Definition
Lead scoring is a methodology used by sales and marketing teams to rank leads on a numerical scale based on their perceived value to the organization. Points are assigned to leads based on multiple variables, including their professional information (demographics, company size) and the actions they take on a company’s website (engagement). The resulting score is used to determine which leads are the most promising and should be prioritized by the sales team.
Examples
A company might set up the following lead scoring rules:
- Demographic Scoring:
- Job Title is « Manager » or higher: +10 points
- Company size is 100-500 employees: +15 points
- Industry is « Technology »: +5 points
- Behavioral Scoring:
- Visits the pricing page: +20 points
- Downloads a case study: +15 points
- Opens a marketing email: +2 points
- Requests a demo: +50 points (often an automatic trigger for sales outreach)
A lead with a score over 50 is automatically routed to an SDR as an MQL.
Advantages/Benefits
- Increased Sales Efficiency: Helps salespeople prioritize their time and effort by focusing on the leads that are most likely to convert.
- Improved Sales and Marketing Alignment: Creates a clear, data-driven definition of a « good lead » (MQL) that both teams can agree on.
- More Effective Lead Nurturing: Identifies which leads are not yet sales-ready and require further nurturing from the marketing team.
- Higher Conversion Rates: By engaging with the right leads at the right time, companies can significantly increase their lead-to-customer conversion rates.
Related terms
- MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead)
- Marketing Automation
- Lead Nurturing
- ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)
- Lead Qualification
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
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