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Setting Up and Managing Sierra Lead Ponds (Manager Guide)

Control access, behavior, ownership, and accountability for shared leads

Are you an Agent? Looking to work and claim leads instead of configuring ponds?
Vistit: Working Shared Leads with Sierra Lead Ponds (Agent Guide)

Summary

Sierra Lead Ponds allow you to share leads across your team while maintaining control, visibility, fairness, and accountability.

Instead of assigning every lead immediately, you can:

  • Hold leads in shared pools

  • Let agents work them before ownership

  • Enforce limits, timeouts, and approval rules

  • Monitor performance and engagement centrally

This guide explains how to fully configure and operate Lead Ponds as a Manager or Primary Manager.

Table of Contents

  1. Why This Feature Matters

  2. Accessing Lead Ponds

  3. Understanding Lead States

  4. Global Lead Pond Settings

  5. Creating and Managing Individual Lead Ponds

  6. Working, Claiming, and Returning Leads 

  7. Monitoring Activity

  8. Lead Routing Integration

  9. Limitations and Associations

  10. Best Practices

  11. Troubleshooting Common Issues

  12. FAQs

Why This Feature Matters

Lead Ponds balance speed and structure:

  • Agents can respond quickly without waiting for manual assignment.

  • Ownership is earned through action, not default routing.

  • Limits and timeouts prevent hoarding or neglect.

  • Managers retain visibility into all activity.

Accessing Lead Ponds

Navigate to Leads → Leads Dashboard → Lead Ponds.

  • Primary Managers and Managers can access Lead Ponds by default.

  • No additional permissions are required.\

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Understanding Lead States

State Meaning
Not Working Lead is idle and visible to all agents with pond access
Working Lead is being actively worked by one agent
Pending Approval to Claim Agent has requested ownership

  • While a lead is in Working, it is hidden from other agents.

  • Pending Approval pauses timeout until approved, denied, or returned.

Global Lead Pond Settings

Access via Lead Pond Settings. These apply to all ponds unless overridden.

  • Maximum Leads an Agent Can Work (per Pond)

    • Limits how many leads an agent can have in Working status simultaneously.

    • Applies per pond, not across all ponds

    • Note: A user-specific "Max Working Leads" in the user profile overrides this value.

  • Require Manager Approval to Claim

    • Controls whether agents can directly claim or must request approval.

    • No: Agents can claim directly after working.

    • Yes: Agents must submit a request with a reason.

    • When approving or denying a claim, managers can leave a note. This note is visible to the agent and is saved on the lead record for accountability and coaching purposes.

  • Allow Agent-Level Users to Manage Tags → Controls whether agents can add/remove tags on pond leads.

  • Allow Agent-Level Users to Manage Listing Alerts → Controls whether agents can edit saved searches and market reports on pond leads.

  • Allow Agent-Level Users to Add Leads to a Call List in Bulk → Controls whether agents can bulk add pond leads to call lists.

    • Caveat: Adding to a call list puts leads into Working and counts toward max working leads.

  • Allow Agent-Level Users to Contact Pond Leads By → Controls which channels (call, text, email, onsite message, voicemail) agents can use. Any permitted communication moves a lead into Working.

    • If an onsite message is sent while a lead is in Working status but the lead is returned to the pond before viewing the message, the onsite message is automatically removed from the site.

  • Incoming Calls from Unworked Pond Leads

    • Choose whether inbound calls are:

      • Routed to the default user

      • Broadcast to pond agents

      • Broadcast to pond agents + default user

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Creating and Managing Individual Lead Ponds

Click + New Pond.

  • Pond Name and Description → Used to define purpose (e.g., “Long-Term Nurture”, “Unclaimed Inbound”).

  • Assigned Agents → Controls which agents can access the pond (All agents or Only specific agents). You can also remove access or allow agents to transfer leads into the pond.

  • Default Manager-Level User → Receives claim requests and optional inbound routing.

  • Pond-Specific Contact Rules → You can use default or customize allowed contact methods.
    • Communications initiated by manager-level users do not place a lead into Working status.
  • Time Limit to Claim a Lead → Controls how long agents can work a lead before it returns to the pond (changing this affects leads currently in Working status).
  • Inbound Actions for Unworked Leads → Controls how inbound activity (form fills, replies, texts, emails) is handled. 
    • Options: Assign to default user, Do nothing, Assign to next agent

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Working, Claiming, and Returning Leads 

  • Working a Lead → Any permitted contact action places a lead into Working and locks it.
  • Claiming a Lead → Agents claim directly or request approval.

  • Returning a Lead → Agents can manually return leads or they return automatically when timeout expires.

Note: If a claim request is submitted, the time limit no longer applies while the request is pending. The lead remains locked until a manager approves, denies, or the agent returns it to the pond.

Agents can resubmit a claim request if a previous request was denied or needs to be reconsidered.

Monitoring Activity

Use the Agent Activity tab to view:

  • Working lead counts

  • Claims and approvals

  • Transfers

  • Activity by agent, pond, or timeframe

This serves as your operational dashboard.

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Lead Routing Integration

In Lead Routing, choose:

  • Lead Pond as a distribution type

  • Or a fallback destination when no agent claims

Supported for:

  • Claim with Timeout

  • Instant Call (No Delay)

  • First to Claim

Limitations and Associations

  • Only managers can assign action plans and drips to pond leads.

  • All automated activity is associated with the pond’s default manager.

  • Lender assignments persist through pond transfers.

  • Not compatible with Follow Up Boss or Salesforce integrations.

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Best Practices

  • Align Settings With Real Behavior
    Your settings should reflect what you actually want agents to do, not just what’s technically possible.
  • Use Limits to Encourage Action
    • Low limits encourage focus and follow-up.
    • Short timeouts keep leads circulating.
    • Long timeouts and high limits allow leads to stagnate invisibly.
  • Remember: Working = Exclusive
    • When an agent starts working a lead, they temporarily reserve it. This is intentional and prevents multiple agents from contacting the same lead.
  • Example of Time Limits:
    Scenario Max Working Timeout
    Hot inbound leads 5–10 1–4 hours
    ISA teams 10–20 1 business day
    Long-term nurture 20–50 3–7 days
    Use limits and timeouts as guardrails, not punishment.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue Cause Fix
Agents say leads are “missing” Leads are in Working status and hidden from other agents Lower max working leads and/or shorten timeout

Everything feels locked up

 Max working leads is too high and timeout is too long Reduce max and reduce timeout
Agents forget to claim No urgency or reminder mechanism Enable or shorten timeout, Train agents that Working is temporary, not ownership.
Managers are overwhelmed with approvals Approval is required but not operationally necessary Disable approval or assign default manager

FAQs

  • Can agents stockpile leads?
    Only if max working limits are set too high. This is why limits are important.

  • Does Working mean ownership?
    No, Working is temporary. Ownership only happens when the lead is claimed or approved.

  • What happens when timeout expires?
    The lead returns to Not Working automatically.

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