Templates
Template: a one page lead response SLA
A lead response SLA is a short written promise inside your company: every new lead gets a real first reply within a set time, in set hours, from a named owner, with a defined next step if the clock runs out. Below are three versions to copy. The numbers are examples, so set your own.
Published by Sellinger AI. Numbers and settings checked on 24 October 2026 against the fact register. Report an error.
The text
LEAD RESPONSE SLA, [company], version [date] 1. Scope. Applies to every inbound lead from [sources, such as the website form, ad forms, WhatsApp and email]. 2. What counts as a reply. A personal message from a person or the sales agent that answers the request. An automatic confirmation does not count. 3. Target. First reply within [5 minutes] during [hours and days], and within [2 hours] after the next opening time outside them. 4. Owner. [Name or role] owns each lead from arrival. If they are away, [backup] takes it. 5. Escalation. If no reply by [15 minutes], the lead goes to [manager or round robin]. If still none by [1 hour], [named person] is alerted. 6. Measure. We report the median time to first reply and the share answered within target, every [week], from the CRM timestamps. 7. Review. We revisit the targets every [quarter].
Every new lead gets a personal first reply within [10 minutes] from 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, and by 10:00 the next working day otherwise. [Name] owns it, [backup] covers. If nobody has answered after [30 minutes], [name] steps in. We check the median every Friday.
New leads are answered first by the sales agent within [minutes]. The agent hands the conversation to [named person] when the lead asks for pricing, a person, or a time, or when the agent cannot answer. The person replies within [30 minutes] in office hours. Every handoff is logged, and we review a sample of conversations every [week].
Why each line is there
| Line | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| What counts as a reply | Without a definition, an automatic receipt stops the clock and the number looks good while leads wait. |
| A target with hours | A time without hours cannot be kept at night. State the window and the rule outside it. |
| A named owner and a backup | A lead nobody owns is answered by nobody. |
| Escalation steps | A rule for what happens when the target is missed is what makes it an agreement and not a wish. |
| Measured from timestamps | Report the median, not the average, so one weekend lead does not distort it. |
What it measured
No data yet. Sellinger has not measured results for this exact text, so this page makes no claim about replies, meetings or revenue. Measured campaigns are in the case studies.
The example targets of 5 minutes, 15 minutes and 1 hour are made up and are not a benchmark. The Sellinger goal library includes a goal to respond to every inbound inquiry within 5 minutes, and a published case study reports a median first reply time for a related party. We have no sourced benchmark for the right target, so set it from your own median. See speed to lead.
When not to use it
- When you cannot staff the hours you promise. Set a target you can meet and say the opening hours.
- When the leads are cold outreach prospects. An SLA fits inbound requests, where the person is waiting.
- When nobody will measure it. A target without a report is decoration.
How to use it in Sellinger
Facebook lead form leads are fetched from the sheet every 60 seconds and Google Ads leads every 300 seconds, then contacted by the campaign (see the fact register). Put the SLA's handoff conditions into the persona and add needs attention rules so a person is flagged for pricing, a request for a person or a booking. Put the approved wording in a text article in a knowledge base collection and attach it to the persona, so the agent answers from it. If you would rather answer yourself, add a needs attention rule for this kind of reply, and the conversation is flagged for a person. See speed to lead for ad leads and the speed to lead SLA guide.
Common questions
What is a good lead response time?
Does an automatic reply count?
Who should own the SLA?
Should the SLA cover weekends?
Sources and method
Wording is ours. Sellinger behaviour from the fact register, checked 25 October 2026.
Related: Templates hub, Speed to lead, Lead response SLA, Speed to lead SLA, Speed to lead for ad leads.
