Lead Routing Rules: How to Send Each Lead to the Right Person Fast

In a small company, every lead goes to the Owner. Simple.

In a growing company, leads go into a "Black Hole."

• The Commercial lead sits in the Residential inbox.
• The high-value install lead goes to the junior estimator who blows the sale.
• The urgent repair lead goes to the guy on lunch break.

Lead Routing is the air traffic control of your sales operation. It ensures every landing clears the runway.

The 3 Routing Philosophies

1. The "Shark Tank" (First to Claim)

• Method: Blast the lead to everyone. First to click "Claim" gets it.
• Pros: Max speed. Creates hunger.
• Cons: Promotes "cherry picking." Reps ignore hard leads. Chaos.

2. The "Round Robin" (Fairness)

• Method: Rep A -> Rep B -> Rep C -> Rep A.
• Pros: Fair. Everyone gets a turn. Predictable.
• Cons: "Fair" is not "Profitable." Your worst closer gets as many leads as your best closer.

3. The "Weighted Attribute" (Profitable)

• Method:
  • If "Commercial" -> Send to Senior Rep.
  • If "Repair" -> Send to Dispatch.
  • If "Install" -> Weighted Round Robin (Top closer gets 50%, Junior gets 25%).
• Pros: Highest conversion rate. Matches skill to task.
• Cons: Requires setup in CRM (ServiceTitan, HubSpot, GoHighLevel).

Setting Up Your Rules

Rule #1: The "No Lead Left Behind" Timer

You cannot rely on humans to check notifications.

• The Logic:
  1. Assign to Rep A.
  2. Wait 5 Minutes.
  3. Status check: Did Rep A change status to "Contacted"?
  4. If NO: Re-assign to Rep B and notify Manager.
  5. Why: This kills procrastination.

Rule #2: Zip Code Filtering

Stop driving 45 minutes for a $99 tune-up.

• The Logic:
  • Map Zip Codes 78701-78705 to "Central Team."
  • Map Zip Codes 78745-78748 to "South Team."
  • Result: Less windshield time, more wrench time.

Rule #3: Source Prioritization

Treat an LSA lead differently than a Facebook lead.

• LSA Lead (Urgent): Blast ring to everyone. Must answer NOW.
• Facebook Lead (Curious): Round robin to Lead Nurture team to qualify first.

Verification Checklist

• CRM Config: Have you actually built the "If/Then" logic?
• Notification Test: Submit a test lead. Does the right phone buzz?
• Weekend Settings: Do rules change on Saturday? (They should).

Common Mistakes

[!TIP] Feed the Lions It is not "mean" to give your best closer more leads. It is business. If Rep A closes at 40% and Rep B closes at 20%, giving them equal leads is costing you thousands of dollars a month. Give Rep A the "Glengarry leads."

• Over-Complication: Don't make a rule for every edge case. Keep it simple. Commercial vs Residential. Urgent vs Planned.
• Ignoring Capacity: Don't route leads to a guy who is already booked 3 weeks out. Check calendar availability first.

FAQ

Q: My team complains about Round Robin fairness. A: Show them the closing data. "You get more leads when you close more leads." Gamify it.

Q: What software handles this? A: ServiceTitan, Jobber, and GoHighLevel all have routing features. GoHighLevel is best for sales leads; ServiceTitan is best for dispatch.

Sources and References

1. HubSpot: Lead Routing Best Practices - Guide
2. Salesforce: Territory Management - Enterprise routing concepts applied to local.

Changelog

• 2024-05-05: Initial publication.

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Read Next in This Hub:

• Speed to Lead - Why the timer matters.
• Multi-Location Routing - Advanced geography.

Related System:

• Automation Architecture - The tech stack.