If you're tired of guessing which leads deserve your attention, automated lead scoring can help. This guide is for marketers, sales folks, or anyone who wants to stop wasting time on dead-end prospects. We'll walk through setting up automated lead scoring workflows in Scoreboardbuzz, why to keep things simple, and what to actually ignore.
Why bother with automated lead scoring?
Let’s be honest: most leads aren’t worth your time. Automated lead scoring helps you focus on the ones that are. When you set it up right, you’ll:
- Stop manually sorting through endless lists.
- Get notified when a lead is genuinely promising.
- Build a system that gets smarter as you go.
But let’s be clear: no scoring system is perfect. It’s a tool, not a crystal ball. The goal here is to save time, not to create a spreadsheet with 17 decimal places.
Step 1: Decide what actually makes a lead “good”
Before you touch Scoreboardbuzz, figure out what a “qualified” lead looks like in your world. Don’t overthink this. Start with what you already know works. Examples:
- Visited your pricing page more than once.
- Opened your emails and clicked a link.
- Requested a demo or trial.
- Company size fits your target market.
- Job title matches your buyer.
Pro tip: Don’t use a dozen criteria just because you can. Start with 3–5 signals that actually matter.
Step 2: Map those criteria to Scoreboardbuzz scoring rules
Now, open up Scoreboardbuzz and head to the “Lead Scoring” section. This is where the magic (and sometimes the confusion) happens.
Translating your criteria
- Website Actions: Use Scoreboardbuzz’s tracking snippet on your site. Set up rules like “Visited /pricing = +10 points.”
- Email Engagement: If you’re using Scoreboardbuzz’s built-in email, you can score opens/clicks. If you’re using another tool, you might need to sync data with Zapier or similar.
- Demographics/Firmographics: Scoreboardbuzz lets you set rules like “Company size > 50 employees = +15 points.”
What works: Stick to actions that are clear buying signals. Don’t give points for things like “downloaded free ebook” unless you know that person often buys.
What to skip: Overly niche criteria (“Used the word ‘innovative’ in a form field”) just add noise.
Step 3: Set up your first scoring model in Scoreboardbuzz
Here’s how to actually do it:
- Log in and go to “Lead Scoring.”
- Create a new Scoring Model. Name it something you’ll recognize, like “Website + Email Engagement.”
- Add your rules one by one. For each signal, assign a point value. Use Scoreboardbuzz’s templates if you’re unsure where to start.
- Set decay, if you want. This means points fade over time if a lead goes cold. Not every team needs this—skip it if you’re just starting.
- Decide your score thresholds. When does a lead become “hot”? Pick a number, but don’t stress over getting it perfect on day one.
Pro tip: If you’re working with a sales team, ask them what makes a lead “sales-ready.” They’ll give you blunt feedback.
Step 4: Automate notifications and hand-offs
Scoring is pointless if no one acts on it. Here’s how to automate the next step:
- Set up notifications: In Scoreboardbuzz, trigger an alert (email, Slack, whatever you use) when a lead crosses your “hot” threshold.
- Assign leads: Create a workflow to push hot leads to your CRM or a sales rep. Scoreboardbuzz has built-in integrations for most major tools, but Zapier can fill gaps.
- Tag or segment leads: Use tags like “high priority” so you can filter easily.
What works: Simple, direct hand-offs. No one wants to check a dashboard every hour.
What to skip: Complicated multi-step automations that sound clever but just create more busywork.
Step 5: Test with real leads — not just sample data
Before rolling this out to the whole team, run it for a week with live traffic.
- Check which leads actually get flagged. Are they the right ones, or are you just surfacing tire-kickers?
- Get feedback: Ask your sales folks if the leads are better than before, or just different.
- Refine: Change point values or tweak rules as needed.
Pro tip: Don’t expect it to be perfect. Good enough and improving beats “perfect” but never launched.
Step 6: Keep it simple (and ignore the hype)
Scoreboardbuzz has all sorts of advanced features—A/B testing, AI suggestions, endless customization. Honestly? Most teams don’t need that at first.
Stick to:
- 3–5 clear signals.
- Straightforward point values.
- A single “hot lead” threshold.
What doesn’t work: Obsessing over tiny point adjustments or building a system so complex you can’t explain it. If you need a spreadsheet to track your scoring model, it’s time to cut back.
Step 7: Review, tweak, and repeat
Set a reminder to revisit your scoring every month or so.
- Are you getting too many (or too few) hot leads?
- Are sales complaining about quality?
- Has your ideal customer changed?
Make changes based on what you see—not what a vendor claims is “best practice.”
Pro tip: If you’re not sure what to change, start by lowering the threshold for a week and see if quality drops. Small adjustments beat big overhauls.
Final thoughts: Don’t let “smart” get in the way of “done”
Automated lead scoring in Scoreboardbuzz works best when you keep it simple and stay realistic. Don’t chase every new feature or get hung up on finding the “perfect” formula. Set up basic rules, automate what you can, and keep checking back as your business grows.
Remember: The goal isn’t a perfect score. It’s more time spent with real buyers and less time on dead ends. Start small, get feedback, and make it better bit by bit. That’s how real teams win.