What Is Lead Scoring?
Lead scoring is a system that assigns numerical values to leads based on who they are and how they behave. The resulting score tells your sales team who to call today, who to nurture, and who to disqualify — so no one wastes time on the wrong prospects.
Demographic Scoring (Firmographics)
Award points for characteristics that match your ideal customer profile: industry, company size, job title, budget, and geographic location. A decision-maker at a mid-market company scores higher than a student.
Behavioural Scoring
Track actions that signal intent. High-value behaviours: pricing page visit (+15), demo request (+25), email click (+5), webinar attendance (+20). Negative signals: unsubscribe (−10), no email opens in 30 days (−5).
Setting Your Score Thresholds
Define three tiers: Cold (0-39), Warm (40-74), Hot (75+). Cold leads go into a long-term nurture sequence. Warm leads receive targeted content. Hot leads trigger an immediate sales alert.
Integrating With Your CRM
Most modern CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) support lead scoring natively. Set up score-based workflows that automatically move leads between pipeline stages and trigger the appropriate email sequence.
Reviewing and Calibrating
Lead scoring is not a set-and-forget exercise. Review your closed-won deals quarterly, look at what scores they carried when they converted, and adjust your point values to stay accurate as your business evolves.
