Most owners know some leads and quotes slip through the cracks. Few have ever put a number on it. This blog gives you a simple formula, a labelled example, and tips for finding your own inputs.
Why put a number on it
"We probably miss a few leads" doesn't change anything. A dollar figure does. Once you know what unfollowed leads and quotes are worth to your business in a year, you can decide whether fixing it is worth the investment, and you can measure whether the fix worked.
We don't publish industry-wide "average loss" statistics, because the honest answer is that it depends on your numbers. So here is the formula, and you bring the inputs.
The formula
Revenue at risk per year = unfollowed leads or quotes per month × the share you'd normally win × average sale value × 12
Three inputs:
- Unfollowed leads or quotes per month. Inquiries nobody answered, quotes nobody chased, reorders nobody prompted.
- The share you'd normally win. Of leads and quotes that do get followed up, what share turn into work? Use your own history if you have it.
- Average sale value. The average order, job or first-year account value. For distributors, a first-year account value is usually more useful than a single order.
Example calculation
Illustrative inputs, not data from any real business:
- Leads or quotes that go unanswered or unfollowed each month: 4
- Share you would normally win if followed up: 25%
- Average sale or first-year account value: $6,000
- Revenue at risk per year = 4 × 25% × $6,000 × 12 = $72,000
Change the inputs to match your business. If your average sale is smaller, the number is smaller. If you have a few large accounts, one lost reorder can matter more than a dozen small leads.
How to find your own inputs
Unfollowed leads and quotes
Go through the last 30 days of your main inbox, web form notifications and quote folder. Count inquiries with no reply, and quotes sent with no follow-up after the first email. Most owners are surprised by this number.
Your win rate
If you track wins and losses, use that. If not, look at the last 20 quotes you followed up on and count the ones that became work. A rough number is far better than none.
Average sale value
Your accounting software can usually give you average invoice value. For repeat accounts, use the first-year value instead.
What to do with the number
Compare it with the cost of fixing the problem. Big-brand CRMs are priced per seat, every month: HubSpot lists Sales Hub Professional at $100 per seat per month plus a required one-time $1,500 onboarding fee, and Salesforce lists Pro Suite at $100 per user per month, billed annually (both checked Oct 30, 2026; see Sources).
The point isn't the example. The point is that most owners have never run the math at all. Once you have, the question shifts from "can we afford a system?" to "how much longer can we afford not to have one?"
HSGA builds custom CRMs in 2 to 4 weeks, priced as a build rather than per seat, every month.
Sources
- HubSpot, Sales Hub pricing: https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/sales (checked Oct 30, 2026).
- Salesforce, Sales Cloud pricing: https://www.salesforce.com/sales/pricing/ (checked Oct 30, 2026).