What is no-show rate?
No-show rate is the share of scheduled sales meetings where the prospect neither attends nor cancels in advance.
Why it matters for sales teams
A booked meeting only creates value if it happens. No-shows waste the account executive's preparation, inflate meetings-booked numbers and make the pipeline look healthier than it is. That is one reason some teams measure SDRs on meetings held rather than meetings booked.
A high no-show rate often points to weak qualification, meetings booked too far out, or prospects who agreed only to end the call.
How to calculate it
No-show rate = meetings missed without notice divided by meetings scheduled, for a given period. Decide upfront how to count late cancellations and rescheduled meetings, so the number stays comparable over time.
Example
An SDR books 40 meetings in a month, and 8 prospects do not show up. Her no-show rate is 8 out of 40, or one in five. Her manager reviews the booking calls and finds most no-shows came from meetings set three weeks out. The team starts booking within a few days, sends the calendar invite at once and adds a short reminder the day before.