Set Rate
The percentage of contacts that result in a scheduled appointment — a key metric for consultative sales like IUL and annuity.
Full Definition
Set rate is the percentage of contacted prospects who agree to a scheduled appointment. It matters primarily in consultative verticals (IUL, annuity, whole life mid-market) where a sale is not made on the first call but requires a follow-up meeting. Set rate is driven by qualification depth during the initial conversation, calendar friction (a one-click booking link vs. phone-tag), and agent discovery skill. Benchmarks: IUL first-call set rate 15–25% off real-time web leads, annuity 10–20%, Final Expense set-for-second-call (for Modified cases) 25–40%. Set rate × show rate × close-on-show = effective close rate on preset-style programs.
Example
An IUL agent contacts 80 leads in a week, sets 14 discovery appointments (17.5% set rate), 10 show (71% show rate), and closes 3 (30% close-on-show). Effective close rate on delivered leads = 3/80 = 3.8%.
Related Terms
- Show Rate — The percentage of scheduled appointments where the prospect actually attends (answers the call or shows up).
- Close Rate — The percentage of contacted (or delivered) leads that result in a sold policy — the primary profitability driver in insurance lead generation.
- Preset Appointment — A lead format where an intake agent schedules a specific date and time for the consumer to speak with the buying agent, delivered with calendar invite.
- IUL (Indexed Universal Life) — A permanent life insurance product with flexible premiums and cash value growth tied to a market index (e.g., S&P 500) with a floor and a cap.