Blackout / Free Tools
Lead Quality & Growth Planner
Cheap leads can get expensive. Follow the path to a real customer, then model one change before spending more.
Follow the same leads through the funnel.
Use costs and outcomes from one acquisition cohort. Do not mix this month’s new inquiries with customers who first arrived last year.
Model one change. Keep the rest honest.
Revenue less variable delivery costs; before incremental acquisition cost. Use a consistent customer-value period.
Total customer capacity for this cohort, not additional capacity.
The new rate at that one stage—not a percentage-point increase.
How to calculate cost per qualified lead
Divide the marketing cost attributed to a lead cohort by the number of qualified opportunities in it. Cost per inquiry uses all valid inquiries instead. Marketing cost per customer divides that cost by customers won from the same cohort.
If $2,000 produces 40 inquiries, 10 qualified leads, and two customers, the resulting costs are $50 per inquiry, $200 per qualified lead, and $1,000 per customer. That is an illustrative example—not a Blackout client result or an industry benchmark.
What is a good cost per lead?
There is no honest universal answer. A viable cost depends on qualification, close rate, margin, customer value, capacity, and how long a customer takes to decide. Start with the cost per customer your economics can support, then work backward.
Does this calculate fully loaded CAC?
Only if all relevant acquisition costs are included in the input. With marketing costs alone, it is a marketing-cost-per-customer calculation. Full CAC can also include sales labor, commissions, tools, and other acquisition overhead.
Why does zero customers show “Not available”?
You cannot divide by zero. No customers yet does not mean free customer acquisition. Allow the cohort time to mature, check lead quality and follow-up, and report that the cost per won customer is not yet established.
How does the growth scenario work?
Hold the inquiry count and three observed conversion rates constant, replace one rate with your target, and multiply through the funnel. Apply your capacity cap. Subtract actual customers won, then multiply the difference by contribution per customer. This expected-value scenario is not a forecast. It excludes the added cost of achieving the improvement.
Explore Blackout’s lead generation approach or read about connecting acquisition to CRM outcomes.
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Useful checks from the source
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Methodology: original Blackout calculations and prioritization rules. Source definitions: Google Search, Google AI impressions, Bing AI Performance, and Lighthouse. Last reviewed September 19, 2026. No ranking, revenue, or advertising-performance guarantee. Privacy policy.