← Public toolsFORLEN TOOL / 02 · LOCAL PROTOTYPE

What is your ad spend actually buying?

Follow one lead cohort from spend to customer. Then test how improving lead quality might change the economics—without pretending a model is a promise.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

One period. One lead definition.

Use figures from a single campaign or channel and the same reporting window. A “qualified lead” should mean someone you would actually pursue, not simply someone who submitted a form.

The fictional example lets you explore safely. Your entries stay in this browser tab; there is no account, upload, or submission.

THE WORKSPACE

Trace the lead flow

01 / INPUTS

Enter totals, not percentages. Currency display is USD.

Enter spend, leads, and qualified leads to see the flow.

If sales close later, use a mature lead cohort. Mixing this month’s new leads with last month’s customers can mislead.

02 / CURRENT FLOW

Computed from the counts you enter.

Leads—
Qualified—
Customers—
Cost / lead—Spend ÷ leads
Cost / qualified lead—Spend ÷ qualified leads
Qualified share—Qualified ÷ leads
Cost / customer—Spend ÷ customers, if known

No verdict yet. These are unit costs, not a profitability calculation.

03 / SCENARIO

What if more leads were worth pursuing?

Move the qualified share up by a few percentage points. The model holds today’s cost per lead constant and asks: what would equivalent spend be for the same number of qualified leads?

No change+30 points
Current qualified share—
Modeled qualified share—
Modeled spend difference—Enter valid numbers to see the calculation.
Not a savings forecast.

This assumes the same cost per lead at a lower lead volume, plus an unchanged qualification definition and qualified-lead value. Real campaigns can change all three. Use this to size a test, not to cut a budget automatically.

FROM MODEL TO ACTION

What would make the result real?

  1. Check the counts. Confirm source tracking and qualification rules with the person working the leads.
  2. Choose one change. Test a tighter audience, clearer offer, revised creative, or faster response—one at a time.
  3. Watch downstream. Compare qualified leads and customers, not only lead volume or platform conversions.
Read the Field Note ↗How FORLEN approaches growth work ↗