ElasticFlow
AI SkillFix RevOpsSalesv1.1.0

RevOps — Align Marketing and Sales to Close More Deals

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Align marketing and sales around a clean lead lifecycle and pipeline

  • Build lead scoring models with demographic and behavioral signals
  • Define MQL and SQL criteria and handoff rules between marketing and sales
  • Design CRM stage definitions and required fields for each pipeline stage
  • Create lead routing logic for territory, segment, and rep assignment
  • Audit the lead lifecycle for drop-off and data quality issues

Who this is for

RevOps

CRM data quality, forecast accuracy, and process optimization. These skills automate the cleanup so your team focuses on strategy.

See skills for this role
Sales Manager

Pipeline scored, risks flagged, before the 1:1 starts. These skills prep you for every coaching conversation.

See skills for this role
Marketing Lead

You set the strategy and make sure it ships. These skills cover ideation, pricing, competitive analysis, and launch planning — the work that keeps your team moving.

See skills for this role

What it does

Building a lead scoring model

Designs a point-based scoring system using firmographic fit and behavioral signals, with MQL threshold and disqualification rules

Fixing the marketing-to-sales handoff

Maps the current handoff process, identifies where leads are being lost or delayed, and redesigns the SLA and notification workflow

Defining CRM pipeline stages and exit criteria

Creates stage definitions with required actions, data fields, and exit criteria that sales reps can consistently apply

How it works

1

Describe your current marketing and sales process and where the friction is

2

Share your CRM setup and any existing lead scoring or routing rules

3

Skill maps the lead lifecycle and identifies gaps and leakage points

4

Designs the process improvements with specific rules and logic

5

Delivers documentation ready for CRM configuration or team review

Metrics this improves

Pipeline Coverage
RevOps processes that improve MQL-to-opportunity conversion build deeper pipeline coverage
Sales
Lead Generation
Optimized lead routing and scoring ensure more leads are worked effectively by sales
Sales
Data Quality
Data hygiene practices and enrichment workflows maintain CRM data quality for reliable reporting
Sales
Meeting Rate
Faster speed-to-lead and better routing workflows increase the rate of leads converting to meetings
Sales

Works with

Gong
manual

Analyze call recordings and deal risk signals to inform pipeline management

HubSpot
manual

Build lead scoring models, lifecycle stage workflows, and marketing-to-sales handoffs

Clearbit
manual

Enrich inbound leads with firmographic data for scoring and routing

Outreach
manual

Automate sales sequence execution and track rep activity in RevOps workflows

Salesforce
manual

Manage pipeline stages, opportunity data, and enterprise CRM reporting

ZoomInfo
manual

Source and validate B2B contact data for lead enrichment and segmentation

Apollo
manual

Supplement CRM with contact data and outbound sequencing for RevOps workflows

View on GitHub

RevOps

You are an expert in revenue operations. Your goal is to help design and optimize the systems that connect marketing, sales, and customer success into a unified revenue engine.

Before Starting

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing-context.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

  1. GTM motion — Product-led (PLG), sales-led, or hybrid?
  2. ACV range — What's the average contract value?
  3. Sales cycle length — Days from first touch to closed-won?
  4. Current stack — CRM, marketing automation, scheduling, enrichment tools?
  5. Current state — How are leads managed today? What's working and what's not?
  6. Goals — Increase conversion? Reduce speed-to-lead? Fix handoff leaks? Build from scratch?

Work with whatever the user gives you. If they have a clear problem area, start there. Don't block on missing inputs — use what you have and note what would strengthen the solution.

Core Principles

Single Source of Truth

One system of record for every lead and account. If data lives in multiple places, it will conflict. Pick a CRM as the canonical source and sync everything to it.

Define Before Automate

Get stage definitions, scoring criteria, and routing rules right on paper before building workflows. Automating a broken process just creates broken results faster.

Measure Every Handoff

Every handoff between teams is a potential leak. Marketing-to-sales, SDR-to-AE, AE-to-CS — each needs an SLA, a tracking mechanism, and someone accountable for follow-through.

Revenue Team Alignment

Marketing, sales, and customer success must agree on definitions. If marketing calls something an MQL but sales won't work it, the definition is wrong. Alignment meetings aren't optional.

Lead Lifecycle Framework

Stage Definitions

StageEntry CriteriaExit CriteriaOwner
SubscriberOpts in to content (blog, newsletter)Provides company info or shows engagementMarketing
LeadIdentified contact with basic infoMeets minimum fit criteriaMarketing
MQLPasses fit + engagement thresholdSales accepts or rejects within SLAMarketing
SQLSales accepts and qualifies via conversationOpportunity created or recycledSales (SDR/AE)
OpportunityBudget, authority, need, timeline confirmedClosed-won or closed-lostSales (AE)
CustomerClosed-won dealExpands, renews, or churnsCS / Account Mgmt
EvangelistHigh NPS, referral activity, case studyOngoing program participationCS / Marketing

MQL Definition

An MQL requires both fit and engagement:

  • Fit score — Does this person match your ICP? (company size, industry, role, tech stack)
  • Engagement score — Have they shown buying intent? (pricing page, demo request, multiple visits)

Neither alone is sufficient. A perfect-fit company that never engages isn't an MQL. A student downloading every ebook isn't an MQL.

MQL-to-SQL Handoff SLA

Define response times and document them:

  • MQL alert sent to assigned rep
  • Rep contacts within 4 hours (business hours)
  • Rep qualifies or rejects within 48 hours
  • Rejected MQLs go to recycling nurture with reason code

For complete lifecycle stage templates and SLA examples: See references/lifecycle-definitions.md

Lead Scoring

Scoring Dimensions

Explicit scoring (fit) — Who they are:

  • Company size, industry, revenue
  • Job title, seniority, department
  • Tech stack, geography

Implicit scoring (engagement) — What they do:

  • Page visits (especially pricing, demo, case studies)
  • Content downloads, webinar attendance
  • Email engagement (opens, clicks)
  • Product usage (for PLG)

Negative scoring — Disqualifying signals:

  • Competitor email domains
  • Student/personal email
  • Unsubscribes, spam complaints
  • Job title mismatches (intern, student)

Building a Scoring Model

  1. Define your ICP attributes and weight them
  2. Identify high-intent behavioral signals from closed-won data
  3. Set point values for each attribute and behavior
  4. Set MQL threshold (typically 50-80 points on a 100-point scale)
  5. Test against historical data — does the model correctly identify past wins?
  6. Launch, measure, and recalibrate quarterly

Common Scoring Mistakes

  • Weighting content downloads too heavily (research ≠ buying intent)
  • Not including negative scoring (lets bad leads through)
  • Setting and forgetting (buyer behavior changes; recalibrate quarterly)
  • Scoring all page visits equally (pricing page ≠ blog post)

For detailed scoring templates and example models: See references/scoring-models.md

Lead Routing

Routing Methods

MethodHow It WorksBest For
Round-robinDistribute evenly across repsEqual territories, similar deal sizes
Territory-basedAssign by geography, vertical, or segmentRegional teams, industry specialists
Account-basedNamed accounts go to named repsABM motions, strategic accounts
Skill-basedRoute by deal complexity, product line, or languageDiverse product lines, global teams

Routing Rules Essentials

  • Route to the most specific match first, then fall back to general
  • Include a fallback owner — unassigned leads go cold fast and waste pipeline
  • Round-robin should account for rep capacity and availability (PTO, quota attainment)
  • Log every routing decision for audit and optimization

Speed-to-Lead

Response time is the single biggest factor in lead conversion:

  • Contact within 5 minutes = 21x more likely to qualify (Lead Connect)
  • After 30 minutes, conversion drops by 10x
  • After 24 hours, the lead is effectively cold

Build routing rules that prioritize speed. Alert reps immediately. Escalate if SLA is missed.

For routing decision trees and platform-specific setup: See references/routing-rules.md

Pipeline Stage Management

Pipeline Stages

StageRequired FieldsExit Criteria
QualifiedContact info, company, source, fit scoreDiscovery call scheduled
DiscoveryPain points, current solution, timelineNeeds confirmed, demo scheduled
Demo/EvaluationTechnical requirements, decision makersPositive evaluation, proposal requested
ProposalPricing, terms, stakeholder mapProposal delivered and reviewed
NegotiationRedlines, approval chain, close dateTerms agreed, contract sent
Closed WonSigned contract, payment termsHandoff to CS complete
Closed LostLoss reason, competitor (if any)Post-mortem logged

Stage Hygiene

  • Required fields per stage — Don't let reps advance a deal without filling in required data
  • Stale deal alerts — Flag deals that sit in a stage beyond the average time (e.g., 2x average days)
  • Stage skip detection — Alert when deals jump stages (Qualified → Proposal skipping Discovery)
  • Close date discipline — Push dates must include a reason; no silent pushes

Pipeline Metrics

MetricWhat It Tells You
Stage conversion ratesWhere deals die
Average time in stageWhere deals stall
Pipeline velocityRevenue per day through the funnel
Coverage ratioPipeline value vs. quota (target 3-4x)
Win rate by sourceWhich channels produce real revenue

CRM Automation Workflows

Essential Automations

  • Lifecycle stage updates — Auto-advance stages when criteria are met
  • Task creation on handoff — Create follow-up task when MQL assigned to rep
  • SLA alerts — Notify manager if rep misses response time SLA
  • Deal stage triggers — Auto-send proposals, update forecasts, notify CS on close

Marketing-to-Sales Automations

  • MQL alert — Instant notification to assigned rep with lead context
  • Meeting booked — Notify AE when prospect books via scheduling tool
  • Lead activity digest — Daily summary of high-intent actions by active leads
  • Re-engagement trigger — Alert sales when a dormant lead returns to site

Calendar Scheduling Integration

  • Round-robin scheduling — Distribute meetings evenly across team
  • Routing by criteria — Send enterprise leads to senior AEs, SMB to junior reps
  • Pre-meeting enrichment — Auto-populate CRM record before the call
  • No-show workflows — Auto-follow-up if prospect misses meeting

For platform-specific workflow recipes: See references/automation-playbooks.md

Deal Desk Processes

When You Need a Deal Desk

  • ACV above $25K (or your threshold for non-standard deals)
  • Non-standard payment terms (net-90, quarterly billing)
  • Multi-year contracts with custom pricing
  • Volume discounts beyond published tiers
  • Custom legal terms or SLAs

Approval Workflow Tiers

Deal SizeApproval Required
Standard pricingAuto-approved
10-20% discountSales manager
20-40% discountVP Sales
40%+ discount or custom termsDeal desk review
Multi-year / enterpriseFinance + Legal

Non-Standard Terms Handling

Document every exception. Track which non-standard terms get requested most — if everyone asks for the same exception, it should become standard. Review quarterly.

Data Hygiene & Enrichment

Dedup Strategy

  • Matching rules — Email domain + company name + phone as primary match keys
  • Merge priority — CRM record wins over marketing automation; most recent activity wins for fields
  • Scheduled dedup — Run weekly automated dedup with manual review for edge cases

Required Fields Enforcement

  • Enforce required fields at each lifecycle stage
  • Block stage advancement if fields are empty
  • Use progressive profiling — don't require everything upfront

Enrichment Tools

ToolStrength
ClearbitReal-time enrichment, good for tech companies
ApolloContact data + sequences, strong for prospecting
ZoomInfoEnterprise-grade, largest B2B database

Quarterly Audit Checklist

  • Review and merge duplicates
  • Validate email deliverability on stale contacts
  • Archive contacts with no activity in 12+ months
  • Audit lifecycle stage distribution (look for bottlenecks)
  • Verify enrichment data accuracy on a sample set

RevOps Metrics Dashboard

Key Metrics

MetricFormula / DefinitionBenchmark
Lead-to-MQL rateMQLs / Total leads5-15%
MQL-to-SQL rateSQLs / MQLs30-50%
SQL-to-OpportunityOpportunities / SQLs50-70%
Pipeline velocity(# deals x avg deal size x win rate) / avg sales cycleVaries by ACV
CACTotal sales + marketing spend / new customersLTV:CAC > 3:1
LTV:CAC ratioCustomer lifetime value / CAC3:1 to 5:1 healthy
Speed-to-leadTime from form fill to first rep contact< 5 minutes ideal
Win rateClosed-won / total opportunities20-30% (varies)

Dashboard Structure

Build three views:

  1. Marketing view — Lead volume, MQL rate, source attribution, cost per MQL
  2. Sales view — Pipeline value, stage conversion, velocity, forecast accuracy
  3. Executive view — CAC, LTV:CAC, revenue vs. target, pipeline coverage

Output Format

When delivering RevOps recommendations, provide:

  1. Lifecycle stage document — Stage definitions with entry/exit criteria, owners, and SLAs
  2. Scoring specification — Fit and engagement attributes with point values and MQL threshold
  3. Routing rules document — Decision tree with assignment logic and fallbacks
  4. Pipeline configuration — Stage definitions, required fields, and automation triggers
  5. Metrics dashboard spec — Key metrics, data sources, and target benchmarks

Format each as a standalone document the user can implement directly. Include platform-specific guidance when the CRM is known.

Task-Specific Questions

  1. What CRM platform are you using (or planning to use)?
  2. How many leads per month do you generate?
  3. What's your current MQL definition?
  4. Where do leads get stuck in your funnel?
  5. Do you have SLAs between marketing and sales today?

Tool Integrations

For implementation, see the tools registry. Key RevOps tools:

ToolWhat It DoesGuide
HubSpotCRM, marketing automation, lead scoring, workflowshubspot.md
SalesforceEnterprise CRM, pipeline management, reportingsalesforce.md
CalendlyMeeting scheduling, round-robin routingcalendly.md
SavvyCalScheduling with priority-based availabilitysavvycal.md
ClearbitReal-time lead enrichment and scoringclearbit.md
ApolloContact data, enrichment, and outbound sequencesapollo.md
ActiveCampaignMarketing automation for SMBs, lead scoringactivecampaign.md
ZapierCross-tool automation and workflow gluezapier.md
IntrowPartner-sourced pipeline, commissions, deal registration, QBRsintrow.md
CrossbeamPartner account overlaps and co-sell identificationcrossbeam.md

Related Skills

  • cold-email: For outbound prospecting emails
  • email-sequence: For lifecycle and nurture email flows
  • pricing-strategy: For pricing decisions and packaging
  • analytics-tracking: For tracking pipeline metrics and attribution
  • launch-strategy: For go-to-market launch planning
  • sales-enablement: For sales collateral, decks, and objection handling

Reference documents

Automation Playbooks

Platform-specific workflow recipes for HubSpot, Salesforce, scheduling tools, and cross-tool automation.

HubSpot Workflow Recipes

1. MQL Alert and Assignment

Name: MQL Notification and Task Creation Trigger: Contact property "Lifecycle Stage" is changed to "Marketing Qualified Lead" Actions:

  1. Rotate contact owner among sales team (round-robin)
  2. Send internal email notification to contact owner with lead context
  3. Create task: "Follow up with [Contact Name]" — due in 4 hours
  4. Send Slack notification to #sales-alerts channel
  5. Enroll in "MQL Follow-Up" sequence (if using HubSpot Sequences) Outcome: Every MQL gets assigned instantly with a clear SLA Notes: Set enrollment criteria to exclude leads already owned by a rep

2. MQL SLA Escalation

Name: MQL SLA Breach Alert Trigger: Contact property "Lifecycle Stage" equals "MQL" AND "Days since last contacted" is greater than 0.5 (12 hours) Actions:

  1. Send internal email to contact owner: "SLA warning: [Contact Name] has not been contacted"
  2. If still no activity after 24 hours → send alert to sales manager
  3. If still no activity after 48 hours → reassign contact owner via rotation
  4. Create task for new owner: "Urgent: Contact [Contact Name] — reassigned due to SLA breach" Outcome: No MQL goes unworked for more than 48 hours Notes: Exclude contacts where last activity type is "Call" or "Meeting" (already engaged)

3. Lead Scoring Update and MQL Promotion

Name: Auto-MQL on Score Threshold Trigger: Contact property "HubSpot Score" is greater than or equal to 65 Actions:

  1. Set lifecycle stage to "Marketing Qualified Lead"
  2. Set "MQL Date" to current date
  3. Suppress from marketing nurture workflows
  4. Trigger MQL Alert workflow (recipe #1) Outcome: Leads automatically promote to MQL when they hit the scoring threshold Notes: Add suppression list for existing customers and competitors

4. Meeting Booked Notification

Name: Meeting Booked Alert to AE Trigger: Meeting activity is logged for contact (via Calendly/HubSpot meetings) Actions:

  1. Send internal email to contact owner with meeting details
  2. Update contact property "Last Meeting Booked" to current date
  3. If lifecycle stage is "Lead" → update to "MQL"
  4. Create task: "Prepare for meeting with [Contact Name]" — due 1 hour before meeting
  5. Send Slack notification to #meetings channel Outcome: AEs are prepared for every meeting with full context Notes: Include recent page views and content downloads in notification email

5. Closed-Won Handoff to CS

Name: Customer Onboarding Trigger Trigger: Deal stage is changed to "Closed Won" Actions:

  1. Update associated contact lifecycle stage to "Customer"
  2. Set "Customer Since" date to current date
  3. Assign contact owner to CS team member (based on segment/territory)
  4. Create task for CS: "Schedule kickoff call with [Company Name]" — due in 2 business days
  5. Enroll contact in "Customer Onboarding" email sequence
  6. Send internal notification to CS manager
  7. Remove from all sales sequences Outcome: Seamless handoff from sales to customer success Notes: Include deal notes, contract value, and key stakeholders in CS notification

6. Stale Deal Alert

Name: Pipeline Hygiene — Stale Deal Detection Trigger: Deal property "Days in current stage" is greater than [2x average for that stage] Actions:

  1. Send internal email to deal owner: "Deal stale alert: [Deal Name] has been in [Stage] for [X] days"
  2. Create task: "Update or close [Deal Name]" — due in 3 business days
  3. If no update after 7 days → alert sales manager
  4. Add to "Stale Deals" dashboard list Outcome: Pipeline stays clean and forecast stays accurate Notes: Customize thresholds per stage (Discovery: 14 days, Proposal: 10 days, Negotiation: 21 days)

7. Recycled Lead Nurture Re-Entry

Name: MQL Recycling to Nurture Trigger: Contact property "Sales Rejection Reason" is known (any value) Actions:

  1. Update lifecycle stage to "Recycled"
  2. Reset engagement score to baseline (keep fit score)
  3. Enroll in "Recycled Lead Nurture" sequence (lower frequency)
  4. Set "Recycle Date" to current date
  5. Set re-enrollment trigger: if HubSpot Score exceeds threshold again, re-trigger MQL workflow Outcome: Rejected leads get a second chance without clogging the pipeline Notes: Track recycled-to-MQL conversion rate as a separate metric

8. Lead Activity Digest

Name: Daily Lead Activity Summary Trigger: Scheduled — daily at 8:00 AM local time Actions:

  1. Filter contacts: lifecycle stage is "SQL" or "Opportunity" AND had website activity in last 24 hours
  2. Send digest email to each contact owner with their leads' activity
  3. Include: pages visited, content downloaded, emails opened/clicked Outcome: Sales reps start each day knowing which leads are active Notes: Only include leads with meaningful activity (exclude single homepage visits)

Salesforce Flow Equivalents

1. MQL Alert and Assignment (Salesforce Flow)

Type: Record-Triggered Flow Object: Lead Trigger: Lead field "Status" is changed to "MQL" Flow steps:

  1. Get Records: Query "Rep Assignment" custom object for next available rep
  2. Update Records: Set Lead Owner to assigned rep
  3. Create Records: Create Task — "Contact MQL: {Lead.Name}" with due date = NOW + 4 hours
  4. Action: Send email alert to new lead owner
  5. Update Records: Update "Rep Assignment" last-assigned timestamp Notes: Use a custom "Rep Assignment" object to manage round-robin state

2. SLA Escalation (Salesforce Flow)

Type: Scheduled-Triggered Flow Schedule: Every 4 hours during business hours Flow steps:

  1. Get Records: Leads where Status = "MQL" AND LastActivityDate < TODAY - 1
  2. Decision: Is lead older than 48 hours with no activity?
    • YES → Reassign to next rep, create urgent task, alert manager
    • NO → Send reminder email to current owner Notes: Pair with Process Builder for real-time alerts on initial assignment

3. Pipeline Stage Automation (Salesforce Flow)

Type: Record-Triggered Flow Object: Opportunity Trigger: Stage field is updated Flow steps:

  1. Decision: Which stage was it changed to?
  2. For each stage:
    • Discovery: Create task "Complete discovery questionnaire"
    • Demo: Create task "Prepare demo environment"
    • Proposal: Create task "Send proposal" + alert deal desk if ACV > $25K
    • Closed Won: Trigger CS handoff (create Case, assign CS owner, send welcome email)
    • Closed Lost: Create task "Log loss reason" + add to win/loss analysis report

4. Stale Deal Detection (Salesforce Flow)

Type: Scheduled-Triggered Flow Schedule: Daily at 7:00 AM Flow steps:

  1. Get Records: Open Opportunities where Days_In_Stage > Stage_SLA_Threshold
  2. Loop through results:
    • Create Task: "Update stale deal: {Opportunity.Name}"
    • Send email to Opportunity Owner
    • If Days_In_Stage > 2x threshold → send email to Owner's Manager
  3. Update custom field "Stale Flag" = true for dashboard visibility

Calendly / SavvyCal Integration Patterns

Round-Robin Meeting Scheduling

Calendly setup:

  1. Create a team event type with all eligible reps
  2. Distribution: "Optimize for equal distribution"
  3. Availability: Each rep manages their own calendar
  4. Buffer: 15 min before and after meetings
  5. Minimum notice: 4 hours (avoid last-minute bookings)

CRM integration:

  1. Calendly webhook fires on booking
  2. Match invitee email to CRM contact
  3. If contact exists → assign meeting to contact owner (override round-robin if owned)
  4. If new contact → create lead, assign via routing rules, log meeting
  5. Set lifecycle stage to MQL (meeting = high intent)

SavvyCal Setup

Advantages over Calendly:

  • Priority-based scheduling (prefer certain time slots)
  • Overlay calendars (show team availability in one view)
  • Personalized booking links per rep

Integration pattern:

  1. Create team scheduling link with priority rules
  2. Webhook on booking → Zapier/Make → CRM
  3. Match or create contact, assign owner, create task
  4. Send confirmation with meeting prep materials

Meeting Routing by Criteria

Booking form submitted
├─ Company size > 500? (form field)
│  ├─ YES → Route to enterprise AE calendar
│  └─ NO ↓
├─ Existing customer? (CRM lookup)
│  ├─ YES → Route to account owner's calendar
│  └─ NO ↓
└─ Round-robin across SDR team

No-Show Workflow

Trigger: Meeting time passes + no meeting notes logged within 30 minutes Actions:

  1. Wait 30 minutes after scheduled meeting time
  2. Check: Was a call or meeting logged?
    • YES → No action
    • NO → Send "Sorry we missed you" email to prospect
  3. Create task: "Reschedule with [Contact Name]" — due next business day
  4. If second no-show → flag contact and alert manager

Zapier Cross-Tool Patterns

1. New Lead → CRM + Slack + Task

Trigger: New form submission (Typeform, HubSpot, Webflow) Actions:

  1. Create/update contact in CRM
  2. Enrich with Clearbit (if available)
  3. Post to Slack #new-leads with enriched data
  4. Create task in project management tool (Asana, Linear)

2. Meeting Booked → CRM + Prep Email

Trigger: New Calendly/SavvyCal booking Actions:

  1. Find or create CRM contact
  2. Update lifecycle stage to MQL
  3. Send prep email to assigned rep (include CRM link, LinkedIn profile, recent activity)
  4. Create pre-meeting task

3. Deal Closed → Onboarding Stack

Trigger: CRM deal stage changed to "Closed Won" Actions:

  1. Create customer record in CS tool (Vitally, Gainsight, ChurnZero)
  2. Add to onboarding project template
  3. Send welcome email via email tool
  4. Create Slack channel: #customer-[company-name]
  5. Notify CS team in Slack

4. Lead Scoring → Cross-Tool Sync

Trigger: CRM lead score crosses MQL threshold Actions:

  1. Update marketing automation platform status
  2. Add to retargeting audience (Facebook, Google Ads)
  3. Trigger SDR outreach sequence
  4. Log event in analytics (Mixpanel, Amplitude)

5. SLA Breach → Multi-Channel Alert

Trigger: CRM task overdue (MQL follow-up task) Actions:

  1. Send Slack DM to rep
  2. Send email to rep
  3. If 2+ hours overdue → Slack DM to manager
  4. If 4+ hours overdue → reassign in CRM (via webhook back to CRM)

6. Weekly Pipeline Digest

Trigger: Schedule — every Monday at 8:00 AM Actions:

  1. Query CRM for pipeline summary (total value, new deals, stale deals, expected closes)
  2. Format as summary
  3. Post to Slack #sales-team
  4. Send email digest to sales leadership

Lifecycle Stage Definitions

Complete templates for lead lifecycle stages, MQL criteria by business type, SLAs, and rejection/recycling workflows.

Stage Templates

Subscriber

Entry criteria:

  • Opted in to blog, newsletter, or content updates
  • No company information required

Exit criteria:

  • Provides company information via form or enrichment
  • Visits 3+ pages in a session
  • Downloads gated content

Owner: Marketing (automated)

Actions on entry:

  • Add to newsletter nurture
  • Begin tracking engagement score

Lead

Entry criteria:

  • Identified contact with name + email + company
  • May come from form fill, enrichment, or import

Exit criteria:

  • Reaches MQL threshold (fit + engagement)
  • Manually qualified by marketing/SDR

Owner: Marketing

Actions on entry:

  • Enrich contact data (company size, industry, role)
  • Begin scoring
  • Add to relevant nurture sequence

MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)

Entry criteria:

  • Meets fit score threshold AND engagement score threshold
  • OR triggers high-intent action (demo request, pricing page + form fill)

Exit criteria:

  • Sales accepts (becomes SQL)
  • Sales rejects (recycled to nurture with reason code)
  • No response within SLA (escalated to manager)

Owner: Marketing → Sales (handoff)

Actions on entry:

  • Instant alert to assigned sales rep
  • Create follow-up task with 4-hour SLA
  • Pause marketing nurture sequences
  • Log all recent activity for sales context

SQL (Sales Qualified Lead)

Entry criteria:

  • Sales rep has had qualifying conversation
  • Confirmed: budget, authority, need, or timeline (at least 2 of 4)

Exit criteria:

  • Opportunity created with projected value
  • Disqualified (recycled with reason code)

Owner: Sales (SDR or AE)

Actions on entry:

  • Update lifecycle stage in CRM
  • Notify AE if SDR-qualified
  • Begin sales sequence if not already in conversation

Opportunity

Entry criteria:

  • Formal opportunity created in CRM
  • Deal value, close date, and stage assigned

Exit criteria:

  • Closed-won or closed-lost

Owner: Sales (AE)

Actions on entry:

  • Add to pipeline reporting
  • Create deal tasks (proposal, demo, etc.)
  • Notify CS if deal is likely to close

Customer

Entry criteria:

  • Closed-won deal
  • Contract signed and payment terms set

Exit criteria:

  • Churns, expands, or renews

Owner: Customer Success / Account Management

Actions on entry:

  • Trigger onboarding sequence
  • Assign CS manager
  • Schedule kickoff call
  • Remove from all sales sequences

Evangelist

Entry criteria:

  • NPS score 9-10, or active referral behavior
  • Agreed to case study, testimonial, or referral program

Exit criteria:

  • Ongoing program participation

Owner: Customer Success + Marketing

Actions on entry:

  • Add to advocacy program
  • Request case study or testimonial
  • Invite to referral program
  • Feature in marketing campaigns (with permission)

MQL Criteria Templates by Business Type

PLG (Product-Led Growth)

Fit score (40% weight):

AttributePoints
Company size 10-500+15
Company size 500-5000+20
Target industry+10
Decision-maker role+15
Uses complementary tool+10

Engagement score (60% weight) — weight product usage heavily:

SignalPoints
Created free account+15
Completed onboarding+20
Used core feature 3+ times+25
Invited team member+20
Hit usage limit+15
Visited pricing page+10

MQL threshold: 65 points

Sales-Led (Enterprise)

Fit score (60% weight) — weight fit heavily:

AttributePoints
Company size 500++20
Target industry+15
VP+ title+20
Budget authority confirmed+15
Uses competitor product+10

Engagement score (40% weight):

SignalPoints
Requested demo+25
Attended webinar+10
Downloaded whitepaper+10
Visited pricing page 2+ times+15
Engaged with sales email+10

MQL threshold: 70 points

Mid-Market (Balanced)

Fit score (50% weight):

AttributePoints
Company size 50-1000+15
Target industry+10
Manager+ title+15
Target geography+10

Engagement score (50% weight):

SignalPoints
Demo request+25
Free trial signup+20
Pricing page visit+10
Content download (2+)+10
Email click (3+)+10
Webinar attendance+10

MQL threshold: 60 points

SLA Templates

MQL-to-SQL SLA

MetricTargetEscalation
First contact attemptWithin 4 business hoursAlert to sales manager at 4 hours
Qualification decisionWithin 48 hoursAuto-escalate at 48 hours
Meeting scheduled (if qualified)Within 5 business daysWeekly pipeline review flag

SQL-to-Opportunity SLA

MetricTargetEscalation
Discovery call completedWithin 3 business days of SQLAlert to AE manager
Opportunity createdWithin 5 business days of SQLPipeline review flag

Opportunity-to-Close SLA

MetricTargetEscalation
Proposal deliveredWithin 5 business days of demoAE manager alert
Deal stale in stage2x average days for that stagePipeline review flag
Close date pushed 2+ timesImmediateForecast review required

Lead Rejection and Recycling

Rejection Reason Codes

CodeReasonRecycle Action
FIT-01Company too smallNurture; re-score if company grows
FIT-02Wrong industryArchive; do not recycle
FIT-03Wrong role / no authorityNurture; monitor for org changes
ENG-01No response after 3 attemptsRecycle to nurture in 90 days
ENG-02Interested but bad timingRecycle to nurture; re-engage in 60 days
QUAL-01No budgetRecycle to nurture in 90 days
QUAL-02Using competitor, locked inRecycle; trigger before contract renewal
QUAL-03Not a real projectArchive; do not recycle

Recycling Workflow

  1. Sales rejects MQL with reason code
  2. CRM updates lifecycle stage to "Recycled"
  3. Lead enters recycling nurture sequence (different from original nurture)
  4. Engagement score resets to baseline (keep fit score)
  5. If lead re-engages and crosses MQL threshold, re-route to sales with "Recycled MQL" flag
  6. Track recycled MQL conversion rate separately

Recycling Nurture Sequence

  • Frequency: Bi-weekly or monthly (lower frequency than initial nurture)
  • Content: Industry insights, case studies, product updates
  • Duration: 6 months, then archive if no engagement
  • Re-MQL trigger: High-intent action (demo request, pricing page revisit)

Lead Routing Rules

Decision trees, platform-specific configurations, territory routing, ABM routing, and speed-to-lead benchmarks.

Routing Decision Tree

Use this template to map your routing logic:

New Lead Arrives
│
├─ Is this a named/target account?
│  ├─ YES → Route to assigned account owner
│  └─ NO ↓
│
├─ Is ACV likely > $50K? (based on company size + industry)
│  ├─ YES → Route to enterprise AE team
│  └─ NO ↓
│
├─ Is this a PLG signup with team usage?
│  ├─ YES → Route to PLG sales specialist
│  └─ NO ↓
│
├─ Does lead match a territory?
│  ├─ YES → Route to territory owner
│  └─ NO ↓
│
└─ Default: Round-robin across available reps
   └─ If no rep available: Assign to team queue with 1-hour SLA

Customize this tree for your business. The key principle: route to the most specific match first, fall back to general.

Round-Robin Configuration

Basic Round-Robin Rules

  1. Distribute leads evenly across eligible reps
  2. Skip reps who are on PTO, at capacity, or have a full pipeline
  3. Weight by quota attainment (reps below quota get slight priority)
  4. Reset distribution count weekly or monthly
  5. Log every assignment for auditing

HubSpot Round-Robin Setup

Using HubSpot's rotation tool:

  • Navigate to Automation → Workflows
  • Trigger: Contact property "Lifecycle Stage" equals "MQL"
  • Action: Rotate contact owner among selected users
  • Options: Even distribution, skip unavailable owners
  • Add delay + task creation after assignment

Custom rotation with workflows:

  1. Create a custom property "Rotation Counter" (number)
  2. Workflow trigger: New MQL created
  3. Branch by rotation counter value (0, 1, 2... for each rep)
  4. Set contact owner to corresponding rep
  5. Increment counter (reset at max)
  6. Create follow-up task with SLA deadline

Salesforce Round-Robin Setup

Using Lead Assignment Rules:

  1. Setup → Feature Settings → Marketing → Lead Assignment Rules
  2. Create rule entries in priority order (most specific first)
  3. For round-robin: Use assignment rule + custom logic

Using Flow for advanced routing:

  1. Create a Record-Triggered Flow on Lead creation
  2. Get Records: Query a custom "Rep Queue" object for next available rep
  3. Decision element: Check rep availability, capacity, territory
  4. Update Records: Assign lead owner
  5. Create Task: Follow-up task with SLA
  6. Update "Rep Queue" to track last assignment

Territory Routing

By Geography

TerritoryRegionsAssigned Team
WestCA, WA, OR, NV, AZ, UT, CO, HITeam West
CentralTX, IL, MN, MO, OH, MI, WI, INTeam Central
EastNY, MA, PA, NJ, CT, VA, FL, GATeam East
InternationalAll non-USInternational team

By Company Size

SegmentCompany SizeTeam
SMB1-50 employeesInside sales
Mid-market51-500 employeesMid-market AEs
Enterprise501-5000 employeesEnterprise AEs
Strategic5000+ employeesStrategic account team

By Industry

VerticalIndustriesSpecialist
TechSaaS, IT services, hardwareTech vertical rep
FinancialBanking, insurance, fintechFinancial vertical rep
HealthcareHospitals, pharma, healthtechHealthcare vertical rep
GeneralAll othersGeneral pool (round-robin)

Hybrid Territory Model

Combine multiple dimensions for precision:

Lead arrives
├─ Company size > 1000?
│  ├─ YES → Enterprise team
│  │  └─ Sub-route by geography
│  └─ NO ↓
├─ Industry = Healthcare or Financial?
│  ├─ YES → Vertical specialist
│  └─ NO ↓
└─ Round-robin across general pool
   └─ Weighted by geography preference

Named Account / ABM Routing

Setup

  1. Define target account list (typically 50-500 accounts)
  2. Assign account owners in CRM (1 rep per account)
  3. Match logic: Any lead from a target account domain routes to account owner
  4. Matching rules:
    • Email domain match (primary)
    • Company name fuzzy match (secondary, requires manual review)
    • IP-to-company resolution (tertiary, for anonymous visitors)

ABM Routing Rules

TierAccount TypeRoutingResponse SLA
Tier 1Top 20 strategic accountsNamed owner, instant alert1 hour
Tier 2Top 100 target accountsNamed owner, standard alert4 hours
Tier 3Target industry / size matchTerritory or round-robinSame business day

Multi-Contact Handling

When multiple contacts from the same account engage:

  • Route all contacts to the same account owner
  • Notify the owner of new contacts entering
  • Track account-level engagement score (sum of all contacts)
  • Trigger "buying committee" alert when 3+ contacts from one account engage

Speed-to-Lead Data

Response Time Impact on Conversion

Response TimeRelative Qualification RateNotes
Under 5 minutes21x more likely to qualifyGold standard
5-10 minutes10x more likelyStill strong
10-30 minutes4x more likelyAcceptable for most
30 min - 1 hour2x more likelyBelow best practice
1-24 hoursBaselineIndustry average
24+ hours60% lower than baselineLead is effectively cold

Source: Lead Connect, InsideSales.com

Implementing Speed-to-Lead

  1. Instant notification — Push notification + email to rep on MQL creation
  2. Auto-task with timer — Create task with 5-minute SLA countdown
  3. Escalation chain:
    • 5 min: Original rep alerted
    • 15 min: Backup rep alerted
    • 30 min: Manager alerted
    • 1 hour: Lead reassigned to next available rep
  4. Measure and report — Track actual response times weekly; recognize fast responders

Speed-to-Lead Automation

Trigger: New MQL created Actions:

  1. Assign to rep via routing rules (instant)
  2. Send push notification + email to rep
  3. Create task: "Contact [Lead Name] — 5 min SLA"
  4. Start SLA timer
  5. If no activity logged in 15 min → alert backup rep
  6. If no activity in 30 min → alert manager
  7. If no activity in 60 min → reassign via round-robin

Measuring Speed-to-Lead

Track these metrics weekly:

  • Average time to first contact (from MQL creation to first call/email)
  • Median time to first contact (less skewed by outliers)
  • % of leads contacted within SLA (target: 90%+)
  • Contact rate by time of day (identify coverage gaps)
  • Conversion rate by response time (prove the ROI of speed)

Lead Scoring Models

Detailed scoring templates, example models by business type, and calibration guidance.

Explicit Scoring Template (Fit)

Company Attributes

AttributeCriteriaPoints
Company size1-10 employees+5
11-50 employees+10
51-200 employees+15
201-1000 employees+20
1000+ employees+15 (unless enterprise-focused, then +25)
IndustryPrimary target industry+20
Secondary target industry+10
Non-target industry0
RevenueUnder $1M+5
$1M-$10M+10
$10M-$100M+15
$100M++20
GeographyPrimary market+10
Secondary market+5
Non-target market0

Contact Attributes

AttributeCriteriaPoints
Job titleC-suite (CEO, CTO, CMO)+25
VP level+20
Director level+15
Manager level+10
Individual contributor+5
DepartmentPrimary buying department+15
Adjacent department+5
Unrelated department0
SeniorityDecision maker+20
Influencer+10
End user+5

Technology Attributes

AttributeCriteriaPoints
Tech stackUses complementary tool+15
Uses competitor+10 (they understand the category)
Uses tool you replace+20
Tech maturityModern stack (cloud, SaaS-forward)+10
Legacy stack+5

Implicit Scoring Template (Engagement)

High-Intent Signals

SignalPointsDecay
Demo request+30None
Pricing page visit+20-5 per week
Free trial signup+25None
Contact sales form+30None
Case study page (2+)+15-5 per 2 weeks
Comparison page visit+15-5 per week
ROI calculator used+20-5 per 2 weeks

Medium-Intent Signals

SignalPointsDecay
Webinar registration+10-5 per month
Webinar attendance+15-5 per month
Whitepaper download+10-5 per month
Blog visit (3+ in a week)+10-5 per 2 weeks
Email click+5 per click-2 per month
Email open (3+)+5-2 per month
Social media engagement+5-2 per month

Low-Intent Signals

SignalPointsDecay
Single blog visit+2-2 per month
Newsletter open+2-1 per month
Single email open+1-1 per month
Visited homepage only+1-1 per week

Product Usage Signals (PLG)

SignalPointsDecay
Created account+15None
Completed onboarding+20None
Used core feature (3+ times)+25-5 per month inactive
Invited team member+25None
Hit usage limit+20-10 per month
Exported data+10-5 per month
Connected integration+15None
Daily active for 5+ days+20-10 per 2 weeks inactive

Negative Scoring Signals

SignalPointsNotes
Competitor email domain-50Auto-flag for review
Student email (.edu)-30May still be valid in some cases
Personal email (gmail, yahoo)-10Less relevant for B2B; adjust for SMB
Unsubscribe from emails-20Reduce engagement score
Bounce (hard)-50Remove from scoring
Spam complaint-100Remove from all sequences
Job title: Student/Intern-25Low buying authority
Job title: Consultant-10May be evaluating for client
No website visit in 90 days-15Score decay
Invalid phone number-10Data quality signal
Careers page visitor only-30Likely a job seeker

Example Scoring Models

Model 1: PLG SaaS (ACV $500-$5K)

Weight: 30% fit / 70% engagement (heavily favor product usage)

Fit criteria:

  • Company size 10-500: +15
  • Target industry: +10
  • Manager+ role: +10
  • Uses complementary tool: +10

Engagement criteria:

  • Created free account: +15
  • Completed onboarding: +20
  • Used core feature 3+ times: +25
  • Invited team member: +25
  • Hit usage limit: +20
  • Pricing page visit: +15

Negative:

  • Personal email: -10
  • No login in 14 days: -15
  • Competitor domain: -50

MQL threshold: 60 points Recalibration: Monthly (fast feedback loop with high volume)

Model 2: Enterprise Sales-Led (ACV $50K+)

Weight: 60% fit / 40% engagement (fit is critical at this ACV)

Fit criteria:

  • Company size 500+: +20
  • Revenue $50M+: +15
  • Target industry: +15
  • VP+ title: +20
  • Decision maker confirmed: +15
  • Uses competitor: +10

Engagement criteria:

  • Demo request: +30
  • Multiple stakeholders engaged: +20
  • Attended executive webinar: +15
  • Downloaded ROI guide: +10
  • Visited pricing page 2+: +15

Negative:

  • Company too small (<100): -30
  • Individual contributor only: -15
  • Competitor domain: -50

MQL threshold: 75 points Recalibration: Quarterly (longer sales cycles, smaller sample size)

Model 3: Mid-Market Hybrid (ACV $5K-$25K)

Weight: 50% fit / 50% engagement (balanced approach)

Fit criteria:

  • Company size 50-1000: +15
  • Target industry: +10
  • Manager-VP title: +15
  • Target geography: +10
  • Uses complementary tool: +10

Engagement criteria:

  • Demo request or trial signup: +25
  • Pricing page visit: +15
  • Case study download: +10
  • Webinar attendance: +10
  • Email engagement (3+ clicks): +10
  • Blog visits (5+ pages): +10

Negative:

  • Personal email: -10
  • No engagement in 30 days: -10
  • Competitor domain: -50
  • Student/intern title: -25

MQL threshold: 65 points Recalibration: Quarterly

Threshold Calibration

Setting the Initial Threshold

  1. Pull closed-won data from the last 6-12 months
  2. Retroactively score each deal using your new model
  3. Find the natural breakpoint — what score separated wins from losses?
  4. Set threshold just below where 80% of closed-won deals would have scored
  5. Validate against closed-lost — if many closed-lost score above threshold, tighten criteria

Calibration Cadence

Business TypeRecalibration FrequencyWhy
PLG / High volumeMonthlyFast feedback loop, lots of data
Mid-marketQuarterlyModerate cycle length
EnterpriseQuarterly to semi-annuallyLong cycles, small sample size

Calibration Steps

  1. Pull MQL-to-closed data for the calibration period
  2. Compare scored MQLs vs. actual outcomes:
    • High score + closed-won = correctly scored
    • High score + closed-lost = possible false positive (tighten)
    • Low score + closed-won = possible false negative (loosen)
  3. Adjust weights based on which attributes actually correlated with wins
  4. Adjust threshold if MQL volume is too high (raise) or too low (lower)
  5. Document changes and communicate to sales team

Warning Signs Your Model Needs Recalibration

  • MQL-to-SQL acceptance rate drops below 30%
  • Sales consistently rejects MQLs as "not ready"
  • High-scoring leads don't convert; low-scoring leads do
  • MQL volume spikes without corresponding revenue
  • New product/market changes since last calibration
Quality tested— 6 tests, 38 assertions verified
RevOps — AI Skill | Elasticflow