What is a good sales conversion rate?
Sales conversion benchmarks only make sense stage by stage, because each handoff has a very different expected rate. A single overall number hides where the real leaks are.
The numbers also swing hard by source. High-intent inbound converts several times better than cold outbound at every stage, so segment before comparing to any benchmark.
Short answer
A good sales conversion rate depends on the stage. Common B2B benchmarks are lead to MQL 25 to 40 percent, MQL to SQL 20 to 40 percent, SQL to opportunity 40 to 60 percent, and opportunity to close 20 to 30 percent. Overall lead-to-customer often lands near 1 to 3 percent. Compare each stage by source rather than one blended number.
Key takeaways
- Lead to MQL: roughly 25 to 40 percent.
- MQL to SQL: roughly 20 to 40 percent.
- Opportunity to close: roughly 20 to 30 percent.
- Overall lead to customer: often 1 to 3 percent.
Benchmarks by stage and source
Early stages (lead to MQL, MQL to SQL) filter for fit and intent, so rates are moderate. Later stages (opportunity to close) reflect selling skill and deal quality. Multiplying the stage rates gives the overall lead-to-customer rate, usually low single digits.
Source dominates. Inbound demo requests can convert to close at 30 to 50 percent while cold outbound wins 5 to 15 percent. Comparing a cold-outbound rate to an inbound benchmark will always look like underperformance when it is just a different motion.
How Ardovo handles it
Ardovo computes conversion at every stage by source, so a blended number becomes an actionable map. Rook points to the stage furthest below its benchmark and estimates the revenue from fixing it first.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good sales conversion rate?
It varies by stage: lead to MQL 25 to 40 percent, MQL to SQL 20 to 40 percent, opportunity to close 20 to 30 percent, and overall lead to customer often 1 to 3 percent. Compare each stage by source.
Why compare conversion rates by source?
Because intent differs enormously. Inbound and referral convert several times better than cold outbound at every stage. A blended benchmark makes outbound look weak when it is simply a lower-intent, higher-volume motion.
How do stage conversion rates combine?
Multiply them. If lead to MQL is 30 percent, MQL to SQL 40 percent, SQL to opportunity 50 percent, and opportunity to close 25 percent, the overall lead-to-customer rate is 0.30 x 0.40 x 0.50 x 0.25, about 1.5 percent.