You’re running a B2B sales team and your reps are wasting time chasing bad leads. You want to fix that with automated lead scoring, but you don’t want to drown in technical jargon or end up with a system no one trusts. If you’re using (or considering) Hypertide, this is for you. I’ll walk you through how to set up lead scoring that’s useful, not just “impressive” on a slide deck. No fluff, no hype—just what you actually need.
Why bother with automated lead scoring?
Let’s be honest: most sales teams have more leads than time. Automated lead scoring, when done right, helps you focus on prospects that are actually worth your effort. You separate the serious buyers from the tire-kickers, and your reps know where to spend their energy.
But here’s the catch: bad scoring is worse than no scoring. Automation just makes mistakes faster if you set it up wrong. So let’s do it right.
Step 1: Get clear on what a “good lead” actually means
Before you even log into Hypertide, talk to your team. Ask what makes a lead “sales-ready” for your business—not what some SaaS vendor says.
- Profile fit: What company size, industry, or job titles buy from you?
- Engagement: What actions signal real interest? (Opened an email? Booked a demo? Visited your pricing page?)
- Deal-breakers: Are there any red flags? (Wrong geography, student emails, etc.)
Write this down. Treat it as your cheat sheet for the whole setup.
Pro tip: Don’t try to boil the ocean. Start with 3–5 characteristics that actually move the needle.
Step 2: Make sure your data isn’t garbage
Automated scoring is only as good as your data. If your CRM is full of blanks, typos, or leads from “asdf@fakeemail.com,” fix that first.
- Audit your lead sources: Are you getting clean data from forms, imports, and integrations?
- Standardize fields: Make sure things like “Company Size” or “Job Title” are consistent.
- Ditch the noise: Consider deleting or archiving junk leads. Automation can’t fix data you don’t trust.
If you skip this, you’ll spend weeks tweaking scores and wondering why nothing feels right.
Step 3: Map out your key scoring criteria
Now, list out the traits and behaviors you want to score in Hypertide. Split them into two buckets:
- Demographic/firmographic (fit):
- Industry
- Company size
- Role/title
- Location
- Behavioral (interest):
- Opened/clicked key emails
- Attended a webinar
- Requested a demo
- Visited the pricing page
Decide what actually matters. If your reps have never closed a deal from a company under 50 employees, score those low or disqualify them.
What to ignore: Don’t include criteria just because you can track it (“Downloaded a whitepaper” is often meaningless).
Step 4: Configure lead scoring in Hypertide
Finally, open Hypertide and get to work. Their UI is pretty straightforward, but here’s how to avoid rookie mistakes:
4.1 Set up scoring rules
- Go to the “Lead Scoring” section in your account.
- For each trait or behavior, add a scoring rule.
- Example: “Industry is SaaS” = +20 points.
- Example: “Opened 3+ marketing emails” = +10 points.
- Example: “Job title contains ‘VP’ or ‘Director’” = +15 points.
- Example: “Company size < 10 employees” = -20 points (yes, use negative scores).
Keep scores simple: Don’t get fancy with 100-point scales. A basic 0–100 range works fine.
4.2 Weight your criteria
Not all signals are equal. Assign more points to the stuff that actually closes deals. If your reps say demo requests are gold, make that +30, not +5.
Reality check: You’ll probably tweak these weights a few times once you see real results. Don’t stress about being perfect.
4.3 Define your “hot lead” threshold
Decide what score counts as “ready for sales.” In Hypertide, you can trigger actions (like notifying reps or moving a lead to a new stage) when a score crosses that line.
- Start with a conservative threshold (e.g., 60/100).
- Watch for a week or two—are you getting too many or too few “hot” leads?
- Adjust up or down based on actual results.
4.4 Set up automation (if you want)
Hypertide lets you automate workflows based on lead scores. For example:
- Auto-assign hot leads to sales reps
- Send a personalized email when someone hits the threshold
- Move leads to a “Nurture” bucket if they cool off
Use this sparingly. Automation is great for speed, but don’t let it create more noise for your team.
Step 5: Test with real leads (not just demo data)
Nothing breaks faster than a scoring model built in a vacuum. Pick a sample of real leads and run them through your new system.
- Are your “hot” leads actually good?
- Any false positives or obvious misses?
- Ask your sales reps for feedback—if they’re ignoring the scores, your model’s broken.
Pro tip: Expect to be wrong the first time. That’s normal. Just fix it and move on.
Step 6: Tweak, review, and don’t set-and-forget
Automated lead scoring isn’t a crockpot. You can’t just “set it and forget it.” Every few weeks (or after you close a handful of deals), look at:
- Which scoring rules actually predict wins?
- Are you missing promising leads because your thresholds are too strict?
- Are you sending junk to sales because you overvalued some signals?
Update your rules and scores as you learn. Small, regular tweaks beat a giant overhaul every six months.
What to skip (unless you have a data science team)
- Overly complex models: Hypertide offers advanced options, but don’t go wild with machine learning or black-box scoring—unless you really know what you’re doing.
- Scoring every tiny behavior: Just because you can score “clicked the blog footer” doesn’t mean you should.
- Ignoring rep feedback: If your salespeople don’t trust the scores, nothing else matters.
Keep it simple. Fancy doesn’t close deals—clarity does.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, iterate, and trust your gut
Automated lead scoring in Hypertide can save your team a ton of time, but only if you focus on what actually makes a lead valuable for your business. Start simple, use real data, and don’t be afraid to tweak as you learn. The best scoring systems are clear, not clever.
If you find yourself spending hours debating between a +2 or +3 on “opened a second email,” you’re probably overthinking it. Ship something, watch what happens, and improve from there. Your sales team—and your sanity—will thank you.