Quick prep (5–10 minutes)
Agree the scope and owners up front: marketing and sales stand in the same room (physical or virtual) and nominate one session lead and one recorder. Choose three realistic test records: e.g. B2B demo request from a Google ad, a contact form with partial consent, and a CSV-imported lead that looks like an agency handover.
Before you start, pause or freeze non‑test automations in the workflow tool you use (HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo, Pardot or similar) so only the handoff being tested runs. If you need help standardising this step for a Fareham or Hampshire small team, see our marketing automation support in Hampshire.
The 30‑minute handoff drill (use this timed checklist)
- 0–5 min: Inject the three test leads into the system using the real channels you’ll use at launch — submit the live form, trigger the ad tracking link, and import the CSV row. Record the exact timestamps and lead source values.
- 5–15 min: Watch the automation trigger and routing. Check these quick failure points for each test record: lifecycle stage set correctly, owner assigned (or queued), consent/subscription flags present, and duplicate detection didn’t merge or block the record. Call out any mismatches immediately.
- 15–25 min: Measure the handoff behaviour: did the automation create a task/notification for sales, did any emails send, and was the SLA timer started? Note routing accuracy (right territory/owner), response channel used, and any unexpected automation actions.
- 25–30 min: Capture exceptions and edge cases: records that stalled, wrong owners, emails blocked by consent, or retriggers/loops. Take screenshots, note record IDs and the exact workflow step where the failure happened.
Immediate follow‑up: record metrics, decide go/no‑go and fix fast
Use three simple success metrics recorded during the session: 1) routing accuracy (%) — number of test leads assigned to the correct owner, 2) SLA start and first action time, and 3) number of exceptions or failed actions. If two or more metrics fail for a record, treat that route as red.
Run a 60‑minute fix sprint: pick the top three problems from the drill, assign one owner to each, timebox 60 minutes and aim for these quick fixes — correct lifecycle mapping, reassign or default owner logic, and consent/opt‑in gating. If fixes need config beyond 60 minutes, document a rollback or temporary manual handoff (human confirms lead in that hour) and re-run the drill. If you want practical support to run the drill or fix the top issues across the South Coast, Optira can help.