Respect The Reverse Robin Hood To Maximise Acting On Incoming Leads

I witnessed quite a scene in a sales office recently.

Marketing had run some kind of campaign. A response phone number set up went to an administrator. The lead was due to be logged and passed on to Marketing, who’d inform someone for a follow-up.

As you may imagine, the reps caught wind of this. They duly “intercepted” the leads. And assigned them as they saw fit. Among themselves.

Carnage ensued when Marketing discovered this. It was what the great Gus Hedges called “a fan and faeces moment”.

How are leads dished out where you sell?

Normally, they are divvied up along pre-ordained lines. You ‘own’ a distinct territory, geography, line of business, size, product. Any opportunity that comes in the door can usually be assigned, fairly straight-forwardly.

Yet these lines are nearly always be blurred.

There is often scope for the appearance of unclassifiable leads.

They may have traits that mean they get handled separately, or centrally. It could be through sheer size, by dint of an existing relationship, or more politically, because the patch they could go to isn’t seen as up to it.

In which case, where should they go?

Well, I’ve always seen the Robin Hood philosophy fail. Someone is struggling. Give them the extra lead. This is nonsense.

The sweetest, cream-on-the-top leads go only to those who are already flying.

Take last year. Quarter. Month. Who was top dog? They should get first dibs.

Be reverse Robin Hood. I wonder if you could rather call this the Sheriff of Nottingham approach? Or Guy of Gisborne? Create your own folklore and be the winners that (re)write history.