Time-to-First-Response
Definition
The elapsed time from a technical question or RFP arriving to a substantive answer going back to the prospect. Speed is a trust signal: buyers read response time as a preview of what working with the vendor will be like — in both directions.
Substantive is the operative word
An acknowledgement is not a response. The clock that matters runs from the question arriving to an answer the buyer can act on, and measuring the acknowledgement instead produces excellent numbers alongside frustrated evaluators. Teams that report strong response times and lose on responsiveness are usually measuring the wrong event.
Speed is inferred, not stated
Buyers have no way to assess what support will feel like after signature, so they use the evidence in front of them. A question that takes nine days during an evaluation is read as a forecast — and fairly, since evaluation is when a vendor is trying hardest.
It cuts both ways
Fast wrong answers cost more than slow right ones. The metric is only safe when paired with accuracy, which is why grounded answers and quick answers have to be the same project.
Related terms
- Presales Metrics
- Sales Knowledge Base
- Security Questionnaire
- RFP Response
- Knowledge Reuse Rate
- SE Capacity Planning
Further reading
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