time in minutes.

Why this approach: This exponential decay model (based on Harvard/InsideSales research) shows that lead quality degrades non-linearly. The first 15 minutes are critical - after that, probability decay accelerates. Industry standard λ is 0.05, meaning 50% probability loss every 14 minutes.

People Also Ask

What is the ideal lead response time for B2B?
The ideal B2B lead response time is under 5 minutes. Companies responding within 5 minutes are 100x more likely to connect with leads and 21x more likely to qualify them compared to 30-minute response. 78% of B2B buyers choose the first vendor to respond.
How do I calculate missed call revenue leakage?
Revenue Leakage = (Monthly Leads × After-Hours % × Conversion Rate × Deal Value) + (Monthly Leads × Weekend % × Conversion Rate × Deal Value). Include both after-hours (typically 35% of leads) and weekend (typically 20% of leads) gaps in coverage.
What is the cost of slow lead response?
Slow lead response costs the average B2B company $47,000/month in lost revenue. Calculation: if you get 200 leads/month at $5,000 deal value with 10% conversion, a 60-minute response delay (vs 5-min) drops conversion to 2%, losing 16 deals or $80,000/month.
How does response time affect lead conversion rates?
Response time has exponential impact: 5-minute response = baseline conversion, 15-minute = 50% of baseline, 30-minute = 25%, 60-minute = 12%, 120-minute = 3%. The decay follows P(t) = P₀ × e^(-0.05t) where t is minutes.
What are best practices for 24/7 lead response?
24/7 lead response best practices: 1) Automated instant acknowledgment emails, 2) AI chatbots for qualification, 3) Distributed SDR teams across time zones, 4) On-call rotation for high-value leads, 5) Intent monitoring tools like Glimpss for real-time alerts.

Contextual ROI: The Intangibles

Response timing impacts more than conversion rates. These downstream effects compound the cost of delayed responses:

Competitive Loss Multiplier

When you're slow, competitors win. 35-50% of B2B deals go to the first responder. A 30-minute delay doesn't just reduce your probability - it increases competitor probability.

Lead Quality Perception

Fast response signals operational excellence. Prospects extrapolate: 'If they respond this fast to sales, imagine their customer support.' Slow response creates doubt about your entire operation.

Sales Team Morale

Cold leads are harder to work. Sales teams facing high dead-lead rates burn out faster. Fast response = warmer conversations = happier, more productive reps.

Data Decay

Lead information becomes stale. After 24 hours, 15-20% of contact data (phone, email) is outdated due to job changes and inbox management. Fast response captures accurate data.