If you’re running B2B sales, you know the pain: too many leads, not enough time, and everyone arguing over what a “good” lead even means. Automated lead scoring promises to cut through the noise—if you set it up right. This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, or anyone tired of spreadsheets and gut feels. I’ll walk you through setting up automated lead scoring in Nektar, and I’ll be blunt about what actually matters, what’s hype, and what you can safely ignore.
What is Lead Scoring (and Why Automate It)?
Let’s not overcomplicate this: lead scoring is about ranking leads so your team focuses on the ones most likely to close. Manual scoring is slow and inconsistent. Automated lead scoring uses rules or AI to do the heavy lifting for you, updating scores as things change.
Why bother? Because reps waste hours chasing dead ends, and marketing gets frustrated when “hot” leads go cold. Automated scoring keeps everyone honest. But—and this is important—it’s only as good as the rules and data you feed it.
Step 1: Get Your House in Order
Before you open Nektar or any tool, do this groundwork. Trust me, skipping this part is the #1 reason lead scoring projects flop.
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Define “Qualified” for Your Team
Have a real conversation between sales, marketing, and (if you have it) customer success. What actually makes a good lead? Is it company size? Job title? Website activity? Don’t just copy someone else’s list. -
Pick a Few Data Points that Matter
You’ll be tempted to use every field you can find. Resist. Start with 3-5 signals that have actually predicted deals in your history. Examples: - Company size or industry
- Role/title of the contact
- Specific behaviors (e.g., booked a demo, replied to an email)
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Fit with your ideal customer profile (ICP)
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Clean Your CRM
No tool can make sense of junk data. Make sure your lead fields are up to date, and flag any duplicates or missing info.
Pro tip: Don’t get hung up on “AI-powered” scoring right away. Rule-based scoring (if X, then +points) is usually more transparent and better for spotting mistakes early.
Step 2: Connect Nektar to Your Sales Stack
Assuming you’ve got a Nektar account, it’s time to link it up. Nektar’s main value is pulling data from all the places leads interact with you—CRM, email, calendar, even LinkedIn, if set up right.
Here’s what to do:
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Connect Your CRM.
Nektar supports Salesforce and HubSpot out of the box. You’ll need admin access and might need IT’s blessing. Don’t skimp on permissions—Nektar can’t score what it can’t see. -
Add Communication Channels.
Link your team’s email and calendar. This lets Nektar pull in signals like “responded to sales rep” or “booked demo.” More signals = better scoring. -
Check Data Sync Settings.
Decide if Nektar writes scores back to your CRM, or just keeps them inside the Nektar dashboard. Writing back is better if you want reps to see scores in their usual workflow.
Don’t bother:
Skipping channels because “we’ll add them later.” You’ll just end up with half-baked scoring and annoyed reps.
Step 3: Build Your First Lead Scoring Model
Here’s where most folks overthink it. Start simple, launch, and improve as you go.
1. Create a New Lead Scoring Model
- In Nektar, go to the Lead Scoring section.
- Hit “Create New Model” (the name isn’t important—call it something obvious).
2. Add Your Scoring Criteria
For each signal you care about, set it up as a rule with a point value. Example:
- Job Title contains “VP” or “Director”: +10 points
- Company size 200-1000 employees: +7 points
- Requested demo: +15 points
- No response after 3 touchpoints: -5 points
Nektar’s interface is mostly drag-and-drop. Don’t get sucked into the weeds of weighting every possible field. If you’re arguing over whether “CTO” is worth 8 or 10 points, you’re missing the point.
3. Set Score Thresholds
Decide what “hot,” “warm,” and “cold” mean for your team. Example:
- 20+ points = Hot
- 10–19 points = Warm
- Below 10 = Cold
Set these thresholds in the model so scoring is automatic.
4. Test with Sample Leads
Run a batch of real leads through your model. Look at who comes out as “hot.” If it’s a bunch of duds, tweak your rules. If it’s all obvious wins, you might be too strict.
Pro tip: Involve a couple of reps in this step. They’ll spot “false positives” or “false negatives” faster than anyone in ops or marketing.
Step 4: Automate Actions Based on Scores
Scoring by itself is useless if nobody acts on it. Here’s how to make it practical:
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Assign Leads Automatically:
Use Nektar’s workflow tools (or your CRM’s if you’re writing scores back) to assign “hot” leads to senior reps, “warm” to newer reps, and so on. -
Trigger Alerts or Tasks:
Set up automated alerts when a lead crosses from “warm” to “hot.” Some teams use Slack or email notifications; others create CRM tasks. -
Prioritize Views:
Create a dashboard in Nektar or your CRM that auto-sorts leads by score. Encourage reps to always start their day by working the highest-scoring leads.
Skip:
Setting up 20 different automations “just in case.” Start with one or two high-impact actions and expand only if they’re working.
Step 5: Monitor, Tweak, and (Yes) Ignore the Hype
No matter how slick your setup, you’ll need to adjust as you learn. Here’s how to keep it real:
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Check Results Weekly (at First):
Are high-score leads actually converting? If not, dig into why. Maybe your point values are off, or the signals you picked don’t matter after all. -
Don’t Blindly Trust AI Models:
Nektar has some “AI-powered” options. They’re only as good as your data. Try them out, but always sanity-check the results against real deals. -
Ask Reps for Feedback:
If reps ignore the scores, something’s wrong. Either your model needs work, or you’re surfacing the scores in the wrong place. -
Keep the Model Simple:
Complexity kills adoption. Resist the urge to add more rules every time a deal goes sideways.
What to Ignore (for Now)
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“Behavioral AI” Overload:
Fancy behavioral scoring sounds cool, but unless you have thousands of leads and tons of clean data, it’s mostly noise. Stick to clear, simple signals first. -
Chasing Every Integration:
Integrating every marketing tool and data source is overkill for most teams starting out. Nail your CRM and email/calendar first. -
One-Size-Fits-All Templates:
Nektar (and every other vendor) will offer “proven” scoring templates. Use them for inspiration, not gospel.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Automated lead scoring in Nektar can save your sales team a ton of time and headaches—but only if you keep it grounded in reality. Start with simple, clear rules. Connect the basics. Launch fast, and adjust as you go. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Most importantly, don’t expect a magic bullet. Lead scoring is a tool, not a strategy. Use it to focus your team, not to replace judgment. Iterate, keep it simple, and you’ll see real results.