The Truth About Lead Tracking

Every time someone clicked:

• They landed on a page with a form embedded right into our website. The form was connected directly to our CRM (Customer Relationship Management Software).
• The moment they submitted, they were tagged in RCApp (our CRM specifically made for plural component applicators) as “Lead - Paint Chip - Rockers.”
• They got automatic follow-ups—pricing, FAQs, even a booking link.
• And if they ghosted? We had a re-engagement sequence for that too.

No guesswork. No sticky notes. Just leads turning into appointments, day after day. And the best part? It was all done hands-free with email.

NOTE - were I still running my shop and this campaign now, I would include automated text messaging, direct-to-voicemail, and retargeting in addition to the emails.

I didn’t wait until the end of the month to figure out if the ad was working.

Because the leads came in tagged automatically, I could pull up my dashboard any time (I usually did this daily) and see exactly how many people had responded to that specific ad. No spreadsheets. No mystery. Just real-time intel.

Even better, because I created an automated pipeline, I could see how far each lead had moved through the process. Who booked a quote. Who ghosted. Who needed a nudge. It turned the whole process from “spray and pray” into something that felt more like pulling a lever.

I wasn’t guessing. I knew.

It's not an understatement to say that "the automated system" changed everything for me.

Before that system was in place, I was doing what most shop owners do: taking phone calls, scribbling notes on whatever paper was closest, and hoping I’d remember to call them back. Half the time, I’d find a name on a Post-it stuck to my wallet two weeks later and think, “Crap... who was this again?”

The shift happened when we stopped trusting our memories and started trusting the system.

Every form submission was time-stamped. Every tag meant something. Every automated email or re-engagement message was part of a bigger machine — and that machine didn’t forget.

Here's another thing we did that made a huge difference: We named our services like products.

Not just "spray-on rockers." That’s forgettable.

We called it Road Rash Rocker Renewal. That name meant something. It described the problem AND the solution. It painted a picture. It got people nodding before they even clicked. And when they did click? We knew exactly which ad triggered it, which service they were interested in, and what kind of messaging would land.

Generic ads = generic results.

Named offers = laser tracking and better conversations.

If I were still running that campaign today, I’d crank it up even further. Here’s what I’d add:

• Automated text replies within 60 seconds of form submission.
• A direct-to-voicemail drop that makes it sound like they just missed my call.
• Retargeting ads on Facebook and Instagram (at a minimum) reminding them about the rockers they still haven’t fixed.

Because it’s one thing to get the lead. It’s another thing to stay top-of-mind without driving yourself crazy.

Most shop owners think they have a lead gen problem.

In most cases, I'd disagree.

What most have is a lead tracking problem.

I didn’t grow my shop by dumping massive amounts of cash into more and more ads. We grew it by tracking all the ads results. Finding the best performing ones, following up relentlessly, and making sure every person who raised their hand got treated like a real prospect — not a maybe.

I never wanted to be the biggest shop.

I just wanted to be the one where no good lead got left behind.

Getting big and being profitable were result.