# Speed to Lead Statistics: What the Studies Really Say > What the two main speed to lead studies found, which popular numbers are misquoted, and what it means for insurance agents. Sources linked. Canonical page: https://launchautomation.ai/guides/speed-to-lead-statistics # Speed to lead statistics: what the studies really say. Speed to lead statistics get repeated from page to page without a source, and some are pinned on the wrong study: 21 times, 100 times, 391 percent. Here is what the two original studies found, what they did not, and what I would do about it. - Two real studies - Misquoted numbers - What to do ## The short answer. Two studies sit behind almost every speed to lead statistic. A 2007 study tied to MIT and InsideSales.com found that the odds of qualifying a lead fell 21 times when it was called after 30 minutes instead of 5, and the odds of even reaching the lead fell 100 times. A 2011 Harvard Business Review audit of 2,241 US companies concluded that most companies are not responding nearly fast enough. Both point the same way. The first minutes matter, and most businesses miss them. The exact multipliers you see online are another story, and I would be careful with them. ## What each study really found. - **The 2007 Lead Response Management study.** Led by Dr. James Oldroyd with InsideSales.com. Descriptions of it say it covered three years of calls at six companies, more than 15,000 leads and over 100,000 call attempts. The headline results are that the odds of reaching a lead were 100 times lower at 30 minutes than at 5, and the odds of qualifying the lead were 21 times lower. Qualifying means the lead agreed to enter the sales process. The original report is hard to find, so I am going by [a copy of the 2007 presentation](https://www.mortech.com/hs-fs/hub/25649/file-13535879-pdf/docs/mit_study.pdf). - **The 2011 Harvard Business Review audit.** Oldroyd, Kristina McElheran and David Elkington audited 2,241 US companies by sending each a web lead and timing the reply. Their conclusion was that most companies are not responding nearly fast enough. A summary of the audit reports that 24 percent took more than a day to reply and 23 percent never replied at all. Read [the article](https://hbr.org/2011/03/the-short-life-of-online-sales-leads) and [a summary of the results](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/147757/customer-leads-cant-wait-forever). ## Numbers I would not repeat. - **21 times more likely to close.** The 21 times figure is about qualifying a lead, not closing a sale. The study did not measure close rates. - **391 percent more conversions in the first minute.** This number gets credited to the MIT study. The sources I found trace it to marketing research from a software company, not to MIT, so I would not quote it as science. - **7 times and 60 times for the first hour.** These are usually pinned on the 2011 Harvard Business Review article. I could not confirm them in the text I could read, so I leave them out. - **Anything specific to insurance.** Neither study was about insurance agents. They looked at sales leads in general. The pattern is believable for insurance, where a person who fills out a quote form can hear from several agents, but I do not have an insurance number to give you. ## What I would do about it. - **Answer in seconds, not hours.** A text that goes out the moment a form is filled in starts the conversation while the person is still looking. It does not have to be perfect. It has to be fast. - **Then follow up like a person.** Automation opens the conversation and a person should finish it. Call back quickly when they reply. - **Cover nights and weekends.** Leads do not only arrive during office hours. A system that works at 9 at night catches the ones you would otherwise find the next morning. - **Check the rules first.** Business texting needs carrier registration and consent, and insurance has its own state and carrier rules. Ask your compliance contact before you turn it on. ## What I run for this. For insurance agents I run the Instant Lead Response Engine at $297 a month. When a new lead comes in, it sends a text and an email within seconds, can leave a voicemail in your own voice, and notifies you. I build it, write the messages and handle the carrier registration. Texts and carrier fees are billed at cost. [See how it works](https://launchautomation.ai/instant). Not ready for that? Start by seeing what your missed calls cost with [the missed call text back calculator](https://launchautomation.ai/guides/missed-call-text-back-calculator). ## Questions you may be asking. ### What is speed to lead? How fast you respond after a lead raises their hand, by form, call or message. It is measured from the moment they reach out to your first reply. ### What does the research say about response time? A 2007 study tied to MIT found that the odds of qualifying a lead fell 21 times at 30 minutes compared with 5 minutes. A 2011 Harvard Business Review audit of 2,241 companies found most were not responding nearly fast enough. ### Is 5 minutes the right target? Five minutes comes from the 2007 study. When several agents are racing for the same lead, even five minutes can be slow. An automatic first reply takes seconds, so aim for seconds on the first message and minutes on the human follow-up. ### Does texting a lead right away work? A fast first text starts the conversation, but it is not a guarantee. Results vary by lead source, niche and follow-through. ### Do I need permission to text a lead? Text people who asked to hear from you, include opt-out language, register your business number with the carriers and check your state and carrier rules. I am not a lawyer, so ask your compliance contact too. ## Keep reading, or talk to us. - [Best time to call insurance leads](https://launchautomation.ai/guides/best-time-to-call-insurance-leads) - [How many times to follow up with an insurance lead](https://launchautomation.ai/guides/how-many-times-to-follow-up-with-an-insurance-lead) - [Instant lead response for insurance agents](https://launchautomation.ai/instant) - [Missed call text back calculator](https://launchautomation.ai/guides/missed-call-text-back-calculator) - [Reactivate cold insurance leads](https://launchautomation.ai/guides/reactivate-cold-insurance-leads) - [Missed call text back: what it is and what it costs](https://launchautomation.ai/guides/missed-call-text-back-for-small-business) - [Get a quote](https://launchautomation.ai/quote) - [Speed to lead and missed call text back: questions answered](https://launchautomation.ai/guides/speed-to-lead-and-missed-call-text-back-questions) - [Browse all Launch Automation guides](https://launchautomation.ai/guides) Written by Corey Gray, founder of Launch Automation in Boca Raton, Florida. Last updated November 8, 2026. ## Want every new lead answered in seconds? Tell me how your leads come in and I will send a plan in writing, with the price. --- Launch Automation (WOLF 23 LLC) · 9792 Grand Verde Way Unit 508, Boca Raton, FL 33428 · (561) 287-3456 · team@launchautomation.ai Custom websites, browser-based business apps, AI command centers, membership platforms, CRM and automation.