The price per lead is an input. What matters for your business is the cost per acquired customer, which depends on your own contact, appointment and close rates.
The formulas
Cost per conversation = price per lead ÷ contact rate
Cost per appointment = cost per conversation ÷ appointment rate
Customer acquisition cost (lead spend only) = cost per appointment ÷ close rate
Rates are expressed as decimals (40% = 0.40). Add your own sales time and other costs to get a full acquisition cost.
A simulated example
Price per lead: $165 (Vectent example launch price, roofing, phone-qualified).
Assumed contact rate 0.70 → cost per conversation ≈ $236.
Assumed appointment rate 0.50 → cost per appointment ≈ $471.
Assumed close rate 0.25 → lead spend per customer ≈ $1,886.
Change any assumption and the result changes a lot. Use your own historical rates; if you have none, run a small pilot and measure.
Comparing offers fairly
- Compare at the same qualification level.
- Include the review policy: a credit for an invalid lead lowers effective cost.
- Track outcomes per source and per campaign, not per month only.
- Do not compare a provider’s price with an industry “average” unless its method and date are stated.