Lead routing to multiple people using Marketo and SalesForce

[Catherine_Caran]

We currently use Marketo to send lead alert emails and assign tasks for SF to a few different Marketing Response Reps. We have a "create task" step in the Flow for each individual, based on the lead type, however, we want to turn it into more of a pool where the rep that can get to the lead first will pick it up to ensure we're following up as quickly as possible. 

Does anyone have any experience with routing all leads to a generic inbox or assigning tasks to a generic user in SF, so that a team of people can easily go in and pick up the lead, assign the task to themselves, and then go through their qualifying/routing responsibilities? Ideally - the other reps would know that said lead is already being handled so as to not create duplicate efforts. 

Any and all ideas are welcome!

[Anonymous]

You can create a queue in SFDC and assign leads there. Once the lead is transferred out of the queue you can auto-generate the task, but I don't know if it would make it in time. 

[Anonymous]

Catherine, the queue is the way to go if you are taking the round robin approach. Tasks might not be the best way to go if you have a ton of volume because it will create a bunch of redundancies. Why not use a SFDC lead assignment email to a distribution list that copies all of the reps you want to alert instead? Then, the reps can go into SFDC and simply assign a lead to himself to indicate that he is working it.

[Anonymous]

We use an app called Distribution Engine to assign Tasks in Salesforce via Round Robin.  Marketo assigns the Task to a generic user and then the Distribution Engine app reassigns.  Works great!

[Anonymous]

Brian, Were you able to assign leads based on lead score. So if I have 2 sales reps can I create logic that splits the high quality leads between reps?

[Anonymous]

Bethanie, sorry just seeing this comment.  Yes, we assign leads based on lead score.  Marketo doesn't change the Lead Status to "Marketing Qualified", and create the task, unless the lead score meets a certain threshold.  Once Marketo changes the status and creates the task, we use Distribution Engine to assign the owner via round robin.

[Anonymous]

Hi Catherine,

A client of mine used a default "user" to assign all leads to him from Marketo - it worked exactly as you described, all new leads pooled in and sales reps could follow up on the next one as soon as they were ready.

I see one problem with this approach - the dummy user can't really be "reminded" to follow up on a lead using auto reminders, pop-ups or emails. When it's just a pool of leads and nobody really owns it, things start to fall through the cracks.

Cheers,
Paul