Positive reply rate
Positive reply rate is the share of people you messaged who replied with interest or a willingness to talk. Divide interested replies by people who received a message. It shows whether the right audience wants your offer.
Positive reply rate narrows reply rate to the responses that matter for pipeline: replies showing interest, asking for details, or agreeing to a conversation. It is interested replies divided by people who received a message.
It matters because a campaign can generate plenty of replies that are all objections or unsubscribe requests. A healthy reply rate with a weak positive reply rate usually points at the list or the offer, not the wording. You may be reaching people who are not a fit, or the offer may not connect to their role.
To track it consistently, agree on how you classify borderline replies such as "not now" or "send me info" and keep that rule fixed. Sorting replies by hand takes time, so many teams use an inbox that classifies and ranks replies by intent.
Example
Example with made-up numbers: you message 80 people and 16 reply, but only 6 of those replies show interest. Reply rate is 20% and positive reply rate is 6 / 80 = 7.5%.
Common questions
How do you classify a positive reply?
A positive reply shows interest or willingness to talk, such as asking a question about the offer or agreeing to a call. Decide in advance how to treat gray areas like "not now" and apply the rule consistently.
Why is my reply rate high but positive reply rate low?
You are probably reaching people who respond but are not a fit, or your offer is not relevant to their role. Revisit the targeting and read the replies for patterns in the objections.
Related terms
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