SDR Operations
Part of Sales development operations
Planning account ownership across territories
Define account and conversation owners, test territory edge cases and transfer open work without duplicate outreach.
Plan territory ownership by deciding who controls the next account action, then test the rule against accounts that cross boundaries. A map or CRM territory assignment can place an account in a territory while an active conversation, subsidiary or customer relationship sits with another person.
Define what is being assigned
Choose whether the rule assigns a legal entity, corporate group, site or individual account record. Record how subsidiaries and duplicate records relate to that unit.
If a national group has local operating sites, decide whether one owner coordinates the group or site owners may act independently. Representatives should be able to find the answer before approaching the same people.
Separate the account owner, who coordinates work, from the conversation owner, who handles an active exchange, and the exception owner, who resolves a conflict. One person may fill several roles. A territory change should not silently transfer a conversation or a promise already made to a prospect.
Test boundary cases before activation
Apply the proposed rule to cases likely to expose a gap:
Case / Decision the rule must produce
- Offices in two territories
- Which location determines ownership, or who coordinates both?
- Parent and subsidiary have separate records
- Are they worked together, separately or after an owner check?
- Existing customer opens a new site
- Who consults the current customer owner?
- Active opportunity precedes a territory change
- Who fulfils the commitment, and when does ownership transfer?
- Location or industry field is missing
- Who checks the field before assignment?
A missing field is an unresolved assignment, not evidence that the account belongs to a default representative. Record the source and date of fields used for routing.
If a field contains personal information and the organisation is subject to the Australian Privacy Principles, reasonable steps are required when that information is used or disclosed. Keep it accurate, up to date, complete and relevant.
Compliance & Data Integrity Requirements
- Personal Information UseMust comply with Australian Privacy Principles (APPs); steps required to ensure accuracy and relevance.
- Spam PreventionAvoid sending unsolicited messages; follow ACMA guidelines on spam avoidance.
- Field CompletenessMissing fields must not result in automatic assignment; require validation.
Transfer open work deliberately
For each moving account, record the old and new owner, effective date, open conversations, scheduled touches and outstanding promises. Have the receiving owner acknowledge the transfer. Pause a queued action when neither owner can confirm who should send it. Preserve prior responses and stop requests.
An account assignment does not establish ownership of an active conversation or permission to send a marketing message; check the conversation record and applicable contact permissions before taking action.
After activation, inspect unassigned accounts, conflicting assignments and active conversations still pointing to a former owner. Record whether the correction changed the rule or the underlying record. The territory plan is usable when a representative can identify who may take the next action.
