If you’re tired of leads bouncing around your inbox or getting lost in the shuffle, you’re not alone. Automated lead routing isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s how you make sure prospects talk to the right people, fast. This guide is for sales and ops folks who need to set up lead routing in Rb2b and want to do it right, without drowning in settings or sales-speak.
No fluff here: I’ll walk you through every step, flag what actually matters, and call out rookie mistakes to avoid. Let’s get your leads moving.
Step 1: Get Your Lead Sources and Fields in Order
Before you touch any automation, sort out where your leads are coming from and what info you’ve got on them.
- List your lead sources: Web forms, imports, marketing tools—write them down. Rb2b needs to know where to pull from.
- Standardize fields: Make sure your fields are consistent (e.g., “Company Size” isn’t sometimes “Size of Company”). If you’re merging sources, map them to a common set.
- Decide what matters: Think about the stuff you’ll actually route on—location, company size, product interest, whatever. Ignore vanity fields.
Pro tip: If you skip this step, routing rules get messy fast. You’ll end up with leads that don’t match any rule or, worse, route to the wrong reps. Spend the time now.
Step 2: Clean Up and Import Your Lead Data
Rb2b can’t work magic if it’s handed junk data.
- Clean duplicates: Remove obvious dups and garbage records. Trust me, “Test Testerson” doesn’t need a rep.
- Normalize values: If you’re routing by state, use one format (“CA” not “California” and “Calif.”).
- Import leads: Rb2b usually supports CSV uploads and integrations with tools like HubSpot or Salesforce. Use whichever is cleanest—don’t just import everything “just in case.”
What to Ignore
- Don’t get fancy with custom fields yet. Stick to basics until routing works.
- Don’t try to automate routing for leads you’ll never want (unqualified, spam, etc.).
Step 3: Map Out Your Routing Logic on Paper
Don’t click anything yet. Routing logic is where people overcomplicate things and end up in “rule hell.”
- Draw a basic flow: Who should get what? By region, product, deal size, round-robin? Map it out with pen and paper.
- Start simple: One or two criteria max at first (e.g., territory and company size). Get fancy after you see it working.
- Decide on fallback: Who gets leads when there’s no match? (Yes, you need this.)
Pro tip: Overly complex routing = leads getting lost, finger-pointing, and “Why didn’t I get that deal?” headaches.
Step 4: Set Up Routing Rules in Rb2b
Now you’re ready to open Rb2b and start building.
- Log in and go to Lead Routing: Usually under “Leads” or “Automation.” If you don’t see it, check your permissions.
- Create your first rule: Pick your criteria (e.g., “State is California”). Assign to the right rep or team.
- Don’t try to cover every edge case at once. Start with your biggest segment.
- Set up additional rules: Handle other important segments (e.g., “State is New York” to another team).
- Configure fallback: Always have a default rep or inbox for unassigned leads.
- Test with sample leads: Use test records to see if they go where you expect. Don’t skip this.
Honest Take
Rb2b’s interface is usually straightforward, but don’t expect it to solve all your sales process issues. If your team isn’t clear on who owns what, no amount of software will fix it.
Step 5: Set Assignment Logic (Round Robin, Weighted, or Manual)
Decide how leads are assigned within a group or team.
- Round Robin: Good for fairness, but can be annoying if reps are out sick or on vacation.
- Weighted: Assign more to top performers, or maybe give new reps fewer leads until they’re up to speed.
- Manual: Only use if you really trust someone to triage. Automation breaks down if it all goes through one person.
Set this up in Rb2b under team or group settings. Test it (again) to make sure it’s working as you expect.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
- Works: Round robin for teams with similar skills. Weighted for teams with clear tiers.
- Doesn’t: Overengineering. Don’t build a logic tree so complex that nobody understands it.
Step 6: Set Up Notifications and Owner Visibility
Automation is useless if nobody knows a lead just landed in their lap.
- Enable alerts: Make sure reps get instant notifications (email, Slack, whatever your team uses).
- Show lead ownership: Reps should see leads assigned to them—no ambiguity.
- Limit noise: Don’t CC the whole team on every lead. Just the owner.
Pro tip: The best routing in the world is pointless if reps ignore their notifications or don’t know what to do next.
Step 7: Monitor, Audit, and Adjust
Set it and forget it is a myth. You need to check your routing regularly.
- Run test leads weekly: Make sure rules haven’t broken.
- Spot check assignments: Are leads going to the right people? Ask your reps.
- Look for gaps: If you see leads piling up unworked, your rules are off—or your team has a bigger problem.
- Iterate: Start simple, then add complexity only if you must.
Honest Take
Most routing issues come from poor data, not bad software. If you’re constantly fixing rules, audit your lead sources and field mapping.
Step 8: Document Your Routing Logic
Don’t rely on tribal knowledge. If you leave tomorrow, someone else should understand the routing.
- Write it down: Use a simple doc or internal wiki.
- Explain the rules: What routes to who, and why.
- Update when you change things: Otherwise, you’ll end up with “secret rules” nobody knows about.
Step 9: Train Your Team
Spend 30 minutes walking your team through the new routing process.
- Show how leads are assigned: Who gets what, and what to do when something looks off.
- Clarify who owns follow-up: Assignment is just the first step.
- Get feedback: If reps are confused, fix it fast.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple
Automated lead routing in Rb2b isn’t rocket science, but it is easy to mess up if you overthink things. Start with simple rules, test everything, and don’t try to solve every exception out of the gate. Most importantly, keep your data clean and your rules transparent.
You’ll get way more value by iterating as your team grows than by building a monster routing tree nobody understands. Keep it simple, review it often, and let your sales team focus on what actually matters—talking to leads.