slug: lead-response-time-statistics

unit: websites

claim: RevenueHero submitted demo requests to 1,000 B2B SaaS company websites.

population: 1,000 B2B SaaS company websites; 98.8% had 51–500 employees

denominator: all audited websites

method: vendor-run mystery-shopping audit of public demo-request forms

response_type: mixed

geography: not disclosed

field_date: field dates not disclosed; published March 20, 2024

source_location: The Methodology

source_wording: We took 1000 B2B SaaS companies with the help of Clay.

source_quality: A-

caveat: RevenueHero counted automated acknowledgements as responses. The vendor-run B2B SaaS audit is descriptive, heavily concentrated in 51–500-employee companies, and is not a probability sample of all B2B firms.


unit: fields

display_value: 7 fields

claim: The average demo-request form in RevenueHero's audit contained seven fields.

denominator: all audited demo-request forms

source_location: How many form fields do companies ask prospects to fill to request a demo?

source_wording: The average number of form fields on every demo request form was 7.


unit: responses

display_value: 365 responses

claim: RevenueHero observed 365 responses across 1,000 submitted demo requests.

denominator: 1,000 submitted demo requests

source_location: How long do companies take to respond to a demo request?

source_wording: We received only 365 responses in total.

caveat: Do not convert the remaining 635 requests into a universal nonresponse rate; the source notes that silent enrichment-based disqualification may explain some cases.


unit: hours

display_value: 1 day, 5 hours, 17 minutes

claim: Among the 365 observed responses, the average elapsed time was one day, five hours and 17 minutes.

denominator: 365 observed responses

source_wording: An average response time of 1 day, 5 hours, and 17 minutes.


unit: companies

display_value: 172 companies

claim: 172 of the 1,000 audited companies responded in the source's instant category.

denominator: 1,000 audited websites

source_wording: 172 of the 1000 companies responded instantly.

caveat: RevenueHero defined instant as under two minutes and included automated responses.


display_value: 31 companies

claim: 31 of the 1,000 audited companies responded after the instant window but within one hour.

source_wording: 31 of the companies responded within an hour.


display_value: 109 companies

claim: 109 of the 1,000 audited companies responded within one day.

source_wording: 109 responded within a day.


display_value: 41 companies

claim: 41 of the 1,000 audited companies responded within one week.

source_wording: 41 companies responded within a week.


display_value: 12 companies

claim: 12 of the 1,000 audited companies took more than one week to respond.

source_wording: 12 companies took more than a week to respond.


unit: percent

claim: RevenueHero detected an enrichment tool on 30.86% of the 635 websites where it observed no response.

denominator: 635 websites with no observed response

source_location: Edit: enrichment-tool follow-up

source_wording: Of 635 companies that did not respond to us, 30.86% of the companies did in fact use an enrichment tool.

caveat: Detection used Apollo, BuiltWith and Clay; the presence of a tool does not prove why a request received no response.


display_value: 113 websites

claim: RevenueHero detected a scheduler on 113 of the 1,000 audited websites.

source_location: Edit: scheduler code inspection

source_wording: Only 113 websites had any form of scheduler.


display_value: 35 websites

claim: A scheduler was detected on 35 of the 635 websites where RevenueHero observed no response.

source_wording: Of the 635 companies that did not respond to our demo requests, only 35 companies had a scheduler.

caveat: Code detection can miss schedulers loaded conditionally; no causal inference is supported.


unit: minutes

display_value: 2 minutes

claim: The 172 instant responses averaged two minutes in RevenueHero's timing.

denominator: 172 responses in the instant category

source_location: Show me the numbers!

source_wording: 172 companies who responded instantly took an average of 2 minutes.


display_value: 25 minutes

claim: The 31 responses in RevenueHero's within-an-hour category averaged 25 minutes.

denominator: 31 responses in the within-an-hour category

source_wording: The 31 companies that responded within an hour took an average of 25 minutes.


display_value: 10 hours, 32 minutes

claim: The 109 responses in RevenueHero's within-a-day category averaged 10 hours and 32 minutes.

denominator: 109 responses in the within-a-day category

source_wording: 109 companies who responded within the day took an average of 10 hours and 32 minutes.


unit: days

display_value: 3 days, 9 hours, 31 minutes

claim: The 41 responses in RevenueHero's within-a-week category averaged three days, nine hours and 31 minutes.

denominator: 41 responses in the within-a-week category

source_wording: 41 companies ... took an average of 3 days, 9 hours, and 31 minutes.


display_value: 27 days, 14 hours, 33 minutes

claim: The 12 responses after more than one week averaged 27 days, 14 hours and 33 minutes.

denominator: 12 responses in the more-than-one-week category

source_wording: They took an average of 27 days, 14 hours, and 33 minutes.


claim: Among RevenueHero's observed responders, 60.27% sent an automated response.

denominator: 365 observed responders

response_type: automated

source_location: How many companies sent automated responses and how often did they follow up?

source_wording: Of all the companies that responded, 60.27% of them sent an automated response.

caveat: The source does not disclose whether every later interaction remained automated; this figure only classifies the observed response behavior.


display_value: 2 days, 3 hours, 11 minutes

claim: Companies classified as manually responding averaged two days, three hours and 11 minutes.

denominator: manual-response group; subgroup count not disclosed

response_type: human

source_location: Automated versus manual response comparison

source_wording: Companies that manually responded ... took an average of 2 days, 3 hours, and 11 minutes.

caveat: Subgroup counts are not public, and this descriptive comparison does not prove automation caused faster response.


display_value: 17 hours, 20 minutes

claim: Companies automating at least their first response averaged 17 hours and 20 minutes.

denominator: automated-first-response group; subgroup count not disclosed

source_wording: Companies that automated at least their first responses took an average of 17 hours and 20 minutes.

caveat: Subgroup counts are not public, and an automated acknowledgement is not equivalent to human sales contact.


unit: follow-ups

display_value: 2 follow-ups

claim: Responding companies sent an average of two follow-ups in RevenueHero's audit.

denominator: responding companies; exact follow-up-eligible subgroup not disclosed

source_wording: We received only 2 follow ups on an average.

caveat: The exact follow-up observation window and eligible subgroup count are not disclosed.


claim: Among companies using a scheduler, 61% followed up after the test buyer did not attend the meeting.

denominator: scheduler-using companies; subgroup count not disclosed for this analysis

source_wording: Of all the companies that used a scheduler, only 61% of them followed up when we did not show up.

caveat: The source does not disclose the exact no-show subgroup size or follow-up observation window.


unit: ratio

display_value: 8×

claim: InsideSales reported conversion rates eight times higher for attempts within five minutes than for attempts after six minutes.

population: more than 400 companies, 5.7 million inbound marketing leads and 55 million sales activities; contact-attempt footnote covers approximately 30 million attempts by 10,000+ North American users

denominator: 5.7 million inbound marketing leads; comparison cell counts not disclosed

method: vendor CRM/sales-engagement analysis published as a public infographic

geography: North America for contact-attempt footnote; broader study geography not disclosed

field_date: three years of study data; contact-attempt footnote specifies 2018–2020

source_location: Response Time / First Call Response Times

source_wording: Conversion rates are 8X higher within 5 minutes vs 6+ minutes.

source_quality: B+

caveat: The public page elsewhere describes the comparison window as five minutes to 24 hours; use the narrower infographic wording and do not relabel conversion as close rate.


claim: InsideSales reported that 0.1% of inbound leads were engaged in under five minutes.

denominator: 5.7 million inbound marketing leads

source_location: Response Time

source_wording: Only 0.1% of inbound leads are actually engaged in under 5 minutes.

caveat: InsideSales is a vendor analysis published as an infographic. Industry mix and uncertainty are not disclosed, and the dated result must not be presented as a universal 2026 benchmark.


claim: InsideSales reported that 57.1% of first call attempts occurred more than one week after the lead arrived.

denominator: first call attempts in the 5.7-million-lead analysis

source_location: Response Time / Volume First Call Response Times

source_wording: 57.1% of all attempts wait longer than a week.


claim: InsideSales reported that 77% of leads received no response in its 2021 analysis.

source_wording: 77% of leads were not responded to at all.

caveat: The public infographic does not disclose exclusion rules or industry mix; do not compare this percentage directly with RevenueHero's mystery-shopping audit.


display_value: under 15%

claim: InsideSales reported that fewer than 15% of first attempts occurred within the first day.

source_wording: <15% of attempts occur within the first day.


display_value: 19.7% higher

claim: InsideSales reported Tuesday conversion rates 19.7% above the weekly average.

denominator: study sales activities; day-level cell counts not disclosed

source_location: The Best Days to Make Calls for Marketing Lead Follow-Up

source_wording: Conversion rates are ... 19.7% higher on Tuesdays.

caveat: This is a relative difference from the weekly average, not a percentage-point increase or causal weekday effect.


display_value: 28.4% higher

claim: InsideSales reported contact rates from 9:00–10:00 a.m. 28.4% above the full-day average.

denominator: contact attempts; time-zone handling and cell counts not disclosed

source_location: The Best Times to Make Contact

source_wording: Contact rates are 28.4% higher from 9:00-10:00 am than the full day average.

caveat: Relative difference, not percentage points; the public infographic does not disclose time-zone normalization.


display_value: 27.2% higher

claim: InsideSales reported contact rates from 6:00–11:00 a.m. 27.2% above rates from noon–6:00 p.m.

denominator: contact attempts; period cell counts not disclosed

source_wording: Contact rates from 6-11 am are 27.2% higher than from Noon-6 pm.

caveat: Relative difference, not percentage points; source footnote limits contact data to North American users.


claim: InsideSales reported that 81% of sellers made five or fewer follow-up attempts.

denominator: approximately 30 million contact attempts from more than 10,000 North American users, 2018–2020

source_location: Persistence

source_wording: 81% of sellers make 5 or fewer follow up attempts.

caveat: Seller-level denominator and industry mix are not disclosed in the infographic.


display_value: 15% more

claim: InsideSales reported that seven or more follow-up attempts yielded 15% more connections.

source_wording: 7 or more follow up attempts yields 15% more connections.

caveat: Observational relative difference; it does not prove more attempts cause more connections for every lead.


display_value: 400+ companies

claim: InsideSales said its 2021 lead-response analysis covered more than 400 companies.

denominator: all companies in the vendor analysis

source_location: Mission / study scope

source_wording: Across 400+ companies.

caveat: The public infographic does not disclose the exact count, recruitment method, or industry mix.


claim: In HBR's 2011 audit, 37% of 2,241 U.S. companies responded to a web-generated test lead within one hour.

population: audit of 2,241 U.S. companies plus a separate analysis of 1.25 million leads from 29 B2C and 13 B2B companies

denominator: 2,241 audited U.S. companies

method: company audit plus lead-level observational analysis

geography: United States

field_date: underlying field period not disclosed; published March 2011

source_location: Company response audit

source_wording: 37% responded to their lead within an hour.

source_quality: A

caveat: Historical 2011 U.S. evidence combining B2B and B2C companies. Keep it out of current hero/meta claims and do not treat the observational comparison as a universal 2026 effect.


claim: In HBR's 2011 audit, 16% of companies responded between one and 24 hours after the test lead.

source_wording: 16% responded within one to 24 hours.


claim: In HBR's 2011 audit, 24% of companies took more than 24 hours to respond.

source_wording: 24% took more than 24 hours.


claim: In HBR's 2011 audit, 23% of companies never responded to the web-generated test lead.

source_wording: 23% never responded at all.


display_value: 42 hours

claim: Among HBR-audited companies that responded within 30 days, the average response time was 42 hours.

denominator: companies in the 2,241-company audit that responded within 30 days

source_wording: The average response time ... was 42 hours.


display_value: nearly 7×

claim: Companies attempting contact within one hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify a lead as companies attempting contact even one hour later.

denominator: 1.25 million leads from 29 B2C and 13 B2B companies

source_location: Lead-level qualification analysis

source_wording: Firms that tried to contact potential customers within an hour ... were nearly seven times as likely to qualify the lead.


display_value: more than 60×

claim: Companies attempting contact within one hour were more than 60 times as likely to qualify a lead as companies waiting 24 hours or longer.

source_wording: More than 60 times as likely as companies that waited 24 hours or longer.