Sales glossary
Sales glossary

Simple definitions for overcomplicated terms.

Definition

What is Lead Velocity Rate (LVR)? Definition & Formula

Dec 18, 2025

What is Lead Velocity Rate (LVR)?

Lead Velocity Rate (LVR) is a sales metric that calculates the real-time percentage growth of your qualified lead pipeline from one month to the next. Unlike revenue metrics that look backward, LVR measures the momentum of your lead generation efforts right now.

In Plain English

Think of driving your sales organization like driving a car.

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is your rearview mirror. It shows you exactly where you have been and what you have already achieved. It is accurate, but it is history.

Lead Velocity Rate (LVR) is your windshield. It shows you what is coming up ahead. If your LVR is accelerating, you can expect revenue to grow in the coming months. If it is stalling, your revenue car is about to run out of gas—even if your current sales numbers look fine in the rearview.

The Formula

You do not need a PhD in finance to track this. You just need to know how many qualified leads you generated this month versus last month.

LVR = [ (Current Month Qualified Leads - Last Month Qualified Leads) / Last Month Qualified Leads ] x 100

For example, if you generated 100 qualified leads last month and 120 this month, your LVR is 20%.

Why It Matters

Most sales leaders obsess over revenue targets. But revenue is a "lagging indicator." By the time you miss a revenue target, it is usually too late to fix it.

LVR is a "leading indicator." It gives you a heads-up months in advance. It answers the terrifying question every VP of Sales loses sleep over: "Are we going to hit quota next quarter?"

The "Quality" Caveat

Here is the catch (and it is a big one): LVR is only useful if you are tracking qualified leads. If you fill your pipeline with low-quality contacts just to pump up the numbers, your LVR will look great, but your revenue will flatline.

This is where the synergy of AI and human expertise becomes critical. Using AI agents to automate qualification ensures that the "leads" entering this formula are actually potential buyers, not just random email addresses. High LVR is only a victory if it is backed by high intent.

Related Questions

What is the difference between LVR and MRR?

MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) measures actual revenue from closed deals (the past). LVR (Lead Velocity Rate) measures the growth of potential deals in the pipeline (the future). LVR is a leading indicator that helps predict future MRR.

What is the difference between LVR and MRR?

MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) measures actual revenue from closed deals (the past). LVR (Lead Velocity Rate) measures the growth of potential deals in the pipeline (the future). LVR is a leading indicator that helps predict future MRR.

What is a good Lead Velocity Rate?

A 'good' LVR depends on your company's growth stage and revenue targets. However, generally speaking, your LVR should be consistently higher than your desired revenue growth rate to account for deal fallout.

What is a good Lead Velocity Rate?

A 'good' LVR depends on your company's growth stage and revenue targets. However, generally speaking, your LVR should be consistently higher than your desired revenue growth rate to account for deal fallout.

Can Lead Velocity Rate be negative?

Yes. A negative LVR means you generated fewer qualified leads this month than the previous month. This is a warning sign that your future revenue may decline if the trend isn't reversed.

Can Lead Velocity Rate be negative?

Yes. A negative LVR means you generated fewer qualified leads this month than the previous month. This is a warning sign that your future revenue may decline if the trend isn't reversed.

Does LVR track all leads?

It shouldn't. To be accurate, LVR should only track 'qualified' leads (SQLs). Including unqualified leads or raw prospects will inflate the metric and give you a false sense of security.

Does LVR track all leads?

It shouldn't. To be accurate, LVR should only track 'qualified' leads (SQLs). Including unqualified leads or raw prospects will inflate the metric and give you a false sense of security.