How to distribute leads between sales managers: methods and rules
Sado AI team · · 5 min read
In short
There are four main ways to distribute leads between sales managers: in turn (each new lead to the next manager), by workload (to whoever has the fewest open deals), by specialism (product, region, language) and by lead temperature (hot leads to an experienced seller). Either way, three rules are a must: every lead has one owner, there is a set time to call it, and when the time runs out the lead moves to another manager. Set up distribution in your CRM and qualify each lead on the first call.
What breaks when leads are shared by hand
In many sales teams leads land in a group chat and whoever grabs one first owns it. The fastest manager collects the good leads and the rest wait. A lead that arrives at night or at lunch belongs to nobody. If a customer calls twice, two managers quote two different prices. In the end there is a lead but no owner.
Four ways to distribute leads
| Method | How it works | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| In turn | Each new lead goes to the next manager on the list | Managers and leads are roughly alike |
| By workload | The lead goes to the manager with the fewest open deals | Deals vary a lot in length |
| By specialism | Groups by product, region or language | Wholesale and retail, or Tashkent and the regions, are run separately |
| By temperature | Hot leads to a strong seller, cold ones to a newcomer | Lead quality varies a lot |
Two methods are often combined: for example, first to a group by region, then in turn inside the group.
Rules to write down
- Every lead has one owner. Two people never call the same customer.
- A response time is set: for example, during working hours a new lead is called within 10 minutes.
- If the time runs out, the lead moves to the next manager and the team lead is notified.
- When an existing customer calls again, they go to their previous manager.
- A manager on holiday or sick leave is taken out of the queue for a while.
- Leads that arrive after hours are shared out first thing in the morning, or called at once.
Qualify first, then distribute
- On the first call ask 3–4 questions: what they need, when, which region, which language they prefer.
- Mark the temperature from the answers: hot (buys this week), warm (within a month), cold (just asking).
- Pass the lead on together with the answers. The manager doesn’t ask again, and the customer doesn’t repeat themselves.
- If a hot customer asks “can I talk to someone now?”, transfer the call to the manager on duty at once.
Sample: transferring a ready customer to a manager
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, this is Malika from Zamon Oyna. You left a request about windows on our website.
Caller: Yes, I need six windows for my house. I’m in Samarkand.
Sado: All right. When would you like them fitted: this month or later?
Caller: As soon as possible, the old windows are letting the cold in.
Sado: I understand. Javohir, our manager for Samarkand, is in the office now. I’ll put you through, and you can agree a day for measuring.
Caller: Fine, put me through.
Three questions qualified the lead: region Samarkand, timing urgent, size six windows. By the rule it went to the Samarkand group and straight to a manager.
Distribution with a CRM and an AI operator
A rule like this can’t run by hand; it’s set up in the CRM. Bitrix24 and amoCRM have settings that assign the owner by rule, in turn or by another condition. You set them up inside the CRM itself.
Sado’s AI operator does the work before distribution: it calls a new lead at once, asks your questions and records the answers, a short summary and the lead’s temperature. With Bitrix24 a lead or deal is created with the call recording and transcript, and the CRM then assigns it by your rule. Our team sets up the amoCRM connection. A ready customer is transferred to a staff member’s phone by your rule. More: calls and the CRM. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Is it better to distribute leads in turn or by results?
To start, distributing in turn is simple and fair. After a month or two of results, start giving more hot leads to the managers who sell more.
What happens to a manager’s leads when they go on holiday?
Before they leave, move their open leads to another manager and take them out of the new-lead queue. When they return, give their existing customers back.
Does the AI operator choose the manager itself?
The CRM rule assigns the owner. The AI operator qualifies the lead and, by the company’s rule, transfers the call to the phone of the staff member the rule names.