Modified CRM Round Robin

[jscole86]

@Dan Sayer How does your group of stores ensure all sales calls are entered into the CRM? Do managers manually verify this by comparing TotalCX call logs with the CRM, or is it automated? I'm asking because you mentioned prioritizing hunt/queue routing based on close rates and appointments. Obviously, if reps selectively enter calls, that will inflate their metrics. We do it manually, but it's such a time suck.

 

[Dan Sayer]

@Dan Sayer How does your group of stores ensure all sales calls are entered into the CRM? Do managers manually verify this by comparing TotalCX call logs with the CRM, or is it automated? I'm asking because you mentioned prioritizing hunt/queue routing based on close rates and appointments. Obviously, if reps selectively enter calls, that will inflate their metrics. We do it manually, but it's such a time suck.

This past winter, we significantly improved our ability to track all calls with confidence by implementing TotalCX’s PBX system along with its tracking tools (InteractivTel/TotalCX/CallRevu/whatever they are now lol). Each salesperson has their own extension and direct inward dialing (DID) number. This setup allows us to track and record all inbound and outbound calls, including those made from extensions and DIDs.

TotalCX’s system includes AI-based call reviews, which tag “Opportunity” calls in its tracking dashboard. However, daily call reviews are more efficient using DriveCentric’s call log (TotalCX integration). DriveCentric automatically tags each call with the customer’s name (if they exist in the CRM) and the Deal Status, if applicable. Managers can quickly skim AI-generated call summaries in DriveCentric’s log view to bypass irrelevant calls like “where's my title” or “service didn’t answer, so I pressed 2.”

I encourage managers to build a habit of spot-checking calls rather than attempting to review every single one. Consistent spot checks often reveal recurring themes with individual salespeople, enabling targeted coaching.

Our team has a high success rate in capturing accurate contact details because we train them to say, “The number showing on my caller ID is XYZ ABC. Is this the best number to reach you?” This direct approach avoids overused scripts like, “In case we get disconnected, what’s the best number to reach you?” where a shopper can just say "don't call me". Are their opportunities to improve? Always.

 

[zande299]

I am wanting to implement some type of a "Merit Based" Round Robin in my CRM.

Say a store has 5 sales people and no BDC. All incoming leads go directly to the sales staff. 3 of the sales people do a great job of following up and rarely have more than a few open tasks in the system.

Sales Person 4 does a decent job, but not stellar by any means.

Sales Person 5 is horrible. He will do the bare minimum, usually does most follow up in 1 day each week, doesn't keep very good notes, etc..

A Round Robin will distribute leads equally among these 5.

I want to implement a Merit Based system where Lead Distribution is based upon the sales person CRM performance. I want the sales people that are the most likely to convert a lead to get more of them. That is not to say that #4 and #5 should get absolutely none. Just less.

Is anyone using this type of logic?
How are you scoring your sales people?
Does it work?

Please limit responses to the question. I understand that CRM Usage should be a condition of employment. This is not for my own store. It is for clients. These clients really don't need me to tell them to fire #5.

Organizing could really improve if someone put to work a merit based system. Truly, there is no absolute way to grade salespeople; all you have to do is monitor their effectiveness on their sales tasks by charting task accomplishment rates or percentages, follow up regularity, note clarity, and the extent of lead conversion. What you could do was assign a weighted score to each of these and apply it in making the necessary tweak on the lead distribution.

 

[Tallcool1]

Organizing could really improve if someone put to work a merit based system. Truly, there is no absolute way to grade salespeople; all you have to do is monitor their effectiveness on their sales tasks by charting task accomplishment rates or percentages, follow up regularity, note clarity, and the extent of lead conversion. What you could do was assign a weighted score to each of these and apply it in making the necessary tweak on the lead distribution.

Oh My God, a weighted score on each metric. This is fucking brilliant. Why didn't I think of that?

 

[pspagnoli]

Elead, vin, and socket all do this now. just limit the number of leads per person. on a round robin delivery. sales people 1 and 2 get 300 leads each 3 and 4 get 200 each and 5 gets 100. Simple.

personally i think they shouldn't have leads since they cant keep up with the follow-up. but that's another story

 

[Dan Sayer]

Elead, vin, and socket all do this now. just limit the number of leads per person. on a round robin delivery. sales people 1 and 2 get 300 leads each 3 and 4 get 200 each and 5 gets 100. Simple.

personally i think they shouldn't have leads since they cant keep up with the follow-up. but that's another story

There is a different approach for BDC vs Internet Sales Teams vs Cradle to Grave Salespeople. BDCs with an effective auto-dialer and workflow system can take north of 100 to 200 leads in a month no problem. Internet Sales Teams being fed from that BDC should be able to take up to 75 but general sales people who are taking lot-ups, phone ups, and cradle to grave web leads should be capped at the 45 web lead range, IMO.

 

[Tallcool1]

Elead, vin, and socket all do this now. just limit the number of leads per person. on a round robin delivery. sales people 1 and 2 get 300 leads each 3 and 4 get 200 each and 5 gets 100. Simple.

personally i think they shouldn't have leads since they cant keep up with the follow-up. but that's another story

Round Robin between 1-5 equally until 5 gets to 100, so everyone evenly splits the first 500.
Round Robin between 1-4 equally until 3 & 4 get to 200, so 1-4 evenly split leads 501-900.
Round Robin equally between 1 & 2 for the remainder of the month.

While you say that it is simple, it won't work (in my opinion).

 

[LEA_13]

@Tallcool1
Last year, I think I shared on this forum how we implemented a “Moneyball” approach with our sales teams. We broke down lead performance (Internet, Phone, Walk-In) into stages from Lead to Sold. At a quarterly planning event, I had managers map their salespeople on an X-Y matrix showing lead volume vs. conversion rates for phone and internet. The result? The following month was our best ever for phone and internet, as managers started directing leads to top converters and away from underperformers. However, this success was short-lived—lasting about 45 days.

The Challenge:
Redirecting leads to top performers eventually overloaded them, causing their pipelines to degrade. In cradle-to-grave sales setups without a BDC, the more deals reps close, the less time they have to nurture new leads. I’ve seen this firsthand—after a 30-car month, my pipeline would stagnate, leading to an 18-22 car month afterward. The key is understanding each rep’s capacity to prevent overload. An “on one week, off the next” strategy might help balance the workload.

Our Current Strategy:
I now run weekly calls with individual store managers focusing on salespeople’s performance at every stage:

• Lead to Engaged
• Engaged to Appt Set
• Appt Set to Show
• Show to Sold

Each stage presents a unique coaching opportunity. Instead of just looking at Lead to Sold, we pinpoint weak spots in the sales funnel and coach accordingly, ensuring reps can re-enter the rotation (hopefully the next week) without overloading others.

Key Metrics & Tools:

• Lead Caps: We’ve identified that some reps perform best with 20 leads/month, while others excel with 70. For cradle-to-grave reps, 45 leads/month is a typical cap.
• Distribution Rules: Using DriveCentric, we manage lead distribution rules based on schedules and even differentiate between new and used leads. For phone calls, we prioritize appointment setters in the hunt/queue ring order.
• Ongoing Review: Weekly and 30-day trend reviews are essential. This helps spot patterns and address downturns before they affect performance.

Results:
Last month, our group averaged:

• 13.8% Internet close rate (5 stores exceeded 15%; two struggled due to new management).
• 30%+ Phone close rate with reliable phone tracking.
• 5% Bad Lead Rate.

This approach requires intense management—reviewing 60+ salespeople weekly and addressing performance issues. While not all store-level managers lean into this level of detail, those who do see a significant impact on their store’s success.

I'd love to offer you any help you need @Tallcool1. You can always hit me up. Thanks.