Every source signs at about the same speed. Compared with the average across all sources, the share signed by the next day is about average (0.9–1.3×) for word-of-mouth referrals, about average (0.9–1.3×) for Local Services Ads and about average (0.9–1.3×) for search ads. Speed depends on your intake desk more than on the source.
Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026
How quickly signed clients sign, by source
| What is measured | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Word-of-mouth referrals | about average (0.9–1.3×) |
| Local Services Ads | about average (0.9–1.3×) |
| Search ads | about average (0.9–1.3×) |
What does this mean for your firm?
- Hold every source to the same standard of speed. None of them gives you extra time.
- Most signing happens early whatever the source, so the first hours of follow-up matter for all of them.
- Count signed clients by source before you change a budget.
Why does the source matter so little here?
Most people who sign do so soon after they first get in touch, whether a friend sent them or an ad did. Once a person has decided to call, how fast and how well the firm answers does most of the work.
How do I read this table?
Each row is the share of that source’s signed clients who signed by the next day, divided by the same share across all sources. All practice areas are combined, and closely related sources are combined into one row. This is one of several tables that break results down by source, and it is never shown beside another.
The figures are tiers, so treat each as approximate, plus or minus one step. How the benchmarks are made and protected.
Cite this table
Cite this dataset: Probative Growth (2026). Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026 (v4.0.1) [Data set]. CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23735849. https://probativegrowth.com/research/benchmarks/speed-by-source/
How each figure is made and protected · Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026