Unit 3 — Lead Qualification & Routing
Purpose of This Unit
This unit defines how leads are controlled, protected, and assigned once they enter the SalesOps system.
Lead generation creates inputs.
Qualification determines truth.
Routing determines ownership.
Without clear qualification and routing, SalesOps collapses into chaos:
- sales wastes time
- pipelines inflate
- accountability blurs
- follow-up becomes inconsistent
This unit exists to prevent that failure.
Qualification Is a Control Mechanism
SalesOps treats qualification as a system safeguard, not a sales preference.
Qualification exists to:
- protect sales capacity
- enforce focus
- preserve margins
- prevent downstream failure
SalesOps rejects the idea that:
“Sales will figure it out.”
If sales is discovering fit after engagement, the system is already late.
Fit vs Intent (Non-Negotiable Distinction)
SalesOps separates qualification into two dimensions:
Fit
- Is this the right type of buyer?
- Does this buyer align with the intended market?
- Can this buyer realistically succeed?
Intent
- Is there urgency?
- Is there a real problem?
- Is there willingness to engage?
A lead with intent but no fit is dangerous.
A lead with fit but no intent is premature.
SalesOps requires both before full sales engagement.
Qualification Is Not Optional
SalesOps does not allow:
- skipping qualification
- “we’ll qualify on the call”
- emotional overrides
- rep-by-rep standards
Qualification must:
- exist before routing
- be consistent
- be visible
- be enforced
If qualification cannot be clearly explained, it does not exist.
Disqualification Is a Success Outcome
SalesOps explicitly values clean exits.
Disqualification:
- protects time
- clarifies reality
- improves forecast accuracy
- strengthens system trust
SalesOps rejects:
- hoarding leads
- parking deals
- silent abandonment
A disqualified lead is resolved, not lost.
Routing Creates Ownership
Routing answers one question:
“Who owns the next action?”
SalesOps does not allow:
Every qualified lead must:
- have a single owner
- have a defined response expectation
- have visible accountability
If no one owns the lead, SalesOps failed.
Timing Is Structural, Not Personal
SalesOps defines response expectations structurally.
Fast response is not a motivation issue.
It is a system requirement.
SalesOps sets:
- response windows
- escalation triggers
- reassignment rules
Slow follow-up is treated as system friction, not rep laziness.
Routing Is Not Fair — It Is Functional
SalesOps does not route leads based on:
- tenure
- favoritism
- rotation fairness
- emotional balance
Routing is based on:
- capacity
- specialization
- deal type
- system efficiency
Fairness that hurts performance is not fairness.
Sales Role Protection
SalesOps ensures that:
- sales speaks only to sales-ready leads
- non-sales tasks are not disguised as selling
- reps are not filtering noise
If sales spends time sorting leads, SalesOps failed.
B2B vs B2C Qualification Differences (Structural)
SalesOps adapts qualification rigor based on sales motion:
In B2B:
- higher qualification depth
- more stakeholders
- more disqualification
- higher cost of error
In B2C:
- faster qualification
- more automation
- higher volume tolerance
- lower cost per interaction
The principle remains the same:
Do not route what should not be sold.
Common Failure Patterns SalesOps Prevents
SalesOps explicitly designs against:
- “Everything is an opportunity”
- “We’ll see what happens”
- Sales cherry-picking leads
- Leads aging without action
- Invisible lead ownership
When these patterns exist, SalesOps intervenes structurally.
What This Unit Enables
With qualification and routing defined:
- pipelines become truthful
- sales capacity stabilizes
- follow-up becomes predictable
- forecasting improves
- coaching becomes objective
Without this unit:
- sales becomes reactive
- managers operate on hope
- leads leak silently
- trust erodes