Sales teams don’t have time to waste on tire-kickers or leads that go nowhere. If you’re tired of chasing dead ends or relying on gut instinct, automated lead scoring might be the missing link. This guide is for anyone who wants to qualify leads faster and spend less time sorting through junk—especially if you’re using Getcompass as your CRM.
If you’re expecting magic, let’s set expectations: lead scoring won’t close deals for you, and it’s only as good as the data (and logic) you put in. But, set up right, it can cut out a lot of manual busywork and help you focus on leads that actually matter.
Let’s get to it.
What is Automated Lead Scoring (and Why Bother)?
Automated lead scoring is just a way to rank your leads by how likely they are to buy. You set up rules based on what matters to you—job title, company size, industry, email engagement, website visits, whatever. The system adds up points as new info comes in, and the hot leads float to the top.
Why should you care? - You’ll stop wasting time on leads that will never convert. - Sales reps know exactly where to focus. - No more “gut feel” guesswork or chasing every download as if it’s gold.
Just keep in mind: a lead score is a signal, not gospel. Good reps still need to use their brains.
Before You Start: What Makes a “Good” Lead for You?
Don’t just copy someone else’s scoring system. Automated lead scoring in Getcompass is only as smart as the rules you set. Here’s what you need to work out first:
- Who buys from you most often? (Look at your recent deals)
- What traits do your worst leads share? (Long sales cycles, always ask for discounts, never reply)
- What behaviors signal serious intent? (Requesting a demo, opening every email, visiting pricing page)
Write this down somewhere. Seriously. This is your cheat sheet for the next steps.
Step 1: Clean Up Your Lead Data
Automated scoring can’t help if your data is a mess. Spend a few minutes here—it pays off.
- Standardize your fields: Make sure “Job Title” is always in the same field, not sometimes in “Notes.”
- Ditch obvious junk: Get rid of leads with fake emails or missing key info.
- Fill in blanks: If you need industry or company size for scoring, make sure it’s there (or can be added with enrichment tools).
Pro tip: If you use forms, force required fields for must-have info. If you’re importing from other systems, do a spot check for weird data.
Step 2: Map Out Your Scoring Criteria
Now, decide what gets points—and what doesn’t. Here’s a basic example for B2B SaaS, but tweak it for your world:
- Demographics:
- Job title includes “VP,” “Director,” or “Owner” (+10)
- Company size over 50 employees (+5)
- From target industry (+7)
- Behavior:
- Opened 3+ emails (+3)
- Clicked a pricing link (+5)
- Requested a demo (+10)
- Unsubscribed (-10)
- Email hard bounce (-20)
What NOT to bother with:
Don’t give points for things that don’t move the needle—like generic website visits, or just filling out a newsletter form. The more noise you add, the less useful the scores.
Keep it simple:
It’s tempting to overthink this. Start small with the traits and actions that really predict sales.
Step 3: Set Up Lead Scoring Rules in Getcompass
Here’s where you get your hands dirty. Getcompass has a visual rules builder, but if this is your first time, expect to spend a good hour tinkering.
-
Head to Settings → Lead Scoring.
You’ll see a rules engine—pretty straightforward. -
Create your criteria.
For each “if this, then that” rule, add: - The field or behavior (e.g., “Job Title contains VP”)
-
The point value (+ or -)
-
Set score thresholds.
Decide what qualifies as a “Hot,” “Warm,” or “Cold” lead. For example: - 20+ = Hot
- 10-19 = Warm
-
Below 10 = Cold
-
Save and test.
Run a handful of existing leads through the new system. Sanity-check the results. Are your best leads bubbling up? If not, tweak the rules.
Heads up:
If you use integrations (like marketing automation or chatbots), double-check that the behaviors you care about are actually syncing. Otherwise, your scoring will miss real buying signals.
Step 4: Automate Next Steps for Hot Leads
Scoring is only useful if you do something with it. Automation can help, but it’s easy to go overboard.
Simple automations to set up: - Assign hot leads to your best reps automatically. - Trigger an alert or Slack message for scores above your “hot” threshold. - Add warm leads to a nurture sequence.
What to skip:
Don’t auto-email “hot” leads with generic sales pitches. Nobody likes that. Use automation for hand-offs and alerts, not for lazy outreach.
Step 5: Review and Refine Your Scoring—Regularly
Automated lead scoring isn’t “set and forget.” Every few months, review how it’s working:
- Are your highest-scored leads actually converting?
- Are good leads slipping through the cracks?
- Are reps ignoring the scores?
Tweak your rules as you learn more. Sales and marketing change—so should your scoring.
Pro tip:
Ask your reps what they’re seeing. The best feedback is from the folks actually talking to leads.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
Works: - Simple, focused rules tied to real buying behavior. - Keeping scores transparent—everyone should know how it works. - Regular check-ins to adjust scoring as your business evolves.
Doesn’t really work: - Overly complex point systems (nobody remembers what +2 meant for “clicked webinar” anyway). - Relying only on demographic info—behavior usually tells you more. - Blindly trusting the score—always double-check before big moves.
Ignore the hype:
Lead scoring isn’t “AI” (unless you buy into the latest buzzwords). It’s just logic and data. If someone tells you otherwise, they’re probably selling snake oil.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
The best lead scoring setups are the ones you’ll actually use—so start simple. Don’t try to account for every possible scenario. Focus on what matters, automate the hand-offs, and revisit your rules when they stop making sense.
You’ll make mistakes the first few times. That’s normal. Tweak, test, and keep your eyes on the only metric that matters: are you closing more deals with less hassle?
That’s real progress. Everything else is just noise.