We have now created a template script which makes it easy to efficiently handle inbound leads.  You will find the Lead Matching and Allocation script in the Script Library. Because it's a script it's easy to adapt it if it doesn't meet your needs exactly.

The synopsis reads: 

This script is normally scheduled to run every few minutes monitoring a sales lead queue, for example you might have a queue called 'Web Leads'. Up to 'Batch Size' open leads are processed on each run (closed leads are ignored).

 

For each lead the script first looks for a match on an email address associated with an existing person or lead; if there is no match the lead is evaluated against the Lead Assignment Rules. When using this script be sure to include some Lead Assignment Rules.

 

One of the following is true:

• A match was found with a person or lead (the earliest-created matching person or earliest-created matching lead is used), in which case:
  • the new lead is marked as a duplicate and associated with the original item;
  • a new activity is created and assigned to the owner of the original item, and
  • that activity is linked to both the original item and the new lead.
• A lead assignment rule matches, in which case the lead is simply assigned as directed.
• No match is found with either an existing item or with a rule in which case the lead is assigned to the 'Unmatched Sales Lead Queue' as defined in the parameters.