A lead generation ROI calculator that doesn't flatter you.
Use this lead generation ROI calculator to model 12 months of pay-per-lead outbound with Level Up. With the expected defaults (a $12k deal, 12% close rate, 2-month sales cycle) it projects about +352% ROI on gross profit, paying back in month 5.
Calculator
Emails sent a month
30kMore volume means more leads. The model prices the plan you pick.
Across our campaigns, interested replies typically ran 1 to 2 per 1,000 emails. Not every interested reply is a qualified lead.
Depends on how fast you reply. Same-day follow-up wins.
Your own close rate on qualified sales calls.
First-year value of one client. Sets your rate: $50 per lead.
Meeting to signed deal. Deals that land after month 12 don't count.
ROI is measured on profit, not revenue.
12-month ROI on gross profit
+352%
Pays back
Month 5
- Revenue
- $58.8k
- Gross profit
- $35.3k
- Total cost
- $7,800
- Cost per client
- $1,593
126 leads, 50 meetings and about 4.9 new clients in 12 months. Total cost includes every Level Up fee for the year, with $50 for each lead delivered.
See the month-by-month numbers
| Month | Leads | Meetings | New clients | Cum. profit | Cum. cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | $0 | $1,500 |
| 2 | 6.0 | 2.4 | 0.0 | $0 | $1,800 |
| 3 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.0 | $0 | $2,400 |
| 4 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.3 | $2,074 | $3,000 |
| 5 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.6 | $6,221 | $3,600 |
| 6 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.6 | $10.4k | $4,200 |
| 7 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.6 | $14.5k | $4,800 |
| 8 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.6 | $18.7k | $5,400 |
| 9 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.6 | $22.8k | $6,000 |
| 10 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.6 | $27k | $6,600 |
| 11 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.6 | $31.1k | $7,200 |
| 12 | 12.0 | 4.8 | 0.6 | $35.3k | $7,800 |
A projection, not a promise. Month 1 is infrastructure and warm-up with no leads, month 2 runs at half volume. Results depend on your offer, market and follow-up.
What makes this calculator realistic?
Five assumptions keep the numbers honest. Change any input and every figure, including the chart, updates.
- It uses a cautious lead yield. The default assumes 0.4 qualified leads per 1,000 emails, below the 1 to 2 interested replies per 1,000 our campaigns typically see.
- It ramps up. Month 1 is infrastructure and warm-up, month 2 runs at half volume.
- Deals take time. Revenue lands after your sales cycle, and anything closing after month 12 is left out.
- It counts every cost: all fees for your sending volume plus the per-lead rate for every lead delivered.
- It measures profit. ROI is on gross profit, not revenue.
Even so, the conservative scenario at the same deal size comes out at about +79% and pays back in month 8. Outbound isn’t a fit for every offer, and the fit call is where we tell you which side of that line you sit on. See the per-lead rates and the case studies behind these ranges.
ROI calculator questions
How is the ROI calculated?
Emails sent a month, times the qualified-lead yield per 1,000 emails, gives leads. Leads times the share that become a meeting, times your close rate, gives new clients. ROI compares 12 months of gross profit (revenue times your gross margin) with 12 months of cost: every Level Up fee for your sending volume plus the per-lead rate for every lead delivered.
Why are these numbers lower than other ROI calculators?
Most outbound ROI calculators start from emails sent and assume high reply rates, book every interested reply, close deals the same month and compare revenue with cost. This calculator starts from qualified leads, ramps up over the first two months, delays revenue by your sales cycle, ignores deals that would land after month 12 and measures return on gross profit, not revenue.
What ramp-up does the model assume?
Month 1 is spent building and warming the sending infrastructure, so it delivers no leads. Month 2 runs at half volume and months 3 to 12 at full volume. Fees are counted in the month they are paid.
Are these results guaranteed?
No. The calculator is a projection, not a promise. Real results depend on your offer, your market, list quality and how quickly your team follows up on leads.
Check your numbers on a call.
A 30-minute call. We look at your offer, your buyer and your deal size, then tell you straight whether pay per lead will work for you.