Lead Routing Blueprint

The routing architecture that gets every lead a fast, correct first touch — capture rules, assignment logic, and fallbacks.

1. 01Inventory every lead entry point: forms, ad platforms, phone, chat, marketplaces, referrals, walk-ins.
2. 02Wire each entry point to create or update a CRM record automatically — with source attribution captured.
3. 03Define the instant acknowledgment per channel: SMS + email within 60 seconds, tuned to source context.
4. 04Write assignment rules that match how you actually sell: by territory, service line, deal size, or round-robin with caps.
5. 05Add an availability layer: out-of-office, capacity limits, and business-hours logic per owner.
6. 06Define the fallback chain: if the assigned owner doesn’t act within N minutes, escalate — never let a lead be “someone’s” and untouched.
7. 07Start the follow-up sequence immediately on assignment; stop it automatically on human contact.
8. 08Log every routing decision to the record so disputes are checkable.
9. 09Dashboard four numbers: time-to-first-touch, time-to-assignment, leads with no activity 7 days, and contact rate by source.
10. 10Review weekly for the first month — routing rules are hypotheses until real leads test them.

Related: all resources · build notes