What is Lead Scoring?
What is Lead Scoring?
Lead scoring is the practice of assigning a numerical value to each lead based on a combination of their demographic profile and their behaviour. The score helps sales teams prioritise which leads to contact first and which to nurture over time.
How Lead Scoring Works
Points are assigned for two categories of attributes:
Demographic / Firmographic (who they are):
- Job title matches ideal buyer persona: +15 points
- Company size within target range: +10 points
- Located in your service area: +10 points
- Industry match: +10 points
Behavioural (what they do):
- Visited pricing page: +20 points
- Downloaded a resource: +5 points
- Attended a webinar: +10 points
- Opened 3+ emails: +5 points
- Requested a demo: +30 points
The total score determines priority. Higher scores get called first. Lower scores enter automated nurture sequences.
Lead Scoring vs. Intent Scoring
Traditional lead scoring weighs demographic fit heavily. A VP at a Fortune 500 company gets a high score even if they have never visited your website. Intent scoring, by contrast, focuses exclusively on real-time behaviour. A lead with no job title who has visited your pricing page 4 times today gets a high intent score because their actions signal imminent purchase.
The most effective systems combine both approaches: demographic fit tells you if the lead is worth pursuing, and intent signals tell you when to pursue them.
Common Pitfalls
Over-weighting demographics. A perfect-fit lead who is not engaged will not convert this quarter. Balance fit scores with activity scores.
Static scoring. Scores should decay over time. A webinar attended 6 months ago is not as meaningful as one attended yesterday.
Too many scoring criteria. Keep it simple. Five to ten scoring factors are enough. Complex models with 30+ factors are hard to maintain and often overfit to historical data.
SignalSprint uses real-time intent scoring to complement traditional lead scoring, ensuring that the leads your team calls first are not just a good fit but also actively ready to buy.