What is speed to lead? Why 60 seconds is the number.
Speed to lead is the time between a prospect asking a business for contact, usually a web form or quote request, and the first response. Research since 2007 shows the odds of reaching and qualifying a lead fall after the first few minutes, so the benchmark is minutes, not hours.
Email and AI voice are live today. Texting is coming soon, pending carrier registration.
What the research says about response time
Four studies, four different data sets, one direction. Sources linked under each number.
more likely to qualify a lead when contacting within one hour versus waiting even an hour longer.
Harvard Business Review, 2011, audit of 2,241 companieshigher odds of qualifying a lead when called at 5 minutes versus 30 minutes.
Lead Response Management study, 2007 (Oldroyd, InsideSales)conversion lift when the first call happens within one minute of the inquiry.
Velocify, Ultimate Contact Strategy, 3.5M leadsof 433 companies audited responded to a web lead within five minutes.
Drift lead response audit, 2017What happens at 0:00, 0:05, 1:00 and 4:30
This is the timeline we run for every lead who checks the consent box. The clock starts the moment your form posts.
0:00 Form submitted
Your form sends a copy of the lead to our webhook: name, phone, email, ZIP, source and the consent record. Spam and test entries are filtered and logged.
0:05 Instant email
A short email goes out under your business name: we got your request, here is our number, our assistant will call in a minute. Every lead gets this, consent or not.
1:00 Lily calls
If the box was checked and it is inside quiet hours, Lily calls, says she is an AI assistant for your business, says the call may be recorded, and asks your questions one at a time.
4:30 Scored and booked
The lead is scored A, B or C. A-tier leads are offered real open slots on your calendar. You get a five-bullet summary and the recording within a minute of hang-up.
The lead is still deciding while you are still reading the email
Most businesses treat a web lead like a voicemail: something to get back to. The data treats it like a phone ringing. The HBR audit found the average company that responded at all took 42 hours. In 42 hours a homeowner with a leaking roof has talked to two other roofers and picked one.
Three things happen in the first few minutes that do not happen later:
- The lead is still reachable. They are holding the phone they just typed their number into. The Lead Response Management study measured the odds of making contact at 100 times higher at five minutes than at 30.
- The lead is still yours alone. Shared-lead marketplaces send one request to three to five contractors. Whoever has the first real conversation sets the price and timing everyone else has to beat.
- The lead still remembers what they asked. Two days later your call is an interruption. Two minutes later it is the help they asked for.
Speed to lead is not about pressure. It is about being the business that was actually there when the customer asked.
That is why we do not aim for "within the hour" or "same business day". We aim for about 60 seconds, and the system is built so the time is the same at 2 pm on Tuesday and 9 pm on Sunday (with the after-hours rules applied).
A one-minute call that sounds like your best rep
Lily is our AI assistant. She uses your business name, says she is an AI in the first sentence, and asks your questions one at a time. A sample from a bath remodel script:
The exchange
Lily: "Hi Marcus, this is Lily, an AI assistant for Peak Bath. You just sent us a request about a tub-to-shower conversion. This call may be recorded. Is now an OK time for a couple of quick questions?"
Marcus: "Sure, go ahead."
Lily: "Great. Is this for the main bathroom you use every day, or a second bath?"
Marcus: "Main bath. The tub is hard to step over now."
Lily: "Got it. The design consultant will want both homeowners there so everyone's questions get answered in one visit. Would Thursday at 9:30 in the morning work, or is Saturday at 10 better?"
What she does and does not do
- Says it is an AI in the opening, every call, no exceptions.
- Asks, listens, confirms. One question at a time, never a read-aloud list.
- Offers real open slots only from your connected calendar. She never invents availability.
- Never quotes prices or promises outcomes. She says the consultant covers pricing in person.
- Hands off on request. "Can I talk to a person?" ends the script and alerts your team.
Five steps to a 60-second response
Most clients are live with email in a day and with AI voice within the week. Texting follows carrier registration.
1. One webhook
Every form and lead source sends a copy of each lead to one address. Nothing else about your site changes. Integrations
2. Consent checkbox
Your forms show an unchecked box naming your business, texts, AI voice calls and recording. We store the wording, time and page. Compliance
3. Opening and questions
We write the opening and the three to five questions with you. You approve every word before a call goes out.
4. Hours, calendar, scoring
Quiet hours default to 8 am to 8 pm in the lead's time zone. Pick the calendar A-tier leads book on and the rules for A, B and C.
5. Go live, email first
Email starts the same day. Voice starts when the script is approved. You review recordings and summaries weekly and we tune. Plans and what drives the quote
Speed to lead, answered
What is a good speed to lead?
Under five minutes is the common benchmark, and under one minute is where the research shows the biggest lift. The Lead Response Management study found the odds of qualifying a lead were 21 times higher at five minutes than at 30, and Velocify measured a 391% conversion lift when the first call happened inside one minute. Our target is about 60 seconds.
What is the average lead response time?
Slow. The 2011 Harvard Business Review audit of 2,241 US companies found an average response of 42 hours among those that responded at all, only 37% answered within an hour, and 23% never responded. A 2017 Drift audit of 433 companies found just 7% replied within five minutes.
Why does a minute matter when the lead already filled out my form?
Because the lead is still at the keyboard, still on your topic, and often still filling out a competitor's form. Shared leads from Angi or HomeAdvisor go to three to five contractors at once. The first real conversation usually sets the terms for everyone else.
Is a fast email enough?
It helps and we send one in about five seconds. But the research is about contact, not notifications. An email proves you received the request. A call that asks the lead's questions and books a time is what moves the odds. That is why the AI call at about one minute is the core of the product.
Does speed to lead mean calling people who did not ask for a call?
No. Speed to lead is about responding to people who just asked to hear from you. We only call leads who checked a consent box on your form, the call says it is an AI, and opt-outs are honored instantly. See the compliance page.
See it on your own leads.
15-minute call with a real person. Or have Lily, our AI, call you first.