The research, in 2 minutes
Reply fast and you're far more likely to get the conversation. Here are the numbers.
Two well-known studies. Plain numbers. Links to the originals.
21×
Replying within 5 minutes made a lead 21 times more likely to qualify than replying after 30 minutes.
MIT / InsideSales Lead Response Management Study, 2007 (15,000+ leads)7×
Firms that replied within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify the lead as firms that replied an hour later.
Harvard Business Review, March 201142 hrs
The average first reply to a web lead, among the 2,241 US companies tested that replied within 30 days.
Harvard Business Review, March 2011What it means if you take bookings by email
- Most businesses are slow. A 5-minute reply already puts you ahead.
- The lead is warmest right after it's sent. Their attention moves on fast.
- A short, fast answer beats a perfect, late one.
These studies looked at sales leads in general, not one trade. Your own numbers will differ. Leadin5 shows your real reply times so you can see them.