In a previous article, we wrote that, on average, organizations could connect with 7% more leads. For most companies, this just doesn't work out. This is because warm leads leak away to competitors. This relatively unknown problem is called lead leakage. In this article you can read how this problem occurs and what solutions companies use to solve it.

This is how lead leakage occurs

Lead leakage means that warm leads still leave your website and switch to your competitor. And do you know who your warmest leads are? Those are the leads who are on your website and want to call you, rather than convert online. In practice, these leads are already well into the customer journey. But why then do they still leave your website when they are about to convert? It often goes like this:

1. The lead wants to call your company, but the phone is not answered. Because the company is closed, or because accessibility is not optimal.
2. The lead decides to call again later, but forgets.
3. Instead, the lead googles your product or service again, and then ends up with a competitor who happens to be at the top of the list at the time.

You see: it can be that simple. One minute you have a warm lead on your website, but before you know it, they end up at the competitor's site.

Possible solutions for lead leakage

But now for the good news, because there is a solution for almost every problem. The only question is whether the solutions companies currently use for lead leakage are as effective.

Take a chatbot, for example. In theory, it should be able to do everything a flesh-and-blood human can do. But there are two major drawbacks to this: most chatbots are far from being able to conduct full-fledged and professional conversations. They do not know the answer to many questions. And besides, a chatbot often feels impersonal.

A callback form on your website seems like a good solution. Leads can fill in their phone number, and sometimes a preferred time to be called back. But the shocking reality is that these forms are often not followed up, or a call is made at a time that is not convenient for your lead.

There are also companies where you will hear a tape outside business hours. This tells them that the company is closed and what the opening hours are, hoping that the lead will call back on his own accord. In practice, few leads actually take the trouble.

Lead Automation keeps your leads on board

Above, you read about the solutions that companies currently often use to engage leads even after business hours. Those ways have one drawback in common: the availability of the lead and the organization are not aligned. The chances that you will then still have a successful conversation with a lead are relatively small. But what does work? That is a system that automatically ensures that the lead is called at the desired time. And recently this system actually exists: Lead Automation. Read more about it, and be convinced.

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