Sales follow-up statistics (2026)
A clean list of stats on response time, follow-ups, and CRM data. Each stat includes a source so it is easy to cite.
Lead Leakage Index 2026
We tested 150+ SMBs to measure how often businesses lose leads due to slow or missing follow-up. See response times, follow-up rates, and industry breakdowns.
View Full Report →Showing 14 stats.
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Key stats
Quick picks that get cited often.
Teams can be 21x more likely to qualify a lead when responding within 5 minutes vs 30 minutes
Speed matters most while the buyer is still engaged.
Contact odds are ~100x higher when responding within 5 minutes vs 30 minutes
Fast replies make it far more likely you actually reach the lead.
80% of successful sales require 5+ follow-ups
Persistence is often the difference between closed and lost.
44% of salespeople stop after one follow-up
Most deals are lost because people quit too early.
74% still enter CRM data manually every week
Manual entry is still the default in many teams.
92% say critical sales info sits outside the CRM
Important context gets trapped in inboxes and docs.
50% of buyers choose the vendor that responds first
Being first can matter more than being perfect.
Over 30% of leads are never contacted
A big chunk of pipeline loss is simple follow-through.
Response time
Benchmarks for how quickly teams reply, and what it changes.
Contact odds are ~100x higher when responding within 5 minutes vs 30 minutes
Fast replies make it far more likely you actually reach the lead.
Study summary and citation details in source.
Year: 2011
Teams can be 21x more likely to qualify a lead when responding within 5 minutes vs 30 minutes
Speed matters most while the buyer is still engaged.
Year: 2011
From 5 minutes to 10 minutes, the odds of qualifying drop by 4x
Even small delays can hurt qualification rates.
Year: not specified
Companies are 7x more likely to qualify a lead if they respond within 1 hour
If you cannot reply in minutes, aim for within the hour.
Source references HBR; use primary if you have access.
Follow-ups
Stats on persistence, touch points, and why silence is normal.
Year: not specified
It takes 8 attempts on average to reach a prospect
One email is rarely enough. Follow-up is normal.
Pick a specific SalesLoft report if you want a tighter citation.
Year: not specified
80% of successful sales require 5+ follow-ups
Persistence is often the difference between closed and lost.
Year: not specified
44% of salespeople stop after one follow-up
Most deals are lost because people quit too early.
CRM and data hygiene
Where sales info ends up, and how much work is still manual.
Year: not specified
74% still enter CRM data manually every week
Manual entry is still the default in many teams.
Year: not specified
92% say critical sales info sits outside the CRM
Important context gets trapped in inboxes and docs.
Year: not specified
34% report revenue loss due to fragmented customer data
Missed context can turn into missed deals.
Sales effectiveness
Numbers that explain why speed and follow-through win deals.
Year: not specified
50% of buyers choose the vendor that responds first
Being first can matter more than being perfect.
Use original InsideSales source where possible.
Year: not specified
Only 0.1% of inbound leads are engaged within 5 minutes
Most teams are not fast enough, which is a clear edge if you are.
If page has moved, swap to the latest InsideSales/XANT asset.
Year: not specified
Over 30% of leads are never contacted
A big chunk of pipeline loss is simple follow-through.
Year: not specified
CRM returns $8.71 for every $1 spent
Good process tools pay back when adoption is real.
Sources and notes
This page lists public stats from third-party sources. Where a source is a summary that references another study, swap it for the primary study when you can.
If you publish your own benchmarks later, keep them aggregated and privacy-safe. Add clear methodology and the date range used.