What a 91% answer rate and 16% conversion actually tell you
Lead suppliers quote numbers that are hard to compare. Here is what answer rate, conversion, flag rate and ROI actually measure, using our own published figures.
Every lead supplier quotes numbers, and almost none of them are comparable. High quality and high intent are marketing words. Four numbers are not, and they are the ones to demand: answer rate, conversion rate, flag rate and ROI. Here is what each one means and how we report ours.
Answer rate: did the phone get answered?
Our leads average a 91% answer rate. That number tells you something about the prospect, not just the supplier: these are real business owners who expect a call, on reachable numbers, contacted inside the window where they still care. Low answer rates usually mean stale data or shared leads whose applicants have stopped picking up.
Answer rate is also a function of speed. Call within minutes and people answer. Call tomorrow and they often do not.
Conversion rate: did the lead become a deal?
Last month our leads converted at 16% for the brokers who worked them properly. That is the number that pays the bills. It is produced by three things stacked together: exclusive delivery, rich enquiry data and a fast first call.
Ask any supplier how they define conversion. If they mean contacted, the number is inflated. If they mean funded deal, ask how they measured it, because most suppliers never see that far.
Flag rate: how much of the product was defective?
Under 4% of our delivered leads get flagged by brokers as invalid or uncontactable, and every flagged lead is replaced free inside 72 hours. Flag rate is the supplier''s quality control made visible. A supplier confident in their data publishes it. A supplier hiding it is telling you something.
ROI: the only line that matters
Multiply leads delivered by conversion rate by average funded deal size by your commission, then divide your lead spend into that. Brokers working our leads see roughly 13x ROI, with an average funding amount above £93k. Your own numbers will move with your process, which is exactly why the first three metrics matter: they bound what your process can achieve.
The comparison trap
Beware comparisons that ignore exclusivity. A £40 shared lead and a premium exclusive lead are not in the same market. One is a lottery ticket split with three competitors. The other is a conversation you own. Judge everything on cost per funded deal and the picture becomes obvious.
If you want to see these numbers applied to your brokerage''s target products, book an introduction call and we will model it with you.