A lead is an intermediate event
Lead volume is helpful for measuring response demand, but it is not the commercial outcome. A campaign can generate cheap low-intent inquiries while another produces fewer test drives and more completed sales.
The dealership needs a Deal record containing the customer, vehicle, salesperson, sale value and completion date before campaign reporting can reach revenue.
Build the attribution chain
Capture first touch, last touch and the source present when the lead is created. Preserve UTM values instead of overwriting them. When the sale completes, connect the Deal to the originating lead and campaign.
- Spend entered for the same campaign and period
- Lead and Deal deduplication rules
- Coverage: the percentage of Deals with usable attribution
- CPL, cost per Deal and ROAS only where inputs exist
Do not hide uncertainty
Attribution is never perfect. Phone calls, private browsing and long purchase journeys create gaps. Show coverage and calculation inputs next to ROI metrics. An honest 72% coverage figure is more useful than a precise-looking number built on missing data.