If you’re a B2B sales team drowning in spreadsheets or chasing the wrong leads, you know you need a better way to separate the tire-kickers from the real buyers. Automated lead scoring sounds like magic, but getting it right is another story. This guide is for folks who need practical steps—no fluff, no buzzwords—on how to set up workflows in Topo that actually make your sales process smoother (not just fancier).
Let’s get straight into it.
Why bother with automated lead scoring, anyway?
Manual lead scoring falls apart fast. You miss signals, waste time, and end up with reps deciding who to call based on gut feeling. Automation fixes that—if you set it up well.
But here’s the truth: automated lead scoring isn’t a silver bullet. It helps you focus, but it won’t magically create perfect leads or close deals for you. The trick is to keep your first version simple and ruthlessly focused on what matters for your team.
Before you start: What you need
Don’t start building until you have:
- A clear definition of your “ideal lead.” Not every VP is created equal. Nail down what actually matters.
- Buy-in from sales reps. If they ignore the scores, it’s a waste.
- Access to the right data. If you can’t pull in website visits, email opens, or other signals, your model will be blind.
Topo connects to most CRMs and marketing tools, but double-check what’s hooked up before you start.
Step 1: Map your lead scoring criteria
First, get real about what makes a lead valuable for your business. Don’t copy a template from some SaaS blog. Sit down with your top reps and ask:
- What’s true about our best customers?
- What red flags do they spot right away?
- What behaviors (downloads, demo requests, etc.) actually predict a deal?
Common criteria to consider:
- Firmographic: Company size, industry, region
- Contact: Title, seniority, department
- Behavioral: Visited pricing page, responded to an email, attended a webinar
Pro tip: Stick to 3–5 criteria max to start. More signals won’t help if they’re noise.
Step 2: Assign point values (without overthinking it)
This is where most teams get stuck. Don’t try to build a perfect scoring model on day one. Just weight the things that actually matter—higher points for the real buying signals, zero (or even negative) for the stuff that doesn’t.
Example: - Requested a demo: +30 - Visited pricing page: +20 - Company size 200+: +10 - Generic Gmail address: -10 - Industry is a poor fit: -20
Write these down in a simple table or spreadsheet before you touch Topo. You want to be able to explain your logic to anyone.
Step 3: Set up scoring rules in Topo
Now it’s time to put it into Topo. Here’s how:
- Go to Lead Scoring Settings. In Topo, find your workspace, then navigate to “Lead Scoring” under the automation menu.
- Create a new scoring model. Name it something obvious, like “2024 B2B Model (v1).”
- Add your criteria as rules. For each point above, set up a rule. Topo’s interface usually lets you select the data source—CRM field, behavioral trigger, etc.—and set the point value.
- Set thresholds for lead stages. Decide what score counts as “Marketing Qualified Lead” (MQL), “Sales Qualified Lead” (SQL), etc. Don’t obsess—just guess based on your points, and tweak later.
What to ignore: Don’t get lost in every possible data point Topo offers. If you’re not sure a signal matters, leave it out for now.
Step 4: Automate the workflow
Scoring isn’t enough—you want leads routed automatically when they hit a certain score. In Topo, this usually means:
- Build an automation workflow: Go to the “Automations” tab and create a new workflow tied to your scoring model.
- Set your trigger: “When lead score crosses 50, assign to sales rep,” for example.
- Add actions:
- Assign to the right sales rep or team
- Change lead status in your CRM
- Send a Slack or email alert to the rep
- Optionally, kick off a nurture campaign for lower scores
Pro tip: Start with one simple workflow. Don’t try to automate every edge case at once.
Step 5: Test with real leads (not just test data)
Don’t trust any scoring model until you see it in action. Here’s what to do:
- Pick a sample of recent leads. Run them through the Topo workflow, and see if high scores actually match your gut sense of quality.
- Ask sales for feedback. Are the “hot leads” actually worth their time? Are you missing good ones?
- Look for obvious misses. Did a junk lead get a high score? Did a great one get ignored? Adjust your rules.
What doesn’t work: Relying on made-up data or just your own opinion. The best feedback comes from the people who work the leads every day.
Step 6: Tweak, don’t overhaul
Even a basic model will need adjusting. Don’t throw it out and start over—just tweak:
- Point values: Bump up points for signals that matter more, drop or remove those that don’t.
- Criteria: Add a new rule if you keep missing a certain type of good lead, but only after you see a pattern.
- Thresholds: If sales is overwhelmed, raise the score needed for routing; if they’re bored, lower it.
Schedule a review after the first month. Don’t set it and forget it—lead scoring isn’t a crockpot.
Step 7: Avoid the biggest pitfalls
A few honest warnings:
- Don’t just copy another company’s model. What works for a SaaS startup won’t work for a manufacturing firm.
- Don’t obsess over edge cases. Build for the 80%—handle weird exceptions manually for now.
- Don’t “set and forget.” Lead scoring needs regular reality checks. Your market, product, and team will change.
What’s overrated: Machine learning. Unless you have massive volumes of leads and data science resources, basic rule-based scoring will get you 90% of the value with 10% of the effort.
Pro tips for B2B sales teams using Topo
- Get sales and marketing talking: The best scoring models come from both sides. Marketing knows what fills the funnel; sales knows what closes.
- Keep documentation simple: Make your scoring logic visible, so new reps can understand it fast.
- Start small, then layer in complexity: If you’re not sure about a rule, leave it out. You can always add it later.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, keep it moving
Lead scoring in Topo isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Start with the basics, get feedback, and improve as you go. Don’t chase perfection—just make sure your team is spending time on the right leads, and tweak your workflow as you learn.
Most importantly: don’t let the tool run you. Use automated lead scoring to make life easier, not busier. Iterate, stay honest, and keep it useful.