Kasra Dash:
So, how much do your leads cost?

James Dooley:
That’s actually one of the worst questions someone can ask — so well done!
But seriously, it’s a question we get constantly: “How much do your leads cost?”

The real answer is:
👉 It depends on how qualified the lead is.

If it’s a cold telemarketing-style inquiry, the lead might only be £5–£10.
But if it’s a high-intent, pre-qualified lead where someone has gone through a detailed multi-step form — say a mortgage lead for a £300k+ property — that could easily be £150+.

Lead cost changes based on:

the industry

keyword difficulty

competition

the qualification steps

whether the lead is exclusive

and the method used to generate it

Kasra Dash:
Exactly. At FatRank we get hundreds of enquiries every week, and people often message saying nothing except:
“How much do your leads cost?”

But they don’t tell us their industry, their location, or the type of service they offer.
A lawyer in Manchester might be £150 per lead.
A lawyer in New York might be £300+.
It varies massively.

Lead cost also depends on how the lead was generated:

inbound vs outbound

SEO

PPC

influencer marketing

organic social

YouTube
Each method has a different cost structure.

James Dooley:
A good way to explain it is this:
Asking “How much is a lead?” is like asking:
👉 “How much is a car?”

Well… is it a used Fiesta or a Ferrari?
Is it a terraced house or a mansion?
You can’t answer the question until you know the details.

Another huge variable is exclusivity.
Some lead gen companies resell the same lead to 5 or 6 companies.
They’ll sell one £100 lead for £50 to each business — making £250 total.

So if a company is offering very cheap leads, it’s often because:
⚠️ They aren’t exclusive
⚠️ They lack qualification
⚠️ They're low intent

And cheap leads usually destroy your conversion rate.

The real KPI is not cost per lead — it’s cost per acquisition and profitability.

Kasra Dash:
Exactly. Cost per lead is meaningless without knowing:

How many leads convert

How many convert profitably

The time wasted by your sales team

Your average transactional value

Your lifetime value

A £150 lead that converts into a £10,000 job is far better than a £20 lead that never converts.

James Dooley:
This is why at FatRank we run a commission-based lead generation model — no win, no fee.

If you qualify, you:

don’t pay for SEO

don’t pay for PPC

don’t pay for content

don’t pay for the lead

👉 You only pay when the job converts.

And that’s exactly why we get so many enquiries — it's a no-brainer for business owners.

But yes, there is a qualification process.
We need to know:

you can convert leads

you have case studies

you have testimonials

you respond fast

you have a solid reputation

Otherwise the model doesn’t work.

Kasra Dash:
So please — for anyone enquiring — don’t just ask:
“How much is a lead?”

Tell us:

Your industry

Your location

Your ideal customer

How you qualify a lead

Your average deal size

Your current conversion rate

This allows us (or any lead generation company) to give you accurate expectations.

James Dooley:
Exactly. And if you do qualify for our commission-based approach, all the stress of cost per lead disappears.
You just focus on converting the leads — we focus on generating them.