How do you set up a simple lead tracker?
Use one shared sheet or board with a row for every inquiry and eight columns: date, name, contact details, what they need, source channel, first reply time, outcome and notes. Follow one rule: every inquiry from every channel goes in the same day it arrives. Then review it once a month to see where work comes from, how fast you answer and which inquiries turn into paid jobs.
Pick one place
Use one shared sheet or board that everyone who answers inquiries can open, including on a phone. The related answer on CRMs covers when a simple sheet is enough and when to move on.
The columns
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Date | The day the inquiry arrived. |
| Name | The person, and the company if there is one. |
| Contact | Phone and email, as they gave them. |
| What they need | The request, in their own words. |
| Source channel | One of: search, AI answer, social, referral, paid, email, campaign, direct. A returning customer counts as direct. |
| First reply time | How long it took from the inquiry to your first reply. |
| Outcome | Won, lost or still open. |
| Notes | Quotes sent, follow-up dates and, if lost, why. |
The one rule: every inquiry, same day
Every call, form, email, message and walk-in goes in on the day it arrives, including missed calls and inquiries that look like a poor fit. Skipped rows are what make trackers lie.
Fill the source channel by asking how they heard about you, and follow up by call or text only with the person's consent. Keep the sheet private and shared only with the people who answer inquiries.
The monthly review
- How many inquiries came from each source channel.
- How many of each were won, lost or still open.
- Your typical first reply time, and the slowest replies.
- Leads still open after a few weeks: follow up once more or close them as lost.
- The most common reasons in the notes for lost work.
Related answers
- What is a CRM, and does a small business need one?
- How fast should a business reply to a new lead?
- Which source gets the credit when a customer found you several ways?
Lead systems and lead tracking
A lead that waits a day goes cold, and a lead with no source teaches you nothing. Ascent Vision fixes both.