Scorecard · sourced
How fast do you really reach a new lead?
Be honest about the typical case, not the best case. Every statement below links to its study.
If your response matched the HBR average, about — of those leads would never get a reply at all (23% never responded).
Within 5 minutes
You are in the top ~7% (Drift: only 7% of 433 companies responded within five minutes). The Lead Response Management Study found contact odds are 100× higher at 5 minutes than at 30. Keep it — and make sure it survives weekends and busy days, which is what automation is for.
Within 30 minutes
Better than most, but the same study found contact odds fall about 100× between minute 5 and minute 30. The gap is closed by an automated first touch (text + call attempt) while a human catches up.
Within an hour
HBR: only 37% of companies respond within an hour, and those that do are ~7× more likely to qualify the lead than those who wait one more hour. You are ahead of average and leaving the easiest upside on the table.
Same business day
HBR’s average across 2,241 companies was 42 hours — you are roughly average. Contact within an hour was 60× more likely to qualify than waiting 24 hours. This is the bucket where a 5-minute engine changes the most.
Next day or later
HBR found 23% of companies never respond at all, and 55% hadn’t responded after five days (Drift). Leads submitted here are mostly being bought by whoever answered first. Fixing response time is worth more than more leads.
Sources: HBR 2011 · Lead Response Management Study · Drift/Salesloft 2017. Read what the research actually says.
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