Strictly Business: Rethinking Close-Rate Ratios

A recent trade publication article established a sales close rate benchmark of 20%. As the ratio of leads to sales, a close rate of 20% means that out of every five qualified leads you bring in, your goal should be to turn one into a contract. To me, setting this kind of sales goal is a mistake. In most contracting companies, the owner is the salesperson. But most company owners don’t really like sales all that much or, more accurately, we like it when it’s easy but hate it when it’s hard (just the opposite of downhill skiing). Given this state of affairs, our goal should be to make our sales efforts as efficient and easy