If you're buried in leads but only a handful are worth your sales team's time, you need a way to separate the wheat from the chaff—fast. Automated lead scoring promises this, but most tools are either too basic, too complex, or just plain overhyped. If you're looking to actually set up lead scoring in Koala and want something that works (without a PhD in data science), this guide's for you.
Let's skip the fluff and get you a system that helps your reps focus on real opportunities—not just pretty dashboards.
Step 1: Get Clear on What a “Good Lead” Actually Means
Before you touch a single setting, pin down what makes a lead valuable for your team. If you skip this, your scoring will be random noise.
Ask your sales team: - Which leads convert most often? (Industry, company size, job title, etc.) - Are there red flags that almost never pan out? - What behaviors actually signal buying intent? (E.g., booking a demo, opening certain emails, visiting your pricing page.)
Pro tip: Ignore vanity signals. Someone opening your newsletter doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy. Focus on actions that line up with real sales conversations.
Write it down—you’ll need this list for the next step.
Step 2: Map Your Data to Koala’s Lead Fields
Koala can’t score what it can’t see. Make sure the data you care about is making its way into the platform.
Check that you’re capturing: - Contact/company details (industry, size, job title) - Activity data (email opens, demo requests, website visits) - Any custom fields unique to your sales process
If you’re missing something, sync it up now via integrations, imports, or manual entry. Don’t rely on “we’ll fix it later”—your scores will be garbage until the right data is flowing.
Step 3: Set Up Basic Lead Scoring Rules
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Koala lets you create scoring rules based on lead properties and activities.
To set up a simple scoring model: 1. Go to the “Lead Scoring” section in Koala’s settings. 2. Click “Create New Score” or similar (the UI changes, but the idea’s the same). 3. Start adding rules: - Assign points for positive traits (e.g., “+15 if company size > 500”). - Subtract points for deal-breakers (“-20 if industry = ‘student’”). - Add activity-based rules (“+10 if contacted sales,” “+5 if viewed pricing page”). 4. Give each rule a weight that matches its real-world importance. Don’t overthink the math; you can adjust later.
Honest take: Overloading your model with a zillion rules usually backfires. Start with 5-7 meaningful signals. That’s it.
Step 4: Test Your Scoring Model with Real Data
Don’t trust any model until you see how it works with actual leads. Koala lets you preview scores before going live—use this.
What to look for: - Are your “hot” leads lining up with what your team already knows? - Are good leads getting missed? Are junk leads scoring high? - Is anything surprising or just plain wrong?
If it’s way off: Tweak your point values and try again. This is normal. Lead scoring is part science, part educated guessing—especially at first.
Trap to avoid: Don’t try to make it perfect on the first go. Just get it “good enough” to surface the obvious winners and losers.
Step 5: Roll Out to the Sales Team (and Actually Explain It)
A scoring model is worthless if your team ignores it or doesn’t trust it. Change is annoying, so make this easy.
What works: - Show your team where to see lead scores in Koala (list views, dashboards, etc.). - Be clear: “Here’s what a high score means. Here’s what it doesn’t.” - Encourage them to sanity-check the scores and flag anything weird.
What to ignore: Fancy color-coding, gamified dashboards, or automated task assignments—at least at first. Focus on the lead list and basic score sorting.
Pro tip: Get feedback after a week. Sales reps will spot flaws or edge cases you didn’t think of.
Step 6: Automate Actions Based on Scores (Once You Trust Them)
Once your team is actually using the scores and they match reality most of the time, start automating simple workflows.
Ideas that actually help: - Auto-assign hot leads to senior reps. - Trigger follow-up emails for mid-tier leads. - Flag low-score leads for longer-term nurture (don’t delete them).
What not to do: Don’t set up a Rube Goldberg machine of automations that no one remembers how to fix. Keep it simple, especially early on.
Step 7: Review and Adjust Every Month (No, Really)
Lead scoring isn’t “set and forget.” Buyers change, your sales process evolves, and what’s “hot” today might be cold next quarter.
Each month: - Pull a list of your top-scoring leads—how did they perform? - Look at any “false positives” or “false negatives.” - Are reps ignoring the scores? If so, ask why—they’re probably right.
Quick tweaks: - Adjust point values for rules that seem too strong or too weak. - Add or remove rules if your sales process changes. - Kill any rules that aren’t pulling their weight.
Don’t: Rebuild everything from scratch or get obsessed with tiny optimizations. It’s about making your team’s lives easier, not impressing a manager.
What Actually Matters (and What Doesn’t)
- Do: Involve your sales team from the start. They know what a real lead looks like.
- Don’t: Chase after AI-powered, “predictive” scoring until you’ve nailed the basics. Most of it’s just smoke and mirrors unless you have a ton of high-quality data.
- Do: Keep your rules simple and based on reality.
- Don’t: Be afraid to throw out rules that sounded good but don’t work.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Automated lead scoring in Koala can save your team hours and help you focus on leads that actually matter. But don’t get lost in the weeds. Start simple, get feedback, and tweak as you go. You’ll waste less time on dead ends—and your sales team will thank you.
Now, go set it up. If you break something, you can always fix it later. That’s the whole point.