Cheap Leads, Expensive Hours

A shorter take from The Onyx Operator, our newsletter for insurance agency owners and leaders.

A cheap lead can be an expensive way to spend an agent's day.

Every source has two costs: what you pay for the opportunity, and the time your team spends turning it into a policy. The invoice shows the first. It says very little about the second.

In one agency on Onyx, two sources both came in at $120 in marketing cost per acquisition. On that measure, they looked identical. But their conversion and call times were different enough that Source A would produce 46 percent more submissions per hour worked than Source B.

Count the hours, too

Look at conversion and agent minutes per policy alongside marketing CPA. Include the time spent on calls that never produce a sale. A source that fills the floor with conversations can still consume more capacity than it earns.

Then ask a practical question: if the team worked more of this source, what would they have less time to do?

A callback, an appointment, or another source may produce more from the same hour. That tradeoff belongs in the buying decision.

Onyx brings the call, source, and policy records together so you can examine both sides of the cost. Talk to us if you want to see which sources are earning their place in your agency.