What does lead routing by fit score versus round-robin actually change in conversion metrics?

Question

Pulse RevOps · The Machine · Accepted Answer

## Brief
Fit-based routing lifts SQL→Opp by **8–15 points**. Round-robin is a death sentence for inbound.

## Detail
Round-robin ("next rep gets next lead") assumes all leads are equal. They are not. Fit-score routing sends high-probability leads to your best closer in the right territory.

### The Math
Take 200 SQLs per month across 4 AEs:

**Round-Robin Baseline** (Equal distribution, no quality sort):
- Rep A: 50 SQLs, 6 Opps (12%), $280K pipe
- Rep B: 50 SQLs, 7 Opps (14%), $340K pipe
- Rep C: 50 SQLs, 9 Opps (18%), $420K pipe
- Rep D: 50 SQLs, 4 Opps (8%), $190K pipe
- **Total: 26 Opps, $1.23M pipe**

**Fit-Score Routing** (High-fit to best closer + territory matcher):
- Rep A: 35 SQLs (44 low-fit overflow), 8 Opps (23%), $380K pipe
- Rep B: 40 SQLs (35 warm-fit), 8 Opps (20%), $390K pipe
- Rep C: 60 SQLs (50 hot-fit, natural fit), 15 Opps (25%), $680K pipe
- Rep D: 65 SQLs (20 nurture-track, no call), 3 Opps (15%), $140K pipe
- **Total: 34 Opps, $1.59M pipe** (+31% pipeline, +23% conversion)

The secret: **30% of your SQLs are warm/nurture.** Don't waste a rep on them.

### Fit-Score Attributes
| Attribute | Weight | High-Fit Signal | Low-Fit Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company size (ACV match) | 30% | $5M–$100M revenue | <$1M revenue |
| Title/Role | 25% | VP/C-suite | Analyst, Coordinator |
| Intent/Urgency | 25% | RFP, demo, pricing page | Blog visit, whitepaper |
| Territory | 15% | Rep's assigned region | Non-overlapping geo |
| **Total Score** | 100% | >70 = Tier 1 | <40 = Nurture |

```mermaid
gantt
  title Round-Robin vs Fit-Scoring: 30-Day Outcome
  section Round-Robin
  Rep A assigned: a1, 0, 30d
  26 Opps created: a2, 0, 30d
  section Fit-Scoring
  Rep A assigned high-fit only: b1, 0, 30d
  Rep D nurture-tracks low-fit: b2, 0, 30d
  34 Opps created: b3, 0, 30d
  
  section Throughput
  Random assignment waste: c1, 10d, 20d
  Fit-aligned acceleration: c2, 0d, 30d
```

Implement **Pavilion**, **Marketo lead scoring**, or **Apollo fit assessment** to get scores flowing. Manual routing is theater.

TAGS: lead-routing,fit-score,round-robin,SQL-distribution,conversion-lift,Pavilion

Attribute	Weight	High-Fit Signal	Low-Fit Signal
Company size (ACV match)	30%	$5M–$100M revenue	<$1M revenue
Title/Role	25%	VP/C-suite	Analyst, Coordinator
Intent/Urgency	25%	RFP, demo, pricing page	Blog visit, whitepaper
Territory	15%	Rep's assigned region	Non-overlapping geo
Total Score	100%	>70 = Tier 1	<40 = Nurture

What does lead routing by fit score versus round-robin actually change in conversion metrics?

Brief

Detail

The Math

Fit-Score Attributes

What does the score mean?