Lead Sharing
Partner lead sharing and routing
Set up a partner lead handoff with an agreed lead definition, a checked transfer and one owner for the next action.
A partner lead handoff turns on three decisions: does the enquiry meet the agreed definition, may the relevant details be passed, and who takes the next action? Record each decision. A name in both businesses’ systems does not, by itself, create a shared lead.
Define the handoff
Start with what the customer needs. They may want an introduction, an answer involving both businesses or help that the referring team can provide without transferring contact details.
Agree what makes an enquiry suitable for the receiving team and what information that team needs to assess it. Keep support questions and general campaign responses out of the sales lead queue unless they meet the agreed rule.
Check the proposed transfer
Identify the recipient, purpose and fields before details move. Where the Australian Privacy Principles apply, assess the proposed disclosure under APP 6, as outlined below.
A requested introduction can make the person’s intention clear. Record what they asked for or agreed to, and share only the context needed to respond.
Assess later promotional contact separately. Check applicable Australian spam requirements before sending commercial electronic messages.
Give an accepted enquiry one next owner
- Submit:Record the customer need, proposed recipient and assessed basis for sharing.
- Check:The receiving team reviews fit and relevant existing activity.
- Decide:Accept, ask for clarification or decline, with a brief reason.
- Act:Name one person to respond or convene the joint conversation the customer requested.
- Close the loop:Return the permitted status without circulating unnecessary customer notes.
Give an uncertain case a named coordinator and a review point. Acceptance assigns the agreed next action; it does not establish opportunity credit.
Five steps for an accepted partner lead handoff
- SubmitRecord the customer need, proposed recipient and assessed basis for sharing.
- CheckThe receiving team reviews fit and relevant existing activity.
- DecideAccept, ask for clarification or decline, with a brief reason.
- ActName one person to respond or convene the joint conversation the customer requested.
- Close the loopReturn the permitted status without circulating unnecessary customer notes.
Apply APP 6 to the proposed route
For an entity covered by the Australian Privacy Principles, APP 6 starts with the purpose for which the personal information was collected. Assess a proposed handoff against that primary purpose. Do not treat it as permitted simply because the businesses have a partnership or the receiving team can use the details.
If the disclosure would be for a secondary purpose, identify the specific APP 6 exception relied on. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) lists consent and reasonable expectation as exceptions. For reasonable expectation, the secondary purpose must be related to the primary purpose; for sensitive information, it must be directly related.
Other APP 6 exceptions include disclosure required or authorised by Australian law or a court or tribunal order, and where a permitted general situation applies. A permitted health situation can apply where the entity is an organisation. APP 6 also excepts disclosure the entity reasonably believes is reasonably necessary for enforcement-related activities conducted by, or on behalf of, an enforcement body.
Treat the basis as a decision about the particular proposed disclosure. The submitter can state the collection purpose and proposed basis. The receiving team can check that the details and intended use fit that basis before accepting the enquiry. If the basis is unclear, pause the transfer while the teams resolve the question rather than routing personal information onward.
Record the basis and why it fits the case alongside the routing decision. This lets teams distinguish an accepted enquiry from an authorised disclosure. It also allows the decision to be revisited if the purpose or recipient changes.
APP 6 checks for a proposed lead transfer
- Primary purposeAssess the proposed handoff against the purpose for which the personal information was collected.
- ConsentThe individual consented to the secondary purpose.
- Reasonable expectationThe secondary purpose must be related to the primary purpose; for sensitive information, it must be directly related.
- Required or authorised by lawDisclosure required or authorised by Australian law or a court or tribunal order.
- Permitted general situationA permitted general situation applies.
- Permitted health situationA permitted health situation can apply where the entity is an organisation.
- Enforcement-related activitiesDisclosure the entity reasonably believes is reasonably necessary for enforcement-related activities conducted by, or on behalf of, an enforcement body.
Align routing with collection notices
Check that the partner route described when personal information is collected matches the intended disclosure. Under APP 5, an APP entity must take reasonable steps to notify the individual of specified collection matters, including usual disclosures of that kind of information, or ensure the individual is aware of them.
APP 5 says those reasonable steps should be taken before or at the time of collection, or as soon as practicable afterwards if that is not practicable. Keep this collection-notice check distinct from the APP 6 assessment of whether a particular transfer is permitted.
For an accepted enquiry, keep the outcome of the transfer check with the routing status. Teams can then see whether information was shared, which receiving team took the next action, and whether the route needs review.
Handle overlap and credit separately
For overlapping account ownership, follow the partners’ agreed ownership process.
Keep the routing record separate from any later assessment of who introduced or helped an opportunity under the partners’ commercial terms. Dated submissions, acceptance decisions and introductions let that later review occur without rewriting the handoff history.
In this guide
- Agreeing on what qualifies as a shared leadAgree a shared-lead definition with clear eligibility, exclusions, submission evidence and acceptance decisions.
- Capturing permission before passing contact detailsExplain a partner introduction, record the person’s choice and check privacy and messaging requirements before details move.
- Assigning ownership when both partners know the prospectChoose one next contact when both partners know a prospect by checking the request, active conversations and permitted sharing.
- Resolving disputes about partner opportunity creditReview partner opportunity credit disputes against the agreed rule, dated evidence and a recorded decision.
