Understanding the true cost of generating qualified sales meetings is essential for any B2B business considering outsourced lead generation. With more companies relying on specialist agencies to fill their pipelines, having clear benchmarks for cost-per-meeting (CPM) helps set expectations and measure ROI.
What Is Cost-per-Meeting and Why Does It Matter?
Cost-per-meeting (CPM) measures the amount spent to secure one qualified sales meeting with a potential customer. Unlike vanity metrics such as email opens or LinkedIn connections, CPM directly links investment to revenue opportunities.
For B2B companies, this KPI helps with ROI tracking, accurate budget planning, comparing channel performance, and setting realistic sales expectations.
Current UK Market Benchmarks (2024)
Across channels, CPM varies widely:
- Cold email outreach: £150–£400 per meeting
- LinkedIn outreach: £200–£500 per meeting
- Cold calling: £250–£600 per meeting
- Multi-channel campaigns: £300–£700 per meeting
According to the Sales Development Association (2024), integrated multi-channel approaches carry higher upfront costs but deliver 23% higher meeting-to-opportunity conversions.
Key Factors That Influence CPM
Industry plays a major role. Technology and SaaS businesses often secure meetings for £150–£300, while manufacturing and construction average £400–£700 due to longer decision cycles.
Geographic scope also matters: UK-only campaigns average 35% lower costs than international ones, based on Cognism’s 2024 Prospecting Benchmark Report.
Deal size is another factor. Enterprise software with deal values above £50,000 can justify CPM above £500 per meeting because of proportionally higher returns.
Channel Benchmarks and Performance Indicators
Email outreach campaigns typically achieve response rates of 2–5%, with 15–25% of responses converting to meetings. The average time to secure a first meeting is 7–14 days.
On LinkedIn, 20–35% of connection requests are accepted, with initial message responses at 8–15% and 10–20% of conversations converting to meetings.
Cold calling continues to deliver results, with contact rates of 15–25%, conversations at 5–10%, and meeting bookings at 3–7%.
Looking Beyond Cost
Low CPM doesn’t guarantee value. Quality indicators include attendance rates above 80%, prospects passing BANT qualification, healthy sales cycle progression, and alignment with long-term customer lifetime value.
How to Improve Your CPM
Personalisation makes a measurable difference. Outreach.io’s 2024 Sales Engagement Report shows businesses using detailed prospect research and tailored messaging see 40% better response rates.
Multi-channel sequencing also outperforms single-touch campaigns. A proven structure includes an initial LinkedIn connection or email, a follow-up 3–4 days later, a LinkedIn message at day 7, a phone attempt by day 10–12, and a final email around day 14.
Timing is critical: Tuesday to Thursday consistently performs 18% better than Monday or Friday attempts, while spreading touchpoints across 2–3 weeks avoids fatigue.
Choosing the Right Outsourced Partner
Top-performing lead generation agencies typically provide integrated services covering email, LinkedIn, cold calling, website visitor identification, and CRM integration.
Transparency is another key factor. Reliable providers deliver detailed reporting on response rates, attendance levels, lead quality scores, and pipeline progression.
Maximising ROI from Outsourced Lead Generation
Success requires planning for 3–6 months of setup, testing, and optimisation. Budgets should cover both experimentation and scaled execution phases.
Internal readiness is equally important. Outsourced partners may deliver meetings, but internal sales teams must be prepared to handle volume and qualify effectively.
Conclusion
Cost-per-meeting benchmarks provide the context B2B companies need to judge outsourced lead generation performance. While CPM ranges vary by industry, geography, and deal size, the ultimate value lies in meeting quality, not just cost.
By investing in personalisation, multi-channel sequencing, and the right partner, businesses can achieve predictable pipeline growth and sustainable ROI from outsourced lead generation.
