Struggling to assign prospects using lead routing in HubSpot? You’re not alone.

As a marketing, sales, and customer service tool, HubSpot’s dynamic range of features can be overwhelming for both new and seasoned users. However, for those looking to assign leads within the platform, the good news is that it is possible. All it takes is some patience and a little guidance to speed up the process. Let’s dive in.

Understanding Effective Lead Routing

Before we dive into the practical steps of using HubSpot, let’s discuss the basics of lead routing. 

Lead routing, also known as ‘lead assignment,’ centres around the concept of automatically directing inbound leads to the right team members. This ensures that every lead goes to the most suitable person within your organization quickly and accurately. 

For large organizations or those dealing with distinct market segments, effective lead routing will:

  • Boost conversion rates: More accurate and efficient inbound lead assignment will increase your chances of converting customers with better response times.
  • Optimize resource allocation: Efficient lead routing ensures that your sales and marketing teams focus on qualified leads they are best equipped to handle, making the most of your resources.
  • Streamline lead tracking: Proper lead routing simplifies lead tracking and management, helping your organization keep tabs on potential opportunities.
  • Reduce manual effort: Automation in lead routing minimizes the need for manual intervention, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.
  • Boost sales team morale: When sales reps receive leads that match their expertise, they are more likely to achieve success, which can motivate and energize your salesforce.
  • Enhance the customer experience: When leads are routed to the most qualified rep, customers receive better assistance and information, leading to a more positive customer experience.

Examples of Lead Routing Strategies

While no aspect of the sales process should involve a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, professional sales teams need to be particularly careful when routing leads.

Different businesses will require different strategies to ensure they’re reaching customers in the right way. Because of this, it’s important to be aware of what lead routing tactics exist before investing in support tools for your business.

  • Account-based matching: This strategy directs leads from specific accounts to the respective sales reps who specialize in those accounts.
  • Territory-based routing is most suitable for businesses operating in different regions, as it ensures leads go to the right regional sales reps.
  • Product line matching: This allows companies with diverse product lines to assign leads to reps with expertise in specific product categories.
  • Performance-based assignment: This strategy allows you to reward your top-performing sales reps by routing high-potential leads directly to them.
  • Round-robin assignment: This approach ensures every lead goes to a different sales rep in a fair cycle, balancing workloads and opportunities among the team.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Inbound Lead Routing with HubSpot

lead routing from HubSpot on sales rep's mobile phone

Now that you understand a little more about lead routing and the considerations your business needs to make before investing in lead routing software, let’s shift our attention to HubSpot workflows.

Despite not being known as a purpose-built platform for lead routing, HubSpot does offer tools to facilitate and manage lead routing. However, because prior knowledge of HubSpot will be required to implement these steps, if you’re not already a HubSpot user, we recommend skipping to the next section to discover an alternative solution for your lead management needs.

Note: Customizing lead routing triggers in HubSpot can vary depending on your unique criteria and requirements. The instructions provided below offer general guidelines to help you get started, but you may need to adapt them to align with your specific inbound lead routing needs.

How to set up lead routing in Hubspot workflows:

Step 1: Access HubSpot workflows

  • Go to Workflows in your HubSpot account by clicking on “Automation”, and then clicking on “Workflows”.

Step 2: Create a new workflow

  • Click “Create Workflow” and select “From scratch”.

Step 3: Define enrollment triggers

  • Determine triggers that enroll contacts into your workflow, e.g. when they submit specific forms.

Step 4: Qualify leads

  • Add an “If/then” branch to ensure leads meet qualification criteria, e.g. an employee size greater than 50.

Step 5: Segment leads

  • Segment leads further based on criteria. This can include territory or product interest.

Step 6: Assign and manage leads

  • Use the “rotate record to owner” function to assign, manage, and overwrite lead rotations.

The Limitations of HubSpot as a Lead Routing Solution

HubSpot offers a robust feature set for marketing and sales teams, but its lead routing can pose challenges. Even though the instructions outlined in the previous section sound straightforward, setting up custom triggers often requires trial and error.

This is why many marketing and sales teams turn to a designated inbound lead assignment tool to streamline their processes. This ensures prospects aren’t impacted by human error or lengthy response times.

Common lead routing issues HubSpot users face:

  1. No weighted assignment: HubSpot lacks comprehensive native support for performance-based lead assignment, forcing users to explore custom-coded solutions.
  2. Availability and workload-based assignment: Routing based on team members’ availability or workload isn’t natively supported. This can prevent sales reps from connecting instantly with qualified leads.
  3. Workflow maintenance: While HubSpot succeeds in offering a positive user experience in other areas when it comes to lead routing, large workflows can be challenging to maintain and may lead to errors.
  4. Routing log: HubSpot currently does not offer a way to backtrack on all the steps a lead went through before reaching your sales rep.

Bluebird: Your Intelligent Lead Management System

leads screen

As mentioned, given the complexity involved in configuring robust lead routing capabilities within HubSpot, the optimal choice is to consider a dedicated system that specializes in lead assignment and management. 

This is where Bluebird comes in. With AI-driven lead matching and a dynamic range of advanced but easy-to-use features, Bluebird can instantly transform your sales pipeline and customer relationship management strategy.

More than a solution; it’s a game-changer for your business. Some of Bluebird’s features and customization options include:

  1. AI-powered lead matching: Efficiently match and route leads based on your company’s departments and teams, ensuring the most qualified agent handles each opportunity.
  2. Precision geolocation: Agents receive leads within their designated areas, ensuring local expertise and swift responses.
  3. Performance-boosting routing: Agents who actively use our software receive more leads, enhancing engagement and conversion rates.
  4. Timely response prioritization: Prioritize quick lead responses by automatically routing timed-out offers to the next available agent or partner in line, aligning with your unique business strategy.
  5. Tailored reporting: Customize data reports to meet executive needs, tracking lead acceptance rates, conversion cycles, and more.
  6. Visual lead mapping: Gain insights with a map view of lead generation for data-driven decisions and budget allocation.
  7. Flexible branding: Easily brand our software with your company’s name for a seamless user experience. Alternatively, integrate our solution into your UI for a discreet, seamless integration.
  8. Strategic support: Collaborate with our experts to optimize your lead routing strategy for greater efficiency and competitiveness, as well as supporting policies based on equality, fairness, and security. 

Bottom Line

If HubSpot isn’t working for your lead management needs, you’re not alone! Bluebird specializes in lead routing and management, helping you optimize both short- and long-term strategies for better results.

End lead routing frustrations and ensure every lead gets to the right person by booking a discovery session today.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this guide are based on our personal analysis as of the publication date. We recommend conducting your own research and evaluations before passing judgment on any of the platforms discussed.