What is Round Robin?
A lead distribution method that assigns leads to sales reps in rotation, ensuring equal distribution of opportunities across the team.
Quick Definition
Round Robin: A lead distribution method that assigns leads to sales reps in rotation, ensuring equal distribution of opportunities across the team.
Understanding Round Robin
Round robin is a lead distribution method that assigns leads to sales representatives in rotation, ensuring equal distribution of opportunities across the team. The first lead goes to Rep A, second to Rep B, third to Rep C, then back to Rep A, continuing the cycle. This simple approach guarantees fairness and prevents cherry-picking while automating assignment that would otherwise require manual decision-making.
The appeal of round robin is its simplicity and fairness. Every rep gets the same number of leads; no one is favored or disadvantaged. This works well for homogeneous lead types and teams with similar skill levels. It's easy to implement, easy to understand, and removes assignment disputes—the next lead simply goes to the next rep in rotation.
However, pure round robin has limitations. It doesn't consider rep availability (assigning to someone on vacation), capacity (assigning to someone already overloaded), or fit (assigning healthcare leads to a rep with no healthcare experience). More sophisticated routing adds these considerations while maintaining the fairness benefits of rotation-based distribution.
Key Points About Round Robin
Lead assignment in rotation across team members
Ensures equal distribution of opportunities
Simple, fair, and prevents cherry-picking
Best for homogeneous leads and similar-skill teams
Can be enhanced with availability and capacity considerations
How to Use Round Robin in Your Business
Define the Rotation
Establish which reps are in the round robin and in what order. Consider whether all reps should be in a single rotation or whether segments (by region, product, etc.) have separate rotations.
Configure Availability Rules
Handle exceptions: skip reps who are out of office, at capacity, or offline. Without availability logic, round robin assigns to unavailable reps, causing delays. Smart round robin considers who can actually work the lead now.
Set Rebalancing Logic
Determine what happens when the rotation gets uneven (a rep is out for a week). Some systems rebalance to catch up; others continue normal rotation. Define the behavior that aligns with your fairness goals.
Consider Weighted Variations
Pure round robin gives equal leads to everyone. Weighted round robin adjusts: senior reps might get 1.5x leads, new reps 0.75x. This adds nuance while maintaining systematic distribution.
Real-World Examples
Simple Round Robin
A team of 5 SDRs receives inbound leads via round robin. Lead 1 → Sarah, Lead 2 → Mike, Lead 3 → Lisa, Lead 4 → Tom, Lead 5 → Anna, Lead 6 → Sarah again. Everyone gets equal opportunity.
Availability-Aware Round Robin
Round robin with smarts: Mike is in a meeting and Lisa is on PTO. Lead comes in—system skips both and assigns to Tom. Mike and Lisa maintain their queue positions but aren't assigned until available.
Segmented Round Robin
Enterprise leads round robin among 3 enterprise reps. SMB leads round robin among 4 SMB reps. Each segment has its own rotation, matching lead types to specialized teams while maintaining fairness within segments.
Best Practices
- Include availability checks to skip unavailable reps
- Consider segment-specific rotations for different lead types
- Define clear rules for handling exceptions
- Monitor distribution fairness regularly
- Combine with lead scoring for prioritized follow-up
- Communicate rotation rules transparently to the team
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- No availability handling—assigning to unavailable reps
- Using round robin for leads needing skill-based routing
- Not accounting for PTO, meetings, or capacity limits
- No visibility into rotation position for reps
- Treating unequal leads equally (high-value should perhaps route differently)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is round robin fair?
It's fair in terms of quantity—everyone gets the same number of leads. It may be unfair in quality if leads vary significantly. For homogeneous leads, round robin is very fair. For varied leads, some reps might get better leads by luck.
What's weighted round robin?
A variation where reps get different proportions. A senior rep might get every 3rd lead while a new rep gets every 5th. This allows for different capacity or performance levels while maintaining systematic distribution.
When is round robin not appropriate?
When leads require specific expertise, when lead quality varies significantly, or when response time matters more than fairness. A healthcare lead should perhaps route to healthcare specialists, not whoever is next in rotation.
How do I handle vacation or sick days?
Configure the system to skip unavailable reps or hold their leads. Most teams skip and continue rotation—the absent rep doesn't lose position but doesn't receive leads. Some systems queue leads for return.
Can round robin work with AI lead routing?
Yes—as one component. AI might qualify and score leads, then round robin distributes among qualified reps. Or AI handles initial engagement while round robin assigns human follow-up. They complement rather than conflict.
Related Terms
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