Market report 2026 · Free PDF
What a B2B lead really costs.
The real numbers behind 7 channels. Hidden costs, conversion reality and a direct comparison – for your next budget discussion.
Download PDF9 pages · with sources
€150
CPL LinkedIn Ads (DACH, ABM SQL)
6 %
lead-to-SQL rate in classic inbound
5 ×
more qualified Opportunities per euro
01 — Three insights
- 01
The nominal CPL is misleading.
Google Ads looks cheap at €87–350 per lead. The real cost per SQL is €800–2,500.
- 02
Outbound wastes 97 % of its energy.
100 outreach attempts produce 1–3 conversations on average – with unknown ICP fit.
- 03
Signals beat volume.
If you know why a company might buy now, one sentence replaces 10–20 touchpoints.
02 — What's inside
- Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, cold email, cold calling, trade fairs and in-house SDR teams in detail
- Cost per lead vs. cost per SQL – including hidden costs
- All channels at a glance: CPL, lead-to-SQL, ICP fit
- 2026 benchmarks with sources