It is your close rate turned upside down. At a 10% close rate you need about 10 leads per signed case. At 4% you need about 25. Lead sellers quote rates in that range, so test before you scale.
Example: at $85 a lead and a 10% close rate, one case costs about $850 in leads. At $1 a lead and a 1% close rate, one case costs about $100.
Aged leads need more dials per case, so they work best with a dialer and a set follow up plan.
These are example numbers, not a promise. Your results depend on your firm.
Updated October 2026. Market prices are list prices from public seller pages. Results depend on your firm. Not every lead becomes a case.