You cannot improve what you do not measure. These six intake metrics reveal exactly where your firm is winning — and where leads are slipping away.
1. First-response time
How long, on average, does it take your firm to make first contact with a new lead? This is the master metric of intake. Sub-five-minute response should be the target for every inbound channel.
2. Lead-to-consultation rate
Of the leads that come in, how many book a consultation with an attorney? A low rate points to qualification or follow-up gaps; a high rate means your intake is doing its job.
3. Consultation-to-retainer rate
Once a consultation happens, how often does it convert to a signed retainer? This metric isolates attorney closing skill from intake quality, helping you see where to coach.
4. Lead disposition clarity
Can you account for every lead's outcome — signed, declined, nurtured, lost? Firms that cannot close the loop on disposition are always undercounting their real intake leakage.
5. After-hours capture rate
What share of your leads arrive outside business hours, and how many of them convert? For most firms, after-hours leads are a major, under-served source of growth.
6. Source-level ROI
Tied to marketing spend, which lead sources produce the highest retainer conversion? Tracking intake outcomes by source lets you reallocate budget toward what actually grows the firm.