# Work out how many leads you actually need

> Start from your sales goal and work backwards to find the right size for your lists.

## Work backwards

Start from what you want and divide by your conversion rates:

1. **New clients per month** you want.
2. **Close rate** — what share of meetings become clients.
3. **Meeting rate** — what share of replies become meetings.
4. **Reply rate** — what share of contacted leads reply.
5. **Contactable rate** — what share of collected leads have the contact details you need.

## A worked example

Goal: 4 new clients a month.

- close rate 25% → 16 meetings needed
- 50% of positive replies book a meeting → 32 positive replies
- positive replies are 3% of leads emailed → about 1,070 leads emailed
- 60% of collected leads have an email → about 1,780 leads collected

So you'd collect around 1,800 leads a month for this goal. Your own numbers will differ — use them once you have a few campaigns of data.

## Cost of the leads

With GetClient at one credit per lead, 1,800 leads is 1,800 credits — well within the Starter plan's 3,000 monthly credits ($9). The bigger costs are your time and sending infrastructure.

## Improve the rates, not just the volume

Doubling your reply rate halves the leads you need. Better targeting, a stronger offer and owner names normally move rates more than sending more email.

## Use the calculator

Plug in your own numbers in our [lead generation calculator guide](https://getclient.pro/resources/lead-generation-calculator).

## Frequently asked questions

### What if I don't know my conversion rates yet?

Begin with a test campaign of a few hundred leads, measure each step, then use your real numbers in the calculation.

### Which rate should I improve first?

Normally the reply rate, through better targeting and offers. It has the biggest effect on how many leads you need.

### How many credits does a lead cost?

One credit per lead on GetClient. The Starter plan includes 3,000 credits a month for $9.

Source: https://getclient.pro/blog/how-many-leads-do-you-need