Lead response time model: what a faster reply could change
The tool
The question it answers: What would a faster first response change, in a scenario built from our own assumptions?
Runs in your browser, and the numbers you enter are not sent to a server.
How it's calculated
- Index on the curve =
100 ÷ (1 + (minutes ÷ 45)^0.8). This is a stylised curve: 100 for an instant reply, falling gradually as the reply gets later. - Clients per month = leads per month × (conversion if you reply instantly ÷ 100) × (index ÷ 100).
- The gap = clients on the curve at 5 minutes minus clients at the reply time you chose, and not less than zero.
- The shape of the curve and its parameters were chosen for illustration. The curve is not research data or a benchmark, and the tool itself says so.
Starting values: The tool opens with a one-hour reply time, 100 leads a month and a base conversion of 25%. These are illustrative starting values.
How to use the result
Enter the time in which you usually reply today, and your number of leads. Take the base conversion from your own data, and if you have none, that is a chance to start recording.
Play with the reply time to grasp the idea: does the gap between scenarios justify a written rule and an owner for every lead.
Once you have decided, write a three-line rule you can keep, and measure the actual time in your system instead of relying on the model.
What the result does not say
- The curve is stylised and is not based on agency data. Do not read from the tool how many leads are “lost” or how many clients will be added.
- The base conversion is your assumption, and the result is only as good as the assumptions you entered.
- A fast reply is not a substitute for a good human reply, and automation suits an acknowledgement, not a conversation.
The tool illustrates a result from the numbers you enter. It is not an industry measure, a comparison with other agencies or a promise of savings or results.
Frequently asked questions
What is the right time to respond to a lead?
We have no reliable industry figure, so we do not state one. The important rule is that every lead has a clear owner and that you can keep the rule you set. The tool lets you test scenarios, not set a target.
Why is the target in the tool 5 minutes?
5 minutes is a reference point inside the model so a gap can be measured, not a recommendation and not a statistic. Read the difference as “the gap against a near-instant reply, on this curve”.
Further reading
The article that explains the topic in depth:
Further reading
More articles related to this tool:
How to Cut Lead Response Time in an Insurance Agency: Measurement, Routing and a Routine
Not just “answer faster”: how to measure response time, route leads, handle after-hours leads, and build a weekly routine that shortens it. With a free calculation model.
A Shared WhatsApp Business Inbox for an Insurance Agency Team: How to Do It Right
From personal phones to a shared inbox: assignment rules, templates, response hours, document requests, marketing consent and metrics. A practical guide for the team of an insurance and pension agency.
Terms used in the tool
Short definitions in the glossary:
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Want every lead to get an owner and a first reply?
We will show how a lead comes in, gets an owner, and how the whole conversation is recorded on the client card.
