According to the HubSpot Sales Trends 2023 Global Report, setting and meeting sales quotas this year will be harder than ever. So I’m here to tell you about a secret weapon: dynamic lead routing.
I’ll start with the basics.
What is dynamic lead routing?
A lead comes in to your sales team — which rep is going to handle it?
Assigning leads is called lead routing. Ideally, you choose the rep best suited for each particular lead, usually based on territory, deal size, or industry.
Dynamic lead routing takes it to the next level.
Dynamic lead routing is a method of lead routing that allows you to react to changes — in information, rep availability, lead score, and more — in real time.
With dynamic lead routing, businesses can prioritize leads based on real-time data.
What’s the benefit? With dynamic lead routing, businesses can prioritize leads based on real-time data, ensuring that sales reps are focusing their efforts on the highest value opportunities, leading to increased revenue, improved sales team efficiency, and ultimately, greater business success.
Bonus: The State of Lead Routing in 2023
Traditional vs dynamic lead routing: What’s the difference?
Traditional lead routing typically involves a fixed set of rules for assigning leads based on factors like geography, industry, or company size.
These rules are often static and may not take into account the changing needs or behavior of the buyer throughout their journey.
Dynamic lead routing allows for more flexible and adaptive lead assignment based on real-time data and a combination of factors, including lead behavior, engagement, and intent.
Thus, leads can be routed to the most appropriate sales rep based on their current needs and interests. This increases the chances of conversion and improves the overall customer experience.
5 best practices for dynamic lead routing
1. Use behavioral triggers
According to McKinsey, companies that utilize customer behavior analytics are 6.5x more likely to retain customers and 7.4x more likely to outperform competitors in land & expand deals.
When you leverage behavioral data, leads are directed to the most suitable sales representative or team, based on their demonstrated interest and engagement.
Here’s how to do it:
▶️Identify behavioral triggers
Determine key actions or engagement indicators that demonstrate a lead’s interest or readiness to progress in the sales process.
Examples include email interactions, webinar attendance, or demo requests.
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▶️ Establish routing rules
Set clear criteria for routing leads based on their actions.
For instance, webinar attendees can be assigned to a team specializing in post-webinar follow-ups.
▶️ Leverage automation tools
Use lead routing automation tools to automate lead routing based on behavioral triggers.
With these tools, you can also track and analyze lead behavior in real-time, automatically directing them according to predefined rules.
Bonus: 50 Best Lead Generation Tools in 2023 (Ranked & Rated)
2. Implement lead decay or time-based lead routing
Did you know the lifespan of a lead can be as short as 5 minutes?
In fact, research from the Harvard Business Review shows that companies responding to leads within an hour are 7x more likely to have meaningful conversations with decision-makers (vs. those who delay.)
So the numbers have it. It’s critical to be able to respond quickly in lead management.
How? Incorporate lead decay or time-based routing into your lead management strategy. When you define specific time thresholds for lead follow-up and implementing automated workflows, you ensure leads are promptly routed to the sales rep (or team) who can strike while the iron is hot.
Here’s how to do it:
▶️ Define lead decay parameters
Start by identifying the time thresholds that determine when a lead’s value or likelihood of conversion starts to decline.
This can vary depending on your industry, product/service complexity, and buyer behavior.
For example, you may determine that leads should be followed up within 24 hours to maintain their highest potential value.
▶️Set up lead routing rules
Establish rules that dictate how leads should be routed based on age or decay.
For instance, leads that have decayed beyond a certain threshold may be routed to a different team, or given higher priority to ensure immediate attention.
This ensures that leads are not left unattended for too long, which increases your chance of conversion.
▶️ Configure automated workflows
Create automated workflows that route leads to the appropriate sales representatives or teams based on their age or decay level.
It ensures that leads receive timely attention and are directed to the most relevant resources or experts for follow-up.
▶️Prioritize lead follow-up
Empower your sales team to prioritize lead follow-up based on decay or time-based routing rules.
Implement notifications or alerts to notify sales representatives when a lead has reached a critical decay threshold, prompting them to take immediate action.
Bonus: How I Closed 50% More By Systematizing My Follow-Up Process
3. Integrate lead routing with chatbots or virtual assistants for immediate responses
Integrating chatbots or virtual assistants with lead routing allows for immediate engagement with leads, even outside of business hours.
This ensures leads receive timely attention, and provides instant responses to potential prospects.
But more than that — chatbots can actually contribute to your dynamic lead routing. Here’s how.
Set up your chatbots not only to respond to common inquiries, but also to ask relevant questions and gather essential lead information.
Then, by integrating lead routing with these chatbots, you can dynamically route leads based on their responses and actions — all before they ever engage with a rep on your sales team.
4. Enable lead recycling
Not all leads will convert immediately, but that doesn’t mean they should be disregarded.
With lead recycling, you can automatically re-route or nurture these leads for future opportunities, increasing the chances of conversion over time.
Nurtured leads tend to produce a 20% increase in sales opportunities compared to non-nurtured leads. With lead recycling, you can make the most of unresponsive leads by nurturing them over time, increasing the potential for conversion and driving more revenue for your business.
Here’s how to do it:
▶️ Define recycling criteria
Establish criteria for determining when a lead should be recycled.
For example, if a lead hasn’t responded or engaged within a specific time period, such as 30 days, it can be considered for recycling.
You can also consider other factors, such as lead demographics, purchase intent, or specific campaign interactions, to fine-tune your recycling criteria.
▶️ Automated nurturing campaigns
Create automated nurturing campaigns tailored to the recycled leads.
These campaigns should include relevant and personalized content to re-engage the leads and nurture them towards conversion. Use marketing automation tools to send targeted emails, provide educational resources, or invite them to webinars or events.
The goal is to stay on top-of-mind and provide value to the leads, keeping them engaged and interested in your offerings.
▶️Lead re-routing
In addition to nurturing, you can also re-route leads to different sales representatives or teams who specialize in working with recycled leads at a later point of time. It ensures that the leads receive a fresh perspective and dedicated attention, increasing the chances of conversion.
5. Utilize dynamic round-robin routing
Implement dynamic round-robin routing to create a level playing field for your sales team.
Round-robin routing promotes equal opportunities and prevents bias or disparities in lead distribution. This has an obvious effect on team morale — plus, it boost overall sales performance and productivity.
With dynamic round-robin routing, leads are assigned to sales team members in a rotating sequence, providing each rep with equal opportunities to engage with potential customers. It optimizes lead distribution and enhances team collaboration and performance.
Final thoughts
By embracing these best practices, organizations can create a seamless and personalized lead journey, ensuring that every lead is promptly and effectively nurtured.
Remember, your leads are the lifeblood of your business! Dynamic lead routing is no longer a luxury but a necessity in today’s competitive business landscape.
Bonus: Territory Management Decoded
Edited by Kendra Fortmeyer @ Sales Hacker 2023
