Looking to stop wasting time on leads that go nowhere? You’re not alone. Most sales teams spend too much time chasing folks who are never going to buy. If you want your team focused on the right leads, you need a way to separate the tire-kickers from the real prospects—without adding more manual work to anyone’s plate.
This guide is for sales ops, marketers, or anyone tasked with making the sales team’s life easier. We’ll walk through how to set up automated lead scoring in Nlpearl, so you can quit guessing and start working smarter. No fluff, just the real steps (and a few reality checks).
What Is Lead Scoring (And Why Bother Automating It)?
Lead scoring is exactly what it sounds like: you assign points to leads based on how likely they are to buy. The higher the score, the hotter the lead. The problem? Doing it by hand is a pain, and sales reps are terrible at being “objective.” Automating lead scoring means:
- Your team wastes less time on dead ends.
- Sales and marketing are (slightly) less likely to argue.
- You can actually improve things, because it’s not all in someone’s head.
Nlpearl makes this possible with a workflow engine that can score leads automatically based on whatever criteria you care about. But, and this is important, no tool is magic. If your scoring model is junk, your workflow will be too.
Step 1: Figure Out What Makes a Good Lead (Don’t Skip This)
Before you click a single button in Nlpearl, get clear on what actually matters in your sales process. This is the step most teams rush, and it’s why lead scoring often flops.
What to Look For
- Demographics: Company size, job title, industry, geography.
- Behavior: Opened your emails? Visited your pricing page? Requested a demo?
- Source: Did they come from a webinar, paid ad, or a cold email?
- Engagement timing: Are they active right now, or was this months ago?
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate it. Start with 3–5 criteria you know matter. You can always tweak later.
What Not to Do
- Don’t copy someone else’s scoring model. Your business is not theirs.
- Don’t use “gut feel” as a scoring input. That’s just asking for trouble.
Step 2: Translate Criteria Into Scoring Rules
Time to get specific. For each criterion, decide how many points it’s worth. This sounds easy, but it’s where people mess up.
Example (Keep It Simple):
- Visited pricing page = +10 points
- Job title contains “Director” or higher = +8 points
- Company size 100–500 = +6 points
- Submitted a contact form = +12 points
- No activity in 30 days = -8 points
Reality check: You’ll probably get this wrong the first time. That’s fine. The magic is in tweaking over time.
How to Prioritize
- Give more weight to behaviors that show buying intent (e.g., requesting a demo).
- Demographics are useful, but don’t overrate them. People lie about job titles.
- Subtract points for inactivity or negative signals (like unsubscribing).
Step 3: Map Your Data Fields in Nlpearl
Automated scoring only works if your data is clean and mapped correctly. In Nlpearl, you’ll be tying your scoring logic to fields in your CRM or marketing tools.
The Checklist
- Make sure the fields you care about (e.g., “Job Title,” “Last Activity Date”) actually exist and are being updated.
- Clean up your data. If half your leads have blank job titles, don’t use that as a major scoring factor.
- Sync your data sources—Nlpearl can connect to most major CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), but test the integration.
Pro tip: Garbage in, garbage out. If your data is a mess, fix that first.
Step 4: Build the Lead Scoring Workflow in Nlpearl
Now for the hands-on part. In Nlpearl, everything runs through workflows. Here’s how to set up a basic automated lead scoring workflow:
1. Create a New Workflow
- Log in to Nlpearl.
- Go to the “Workflows” section.
- Click “Create Workflow” and give it a name like “Lead Scoring v1.”
2. Set Your Trigger
- Choose when you want the scoring to happen. Most teams use:
- When a new lead is created.
- When lead data changes (e.g., new activity).
- On a schedule (e.g., nightly batch updates).
3. Add Scoring Logic
- Use Nlpearl’s visual builder or rules engine.
- For each criterion, add a rule:
- IF “Visited Pricing Page” = True, THEN add 10 points.
- IF “Job Title” includes “Director,” THEN add 8 points.
- IF “No Activity in 30 Days,” THEN subtract 8 points.
- Combine rules as needed. Nlpearl supports AND/OR logic, so you can get fancy—but don’t overdo it.
4. Store the Score
- Set the workflow to update a “Lead Score” field in your CRM.
- Make sure this field is visible to sales reps.
5. Define Score Buckets (Optional)
- You can categorize leads as “Hot,” “Warm,” or “Cold” based on thresholds.
- Example: 20+ points = Hot, 10–19 = Warm, below 10 = Cold.
Reality check: The fancier your workflow, the more brittle it gets. Start simple.
Step 5: Test Your Workflow (Don’t Skip This)
Don’t just turn it on and hope for the best.
- Run tests on sample leads. Does the scoring make sense?
- Ask sales reps: “Would you want to talk to this ‘Hot’ lead?”
- Fix anything weird—like everyone getting 0 or 100 points.
Pro tip: Keep a spreadsheet of a few “ideal” leads and a few “duds.” Compare their scores to your expectations.
Step 6: Roll Out and Get Feedback
Once you’re happy with the test results, turn the workflow on for real leads.
- Let the sales team know what’s changing and WHY.
- Ask for feedback after a week or two. Are the “Hot” leads actually closing?
- Don’t be afraid to tweak the logic. This isn’t set-and-forget.
What Works (And What Doesn’t)
- Works: Frequent, small updates. Tweak as you learn.
- Works: Letting sales push back if the scores are off.
- Doesn’t Work: Ignoring feedback or treating the score as gospel.
- Doesn’t Work: Adding 20+ rules out of the gate. Keep it tight.
Step 7: Automate Actions Based on Score
Lead scoring is only useful if you use it. In Nlpearl, you can trigger actions based on score buckets:
- Auto-assign “Hot” leads to your best reps.
- Send “Cold” leads to nurturing campaigns.
- Alert managers when a lead jumps from “Warm” to “Hot.”
Pro tip: Don’t automate every possible action. Focus on the moves that actually save real time.
Step 8: Iterate Relentlessly
No lead scoring model is perfect. The best teams treat this like a living thing:
- Check closed/won data monthly. Are “Hot” leads closing more often?
- Adjust point values or rules as you learn more.
- Drop anything that isn’t helping.
Reality check: Most teams need 2–3 rounds of tweaks before it really clicks.
Keep It Simple and Keep Improving
Automated lead scoring in Nlpearl isn’t magic. It’s just a way to make sure your team spends their time where it matters. Start with the basics, use real feedback, and don’t get caught up in hype or overthinking.
You don’t have to get it perfect on day one. Just get it working, and improve from there. Your sales team will thank you.