What should you do with a lead you cannot serve?
Reply quickly and kindly, even when the answer is no. Thank the person, say plainly why you cannot help, and point them somewhere useful, such as another business you trust. Then record the inquiry with its source, an outcome of lost and the reason. Over time, those reasons can show whether people keep asking for a service you do not offer, or whether some of your marketing is reaching the wrong people.
Why a no still deserves a fast reply
A fast, polite no lets the person move on, and silence usually leaves a worse impression.
Deciding whether a lead fits is its own step, and the related answer on how to tell whether a new lead is a good fit covers it. This answer starts once you know it does not.
What to say
- Thanks, by name, and a mention of what they asked about.
- The reason in one plain sentence: outside your area, a service you do not offer, a date you cannot meet, or a job that is too small or too large for you.
- Somewhere useful to go: a business you trust, or the kind of specialist to look for.
- An open door, if it is true: what you do offer, in case they need it later.
A short example
"Hi Dana, thanks for asking about the roof on your shop. We only work on homes, so we are not the right people for this job. A commercial roofer is who you need, and [business name] has a good name locally. If you ever need work done at home, we would be glad to help."
Recommend only businesses you would use yourself, since a poor referral reflects on you. It is usually better to give the person the other business's details than to pass theirs on without asking.
Record it anyway
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Source | Where it came from: search, AI answer, social, referral, paid, email, campaign or direct |
| Outcome | Lost |
| Reason | Outside your area, service not offered, timing, budget, or job size |
| Referred to | Who you pointed them to, if anyone |
What the reasons can tell you
- Many requests for a service you do not offer can be a sign of demand worth thinking about.
- Many inquiries from outside your area through one source can mean that channel is reaching the wrong place.
- Repeated mismatches on budget or expectations can point to a website or ad that is unclear about what you do.
- Reading the lost reasons once a month is usually enough to spot a pattern.
Related answers
- How do you tell whether a new lead is a good fit?
- How do you set up a simple lead tracker?
- How do you write a good first reply to a new inquiry?
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.