Most agents track revenue and nothing else. These eight numbers show where bookings are won or lost, and how to calculate them without flattering yourself.
Short answer: Track eight numbers: response time, time to send a proposal, proposal win rate, win rate by lead source, time to first view, revisions per booking, time from acceptance to deposit, and overdue payments. Calculate win rate only on decided proposals, treat long silence as a loss using a fixed rule, and always keep the number of proposals behind each percentage.
Updated October 2026. The worked example uses made-up numbers to show the arithmetic.
Revenue is a lagging number. By the time it dips, the cause happened weeks ago: slow replies, proposals that sat unopened, a lead source that stopped working. Pipeline metrics let you see problems while there is still time to act.
What it is: the time between an enquiry arriving and your first reply. Why it matters: a client who writes to several agents often goes with the first one who seems engaged. How to measure: note the timestamp of the enquiry and your first reply. Track the median, because one very slow reply can distort an average.
What it is: how long it takes to turn an enquiry into a sent proposal. Why it matters: enthusiasm fades. Long gaps invite the client to book elsewhere. Short gaps are only good if the proposal is good, so read it alongside win rate.
Formula: proposals booked divided by proposals decided (booked plus lost). The honest way to count:
What it is: the same win rate, split by where the enquiry came from: referral, social media, website, repeat client. Why it matters: it tells you which channel deserves your time. A source with many enquiries and a low win rate may be costing you more than it earns. Also track the average trip value by source.
What it is: how long after you send a proposal the client first opens it. Why it matters: a proposal that is not opened in a few days is not being considered. That is your cue to check the link reached them, not to wait. This metric needs a link-based proposal, not a PDF attachment. With a tool like Story of a Trip, the first view is recorded for you.
What it is: how many versions you send before the client accepts. Why it matters: many revisions can mean unclear discovery. A proposal accepted on its first version suggests you understood the brief. See how to handle changes after you send a proposal.
What it is: days between the client accepting and the deposit arriving. Why it matters: a long gap is a risk to the booking and to your cash flow. If it is long, make payment part of the same step as acceptance. See how to collect deposits online.
What it is: the total of scheduled payments past their due date, and how many clients they sit with. Why it matters: it is the money you are already owed. Reviewing it weekly stops small delays becoming problems.
Over three months, an agent sends 20 proposals.
| Outcome | Count |
|---|---|
| Booked | 6 |
| Declined | 4 |
| Silent for more than 30 days (counted as lost) | 6 |
| Still open, sent within 30 days | 4 |
Decided proposals are 6 booked plus 4 declined plus 6 silent, which is 16. The win rate is 6 divided by 16, or 37.5 percent. If the agent had wrongly divided by all 20, the rate would look like 30 percent. If they had ignored the silent ones, they would have reported 60 percent, which is flattering and false. Counting honestly takes a little discipline and gives you a number you can trust.
| Source | Sent | Booked | Decided | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referral | 8 | 4 | 6 | 67% (4 of 6) |
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 13% (1 of 8) | |
| Website form | 3 | 1 | 2 | 50% (1 of 2) |
The website row has only two decided proposals, so it tells you almost nothing yet. This is why every rate should carry its sample.
Pair this with a follow-up routine. See how to follow up on travel proposals.
You do not need a complex dashboard to start. A spreadsheet with one row per enquiry is enough. Use these columns:
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Enquiry date and time | When it arrived |
| Source | Referral, social media, website, repeat client, partner |
| First reply | Date and time of your first response |
| Proposal sent | Date, and the version number |
| First viewed | When the client first opened it, if you can see it |
| Outcome | Booked, declined, silent, or still open |
| Value | Trip price, and the currency |
| Deposit paid | Date received |
From these eight columns you can compute every metric in this article. The work is in filling them in consistently, which is easier when your proposal tool records dates, views and acceptance for you.
Metrics are only meaningful when everyone agrees what each stage means. A simple set:
Archiving a trip is not the same as losing it. Filing something away is housekeeping and should not count as a result.
You have a capacity or process problem. Look at time from enquiry to proposal and at how many enquiries wait more than a week. Consider a stricter intake form so you only spend time on serious enquiries.
Either the link is not reaching people or your message is not prompting them to look. Check the subject line, the sending time and whether the link works on a phone. Follow up within a few days.
The proposal is being read but is not persuading. Review the opening, the price presentation and the clarity of the next step. Consider showing options. See how to handle the price objection.
The payment step is too far from the acceptance. Put the deposit request in the same moment, and make paying easy. See how to collect deposits online.
Spend more of your time there. If referrals win most often, make asking for referrals a routine part of every trip.
A spreadsheet is fine at the start and teaches you what matters. As volume grows, the effort of keeping it accurate becomes a cost. A proposal tool that records sends, views, acceptance and payments produces these numbers as a by-product of doing the work. Story of a Trip's Insights pages are built on exactly this: needs-attention lists, win rate by source, response speed against outcomes, money collected and overdue.
There is no universal benchmark, because it depends on niche, lead quality and how you count. Instead of chasing an industry number, measure your own win rate over time and by lead source. Win rate is the share of decided proposals that were booked. Track whether it improves as you change your process.
Divide proposals that were booked by proposals that were decided, meaning booked or lost. Do not count proposals still open. Decide in advance how long silence counts as a loss, for example 30 days after sending, and apply the same rule every time.
Start with response time to a new enquiry, time from enquiry to proposal sent, proposal win rate, time to first view, and revisions per booking. Add money metrics: collected deposits, overdue payments and how long clients take to pay after accepting.
Often it does, but test it on your own data. Compare the win rate of proposals sent within a day with ones sent after several days. If the gap is large, speed is worth prioritising.
Look at open proposals daily, and review the rates monthly. Rates need enough proposals to mean anything, so do not draw conclusions from a handful.
Story of a Trip is free to start. No credit card, no setup fee. Used by travel professionals across the US, UK, Europe, and beyond.