A shared lead is a form submission sold to more than one buyer. An inbound call on Callmart is a live phone conversation delivered to the one buyer whose availability is switched on. Comparing them by price alone misses the point, because you are not buying the same thing.
What a shared lead is
A consumer fills out a form once. That same lead record, with a name, a phone number, and a few qualifying answers, gets sold to more than one buyer at roughly the same time. Every buyer who purchased it is now trying to reach the same person, usually by outbound dialing.
Nobody is guaranteed to be first. You are working the record on your own schedule, which means calling, leaving voicemails, and calling again, while other buyers of the same lead are doing the same thing.
What an inbound call is on Callmart
An inbound call is the opposite order of operations. The consumer calls first. Callmart's screened inbound calls start at $25 per connected call, and connected time is measured after your destination number answers, not from when the phone starts ringing. You are billed once, when connected time reaches the buffer you selected for that campaign, with a minimum buffer of 10 seconds.
Nobody else is on that call with you. If your availability is on when it comes in, it rings your line, your softphone, or your team.
The real cost comparison
A shared lead's sticker price is usually lower than a connected call, but that price buys a record, not a conversation. You still have to dial it, and you are dialing against however many other buyers also bought it. Some of your dials go to voicemail. Some go to a number that has already heard a similar pitch twice that day. The cost of the lead you actually reach and speak with is higher than the cost of the lead record itself, once you count the dials that go nowhere.
An inbound call is already a live conversation by the time it is billed. You are not paying to attempt contact, you are paying because contact already happened. That is why the per-unit price is higher: you are buying the outcome a shared lead only gives you a chance at.
Where a shared lead still makes sense
- You have dialer capacity and reps whose job is to work a list, not just answer a phone.
- Budget per unit matters more than immediate answer speed.
- You want volume to test a new market or script before committing to a higher cost per contact.
- Your team can absorb a mix of voicemails, no-answers, and already-contacted records without it breaking your workflow.
Where an inbound call makes more sense
If you do not have a dialer team, or you would rather spend your day talking to people instead of chasing them, an inbound call fits better. There is a real tradeoff on the other side too: if nobody on your team is available when the call comes in, you get nothing for it, because Callmart only delivers to buyers whose availability is switched on. Inbound calls reward being staffed and ready. Shared leads reward being willing to dial repeatedly.
- Shared lead
- A form submission sold to more than one buyer, worked by outbound dialing on your own schedule.
- Inbound call
- A live phone call from a consumer, delivered to one buyer at a time, billed once it passes the connected-time buffer.
| Factor | Shared lead | Inbound call on Callmart |
|---|---|---|
| Who dials first | You do, after the lead arrives | The consumer does, the call rings straight to you |
| Buyer competition | Often sold to more than one buyer | Delivered only to the buyer whose availability is on |
| What you pay for | A name, a number, and form answers | A connected call, billed after your line answers and passes the buffer |
| Staffing need | Worked on your team's own schedule | Someone has to be ready to answer when it rings |
| Starting price | Varies by source, typically lower per unit | Screened calls start at $25 per connected call |
Common questions
01Is a shared lead always cheaper than an inbound call?
The sticker price per record is usually lower, but that price buys the record itself, not a completed conversation. Once you factor in the dials that reach voicemail, or reach someone another buyer already spoke with, the cost of a lead you actually connect with narrows the gap.
02Do Callmart's inbound calls compete with other buyers the way shared leads do?
No. Each call is delivered to the buyer whose availability and campaign settings match it at that moment. A buyer is not sharing the same live call with another buyer at the same time.
03Can I use shared leads and inbound calls together?
Yes. Many agencies use outbound dialing on lower-cost leads to keep a team busy, and layer inbound calls on top for the volume that needs an immediate, live answer. Callmart does not require you to choose only one acquisition type.
04What happens if an inbound call comes in and nobody is available?
Switch your availability off and Callmart will not deliver calls to you. If you are available but simply do not answer in time, you have not been billed for a call, since billing only happens once connected time passes your buffer.