If you’re tired of chasing dead-end leads or drowning in a sea of “maybes,” you’re not alone. Lead scoring sounds simple—rank your prospects, focus on the best—but anyone who’s tried knows it’s easy to get it wrong. This guide is for sales and marketing folks who want to use Leadpipe to actually move the needle, not just tick a box. We’ll skip the fluff, cut through common mistakes, and get you building a custom lead scoring model that fits your real-world sales process.
Why Bother With Custom Lead Scoring?
Let’s be honest: default lead scoring systems rarely fit your business. They’re generic, and they miss what actually matters in your market. A good custom model helps you:
- Stop wasting time on leads that’ll never buy
- Spot your real hot prospects, not just the ones with lots of website visits
- Give sales and marketing a common language (so they stop blaming each other)
But it’s easy to overcomplicate things. The best scoring models are simple, focused, and based on what actually predicts a sale—not what some whitepaper says.
Step 1: Figure Out What Really Makes a Good Lead
Before you even open Leadpipe, do a quick gut check:
- Who are your best customers? (Think: industry, company size, job title)
- What behaviors usually show someone’s ready to buy? (Demo request? Pricing page visit? Multiple email replies?)
- What’s a red flag? (Generic Gmail address, no company website, “just browsing” on your forms)
Pro tip: Talk to your sales team. They know which leads are gold and which ones always ghost you. Don’t just trust your gut—get real feedback.
What NOT to do
- Don’t just copy a template. Your business isn’t generic.
- Don’t let marketing or sales build this in a silo. Both sides see different parts of the puzzle.
Step 2: Map Your Key Scoring Criteria
Now, list out the data points you actually have on your leads. In Leadpipe, you can usually score based on:
- Firmographics: Industry, company size, location
- Demographics: Job title, seniority
- Behavior: Email opens, website visits, form submissions, content downloads
- Engagement: Replies to outreach, attendance at webinars, direct replies
Not all data is equal. Some things (like a direct reply to sales) should clearly be weighted heavier than others (like downloading a random eBook).
Keep it tight: Start with 5–7 key signals. More than that, and scores get fuzzy fast.
Step 3: Set Up Your Score Model in Leadpipe
Time to get your hands dirty. Log into Leadpipe and look for the lead scoring setup (usually under “Settings” or “Scoring Models”). Here’s how to actually build your model:
1. Create a New Custom Model
- Click “Create New Model” or similar.
- Name it something obvious (“2024 Sales Scoring” beats “Model 2” every time).
2. Add Your Criteria
For each data point, you’ll need to:
- Pick a field: e.g., “Job Title,” “Industry,” “Last Email Reply”
- Set a rule: e.g., “contains ‘Director’,” “is ‘SaaS’,” “within last 7 days”
- Assign points: More points = more important. Keep the scale simple (like 10, 25, 50).
Quick Example
| Criteria | Rule/Description | Points | |---------------------------|------------------------------|--------| | Job Title | Contains “Manager” or higher | 20 | | Company Size | 100–500 employees | 15 | | Visited Pricing Page | In last 5 days | 25 | | Replied to Sales Email | Any reply | 40 | | Used Generic Email Domain | Yes | -20 |
3. Set Score Thresholds
- Hot: Maybe 60+ points
- Warm: 30–59 points
- Cold: Below 30
These aren’t magic numbers—tweak them based on what you see.
4. Save and Test
Don’t hit “publish” and walk away. Run your model against real leads. If your “hot” leads look like duds, your weights or criteria are off.
What actually works:
- Fewer, stronger criteria beat a laundry list every time
- Negative scores for red flags (personal emails, certain industries) help filter junk
- Keep the math simple—no one cares if your model is “sophisticated” if it doesn’t convert
Step 4: Sync With Your Sales Process
A scoring model is useless if no one uses it. Here’s how to make it stick:
- Train your team: Show sales how to spot and act on “hot” leads
- Automate actions: Use Leadpipe’s automation to assign leads, trigger follow-ups, or alert reps when a lead crosses the “hot” threshold
- Check in regularly: Every couple of weeks, ask: are the “hot” leads actually converting? If not, adjust.
Pitfall: Don’t let the scoring model gather dust. If sales ignore it, figure out why—maybe your signals are off, or maybe they need a quick refresher.
Step 5: Keep It Honest—Review and Tweak
Lead scoring isn’t “set it and forget it.” Good teams:
- Review at least once a quarter (monthly if you’re high-volume)
- Look at deals won vs. lost—did your model actually predict who’d buy?
- Drop signals that don’t matter; add new ones if you spot a pattern
If your “hot” leads aren’t closing, don’t double down—change your model. There’s no prize for stubbornness.
What to Ignore (Most of the Time)
- Vanity metrics: Tons of email opens or visits mean little if the lead never replies or books a call.
- Overly complicated models: If you need a PhD to explain your scoring, you’ve lost the plot. Keep it actionable.
- Blind faith in automation: Tools help, but human judgment still matters—especially for weird edge cases.
Pro Tips for Leadpipe Users
- Custom fields are your friend: If you have a unique signal (like “Current Tech Stack” or “Referrer”), build it in.
- Segment by source: Inbound and outbound leads often behave differently. You might need separate models.
- Integrate with your CRM: Make sure scores sync to your main sales tools so no one misses out.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Custom lead scoring in Leadpipe isn’t rocket science—but it does take some real thought. Start simple, focus on the signals that actually predict sales, and tweak as you go. Don’t obsess over getting it perfect on day one. The best models grow with your business, your team, and—most importantly—your customers.
Now go score some leads that actually turn into deals.