Pricing your leads
How much to charge per lead, how to anchor on the buyer's customer value, and when to charge upfront.
Pricing scares beginners, so they undercharge — or freeze. The fix is simple: price off the value of a customer to the buyer, not off your costs. A lead that helps win a $10,000 job is worth far more than one for a $200 sale.
Start from the buyer's economics
Before you name a price, know two numbers about your buyer's business (you researched these in Module 2):
- Customer value — what one new customer is worth to them (a roof, a case, a contract).
- Close rate — roughly how many leads they turn into customers.
Example: if a customer is worth $8,000 and they close 1 in 10 good leads, then 10 leads = $8,000 of revenue, or ~$800 of revenue per lead. Charging $50–$100 per lead is an easy "yes" for them — they make multiples back.
Exclusive vs. shared leads
| Model | What it is | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exclusive ★ | Sold to a single buyer | Higher per lead | Beginners — simpler, happier buyers |
| Shared | Same lead sold to up to ~3 buyers | Lower each, more total | Large sellers (P&C, health insurance) |
Start exclusive. It's simpler, the leads are worth more, and buyers don't compete over the same person.
Typical per-lead ranges (ballpark)
Prices vary a lot by country, state and vertical — these are estimates, and you'll learn your real numbers once you talk to buyers.
| Vertical | Customer value | Typical price / lead |
|---|---|---|
| Home services (solar, roofing, HVAC) | $$$ (thousands) | ~$25–$150 |
| Legal (personal injury, etc.) | $$$$ (very high) | ~$100–$500+ |
| Local pros (dental, med-spa) | $$–$$$ | ~$20–$120 |
| B2B services | Varies | Anchor on customer value |
These are starting points. Check the Facebook Ad Library and competitor pricing in your niche to calibrate.
How to present the price
- Anchor on ROI, not cost: "At $X per lead, even at a [conservative] close rate you're paying about $Y to win a $Z customer."
- Define what a lead IS up front — the criteria that make it count (right location, real interest, valid contact). This prevents disputes later.
- Start with a small test batch so they can prove quality to themselves before committing to volume.
Get paid the right way
- Charge upfront while you're new — especially with smaller ($1–3M) buyers. Pre-pay for a batch of leads is normal and protects your cash flow (you fund ads to deliver).
- Bigger buyers ($10M+) often pay after delivery — that's fine, but you can negotiate a deposit or upfront for the first order.
- Don't compete only on being the cheapest. Race-to-the-bottom pricing attracts the worst, highest-churn buyers.
Mindset: you're not selling "a lead", you're selling new revenue. Price as a fraction of the value you create, and the number stops feeling scary — for you and for them.
You know your price. Final lesson of this module: closing the partnership.