If you’re sick of chasing dead-end leads (and wasting time on “maybe” prospects), you’re not alone. Automated lead scoring can help you focus on the folks actually likely to buy. This guide is for sales managers, operations folks, and anyone tired of guessing which leads matter most.
We’ll walk through setting up automated lead scoring in GetSales — what actually works, what to skip, and how to avoid the usual traps. No fluff, no vague promises, just a clear path to better sales targeting.
Why bother with automated lead scoring?
Chances are, your team’s already drowning in leads from forms, events, and cold outreach. But not all leads are created equal — and some will never buy, no matter how many emails you send.
Manual sorting is a pain and, let’s be honest, not very scientific. Automated lead scoring uses rules and data to sort your pile into “worth your time” and “don’t bother.” When it’s set up right, your best reps spend their time on the right people. If it’s set up wrong, you just add noise.
Step 1: Define what a “good” lead actually looks like
Don’t touch the software yet. First, get clear on what separates your best customers from the rest. If you skip this, your scoring is just a random number.
Here’s what to look for:
- Firmographics: Company size, industry, location.
- Demographics: Job title, department, seniority.
- Behavior: Opened emails, visited pricing page, requested a demo, etc.
- Source: Did they come from a referral, paid ad, or a random trade show?
Pro tip: Talk to your sales reps. Ask, “What do our best customers have in common?” The answers are almost always more practical than what you’ll get from a dashboard.
What doesn’t matter? Vanity metrics like “number of social followers” or “downloaded our whitepaper once.” If it doesn’t move deals forward, leave it out.
Step 2: Map your lead scoring criteria
Turn your “good lead” notes into actual, measurable rules. Here’s how:
Assign points based on importance
- High-value actions (requested a demo, replied to a rep): +25
- Medium-value actions (visited pricing page, opened 3+ emails): +10
- Low-value actions (clicked a blog link): +2
Firmographic example: - Right industry: +15 - Wrong industry: -10 - Company size fits your customer sweet spot: +20 - Too small or too big: -15
Behavioral example: - Filled out the contact form: +20 - Unsubscribed from emails: -30 (yes, negative points)
Don’t overcomplicate it
You’ll be tempted to score everything. Resist. Start with 5-7 criteria that actually correlate with sales.
What to ignore: - Website visits that don’t show intent (e.g., career page views) - Social likes (unless you’re selling to influencers — and even then, be skeptical)
Step 3: Set up automated lead scoring rules in GetSales
Now, get into GetSales and make it real.
- Navigate to Lead Scoring Settings
- In your GetSales dashboard, go to
Settings>Lead Scoring. - Add your scoring rules
- For each criterion, add a rule:
- Set the trigger (e.g., “Job Title contains ‘Director’”)
- Set the point value (positive or negative)
- Choose if it’s a one-time or repeating action
- Order matters
- Make sure high-impact rules aren’t drowned out by low-impact ones. If your system allows, put the most important rules first, or set weighting.
- Set a score threshold
- Decide what number makes a lead “hot” (e.g., 50+ points triggers a notification to sales).
- You can also set ranges (e.g., 0-20 = cold, 21-49 = warm, 50+ = hot).
Pro tip: Don’t auto-assign leads just yet. Run the scoring in “silent mode” for a week or two and see if the right leads bubble to the top.
Step 4: Test your setup with real leads
Before you roll this out to the whole team, test it with a handful of recent leads.
- Pull up 10-20 leads you know well. Score them manually using your new rules.
- Compare: Does the automated score match your gut? Are your best leads showing up as “hot”?
- Adjust as needed. If a great lead is scored “cold,” check if you missed something important in your criteria.
What to watch out for: - Overfitting: If your rules are too narrow, you’ll miss good leads. - False positives: If “everyone” scores high, your rules are too broad. - Data quality: If your CRM data is garbage, your scoring will be too.
You’ll never get it perfect out of the gate, so don’t stress. The goal is “better,” not “flawless.”
Step 5: Roll out to the team and get feedback
Let your sales team know what’s changing — and why. Make it clear this isn’t about “more dashboards,” it’s about helping them focus on the right people.
- Show them how it works.
- Ask for real feedback: Are the leads they’re getting actually better?
- Tweak as needed: Be ready to adjust your rules as new patterns emerge.
What not to do: Don’t hide the logic behind a black box. If reps think scoring is random, they’ll ignore it. Make your rules transparent — or at least explain the basics.
Step 6: Automate follow-ups and handoffs
Now that you’ve got a working score, use it:
- Set up alerts: When a lead hits your “hot” threshold, notify the right rep.
- Automate handoffs: Assign leads to sales or nurture tracks based on score.
- Track outcomes: Did “hot” leads actually close? If not, it’s time to revisit your rules.
Caution: Automation is great, but don’t let it replace common sense. If a lead looks great on paper but your gut says “no way,” trust your instincts.
What works, what doesn’t, and things to ignore
Works well: - Scoring based on hard data (industry, job title, demo requests) - Behavioral triggers that show actual buying intent
Doesn’t work: - Overly complex scoring with 20+ rules (it just creates confusion) - Relying on data you never actually collect (don’t score website behaviors if you don’t have tracking set up)
Ignore: - “AI-powered” scoring unless you have a mountain of clean data (and even then, be skeptical) - Fancy dashboards that don’t result in better sales conversations
Keep it simple — then iterate
Automated lead scoring in GetSales can absolutely help, but only if you keep it grounded in reality. Start simple. Get feedback. Tweak as you go. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of “better than before.”
Focus on the handful of signals that actually move the needle, and don’t be afraid to adjust as you learn. The best lead scoring is the one your team trusts and actually uses — not the one with the most features.
Now, get out there and let your sales team do what they do best: close deals with the right people.