Blog/How to assign new leads so building materials reps actually work them

How to assign new leads so building materials reps actually work them

Nov 98 min read

Agree how many new leads each rep can work, route them by clear rules, set a next step and deadline, and reassign untouched leads before they go stale.

Sales Strategy
How to assign new leads so building materials reps actually work them

Give each rep only as many new leads as they can actively pursue in a week, and agree on that number with them in advance. Route every lead by a written rule, attach one next step and a deadline, and move any lead that sits untouched past the deadline to someone with time to work it. Then review the list together each week, so the count never builds to a pile nobody touches.

This guide is for sales managers and reps at building materials dealers: multi-category dealers, lumber yards, drywall and insulation dealers, window and door showrooms and hardware stores with pro desks. It covers new leads, such as permits, website and phone inquiries, manufacturer referrals and names reps bring in themselves. Manufacturers assign dealer and distributor leads under their own channel rules, so their situation is left out here.

Why new leads sit unworked

Faster lead delivery does not guarantee follow-up. In an October 2026 edition of The Craft of LBM Sales newsletter, Bradley Hartmann describes two sales leaders with the same complaint: AI helped them collect and distribute leads faster, but turning those leads into business was another matter. One leader had a rep "sitting on 40 new leads." The rep said he was working from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. just to keep up with existing accounts, with more re-bids and more haggling.

Hartmann calls this the Drift to Account Management. Serving current customers pays now and carries little rejection, so reps drift toward it. It also looks like work, which is why managers can miss it. Meanwhile, as he puts it, "leads have an expiration date." A builder who needs framing or drywall this month will buy from someone else if nobody calls.

Bradley Hartmann & Co. is a SalesJack partner, and the newsletter mentions SalesJack. Its advice on capacity and follow-through applies whatever software a dealer uses.

Look at where the rep's week goes first

Before handing out more leads, find out how much selling time a rep actually has. Hartmann sorts the week into four buckets: intentional selling, account management, customer service and "all the other stuff." He suggests tracking time across them for a week and asking what can be stopped, simplified or reassigned. Following up on leads should replace something on the list, not sit on top of everything else.

Bill Lee has written about the same limit for years in LBM Journal. In a 2017 column, he wrote that reps selling mainly to custom builders often hit a ceiling around $3 million in sales if they do not delegate, and perhaps $4 million with an inside sales coordinator. He also wrote that "doing takeoffs is not selling." In a 2022 column, he described a rep with 193 days a year available for sales calls, spread across dozens of inherited customers, and suggested spinning off some low-yielding accounts to reps with more time.

If a rep's week is already full, the fix may be on the account side. Moving takeoffs, routine quotes or order follow-ups to an inside coordinator frees time for new leads. When the problem is too many existing accounts, an account coverage review is the better tool.

Agree how many new leads each rep can work

Hartmann's second step is to agree on capacity: "How many leads can this rep actively pursue each week? One? Three? Five?" He adds that the conversation should happen "long before the count reaches 40."

The right number depends on the rep and the lead. A permit for a custom home may take a site visit, a meeting with the builder and a full takeoff. A website inquiry from a drywall contractor may start with a phone call. A remodeler asking a window and door showroom about a replacement job may need a showroom visit before anything else.

Write the number down for each rep and treat it as a working limit. Leads above that number stay with the sales manager until someone has room. That is better than a list that quietly grows in a rep's queue. Revisit the number when the season or a rep's account load changes.

Decide who gets each lead by rule

Dealers use different rules, and there is no single right one. When LBM Journal asked dealers in 2025 what determines which rep handles which account, one dealer answered, "Combination of factors including size, complexity, geography and existing relationship." Another respondent wrote, "Sales leadership needs to take ownership of all names via a database in order to ensure proper sales staff is calling on and following up."

A workable set of rules for new leads might look like this:

  • Existing customer: if the lead matches a current account, it goes to that account's rep. A permit pulled by a builder who already buys framing from you belongs with the rep who knows that builder.
  • Lost or inactive customer: check the purchase history and recent notes before deciding. The rep who owned the account may be the best person, or the account may need a fresh face.
  • New company: the sales manager assigns it by territory, product category and capacity. A new insulation contractor might go to the rep who sells insulation, and a remodeler asking about windows might go to a showroom consultant.
  • Rep-found lead: the rep who brought it in works it, as long as they have room under their agreed number.
  • Manufacturer referral: follow the program's rules on response time and reporting. Our guide to manufacturer lead follow-up for window dealers covers this case.

Before assigning, the manager should know three things: whether the company already buys from you, who owns the account and whether there is an open quote or recent order. Without that, two reps can end up calling the same builder, or a rep can call a good customer as if they were a stranger.

Give every lead a next step and a deadline

Hartmann's third step is to define follow-through: "Agree on the next step, the deadline, and when an untouched lead gets reassigned."

A next step is specific. "Call the builder" is a start. "Call the framer on the permit and ask who is supplying the package" is better. For a drywall dealer, it might be finding out which contractor is hanging board on a commercial project. For a showroom, it might be inviting the homeowner and contractor in to see the products.

Set the deadline when you assign the lead, and agree on what counts as worked. A voicemail with no reply probably does not count. A conversation that ends with one of these outcomes does:

  • Pursue, with the next meeting or quote date set
  • Not now, with a date to check back
  • Already supplied by another dealer, with a note on who and why
  • Not a fit for what you sell

Recording the outcome matters as much as making the call. It tells the manager which leads are moving and which source produces real conversations.

Reassign untouched leads under rules agreed in advance

Reassignment works best when everyone knows the rule before it is needed. Hartmann's point is blunt: "A rep can't ignore a lead for 30 days, then complain that reassignment takes money out of their pocket."

Set the reassignment period with the team, and keep it short enough that the lead is still useful. A permit lead goes stale as the job moves ahead, so waiting a month can mean the walls are already up. Explain where a reassigned lead goes, usually back to the sales manager for another rep with room. How commission works on reassigned leads is a company policy decision, so settle it before the first lead moves.

Keep lead reassignment separate from account reassignment. Moving a new lead after a missed deadline is routine. Moving an existing customer to another rep is a bigger decision and belongs in an account review.

Review the lead list every week

A short weekly review keeps the system honest. For each rep, look at:

  • Leads assigned against the agreed number
  • Leads contacted and the outcome recorded
  • Leads with a quote or meeting scheduled
  • Leads reassigned and why
  • Leads won and lost, once enough time has passed

If a rep keeps missing deadlines, look at their time before questioning their effort. Check the four buckets again and see what can move off their plate. If a rep has room and steady results, raise their number. Our article on new business targets covers setting the monthly target these leads feed, and the guide to turning permit data into sales covers finding the right permits in the first place.

Mike McDole of Firing Line LBM Advisors said at the 2026 ProDealer Industry Summit that prospecting should be a year-round endeavor. A weekly lead review is one way to keep it on the calendar when existing accounts get busy.

Where SalesJack fits

The method works with a spreadsheet, but it depends on knowing who owns each company and what is already open. SalesJack's CRM brings quotes and project leads from supported ERP, manufacturer, permit, website and email sources into one place. It can use AI to match leads to existing customers and addresses and route them to the assigned rep. New leads can go to the sales manager, who assigns an owner and tracks follow-up. Reps get assignments and reminders, and managers can filter permit leads by project type and region.

The capacity number, the deadline and the reassignment rule are still management decisions. Software makes the list visible. The sales manager still has to agree the commitment with each rep and hold to it.

Start with one week

Pick one rep, ideally the one with the biggest pile. Look at last week's time across the four buckets, agree on a weekly lead number, assign this week's leads with a next step and a deadline, and review the results together next week. Once the routine works for one rep, extend it to the team.

SalesJack connects ERP data, customer relationships and project leads for building materials dealers. To see how your leads and accounts could fit this routine, book a demo.

Sources

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