If you’re tired of chasing leads that go nowhere, you’re not alone. Most marketing and sales teams spend way too much time on prospects who’ll never buy. Setting up a lead scoring model is supposed to help—but honestly, most tools just make it complicated or vague. This guide is for anyone who wants a practical, no-nonsense way to set up lead scoring models in Withlantern and actually get better conversions.
Let’s cut through the marketing fluff and get your team focused on the leads that matter.
What’s Lead Scoring, Really? (And Why Bother?)
Lead scoring is just a way to sort your leads by how likely they are to become customers. You give each lead a score, based on stuff like what they do on your site, who they are, or whether they open your emails. Higher score = more likely to buy (in theory).
Why bother? Because the alternative is wasting hours on “hot” leads who are just kicking tires. A good model helps you:
- Find the best prospects faster
- Stop annoying people who’ll never buy
- Give sales teams a fighting chance
But here’s the truth: most lead scoring setups are either too simple (everyone gets the same score) or so complex they’re basically a black box. Withlantern tries to land somewhere in the middle—it’s flexible, but not rocket science.
Step 1: Get Your Data in Order
Before you even touch a scoring rule, get real about your data. Garbage in, garbage out.
What you need:
- Contact info (email, company, job title, etc.)
- Behavioral data (site visits, email opens, downloads, demo requests)
- Deal history (who actually became a customer)
Pro tips: - Don’t try to score leads if your CRM is full of duplicates or junk. Clean it up first. - If you don’t have behavioral data, start tracking it now. Even basic stuff like “visited pricing page” is gold.
Withlantern can pull in data from your CRM, website, and email tools—but check integrations first. Missing fields or weird formatting will trip you up later.
Step 2: Define What a “Good” Lead Looks Like
You need to know what you’re aiming for. Ask your sales team: “Who actually buys from us?” Skip the wishlist. Focus on reality.
Look for: - Job titles or roles that usually say yes - Company sizes that fit your product - Specific actions (like booking a demo, or reading the pricing page twice)
Don’t overthink it. Start with 2–3 traits and 1–2 behaviors you know matter. You can always tweak later.
Step 3: Set Up Your First Scoring Model in Withlantern
Now you’re ready to jump into Withlantern. Here’s how to build your first real lead scoring model:
3.1. Create a New Model
- Go to the Lead Scoring section in Withlantern.
- Click “Create New Model.” Name it something obvious, like “Default Lead Score.”
3.2. Pick Your Criteria
You’ll see a list of possible criteria—stuff like job title, company size, page visits, etc. Don’t use them all. Focus on what actually moves the needle.
Good criteria: - Visited Pricing page = +10 - Downloaded whitepaper = +5 - Job title contains “Director” or “Manager” = +7 - Company size 100–500 = +5
Skip these (at least at first): - Twitter bio keywords (nobody cares) - Time zone (unless you sell by geography) - Opened newsletter once (too weak)
3.3. Assign Points (But Don’t Get Cute)
The number of points is less important than the relative value. If “booked a demo” is your best buying signal, make it worth more than “clicked an email.”
Example: - Booked a demo: +20 - Visited pricing page: +10 - Downloaded ebook: +5 - Job title contains “Intern”: –10
Don’t overcomplicate. Ranges of 5–20 points usually work fine.
3.4. Set a Threshold
Decide what score makes a lead “hot.” This is your threshold. Above it? Pass to sales. Below it? Keep nurturing.
- Start with a simple cutoff, like 20 points.
- You can always adjust once you see real data.
3.5. Save and Apply
Hit save, and apply the model to your existing leads. Withlantern will rescore your database automatically.
Step 4: Test Your Model (Don’t Skip This)
This is where most teams blow it. You need to see if your scoring actually lines up with real-world results.
How to check: - Look at your last 50 closed-won deals. What were their scores? - Same for 50 closed-lost deals. Did they score lower? - Ask your sales team: “Does this list of ‘hot’ leads feel right?”
If your model says every intern who downloads a whitepaper is “hot,” it’s back to the drawing board.
Pro tip: Don’t trust the model until you see it correctly identify the leads who actually convert.
Step 5: Tweak and Improve
Lead scoring is never set-and-forget. Here’s how to keep it honest:
- Check every month: Are too many leads hitting your threshold? Too few?
- Review with sales: Are the “hot” leads actually closing?
- Adjust points or criteria: Drop stuff that doesn’t matter. Add new signals if you notice patterns.
What to ignore: - Fancy AI suggestions that don’t make sense for your business. - “Advanced” scoring features if you’re still struggling with the basics.
If you change your process (like updating your website or running a new campaign), revisit your scoring. The model should fit your current funnel, not the one you had last year.
Step 6: Use Lead Scores in Your Workflow
A lead score means nothing if nobody uses it. Make sure:
- Sales gets notified when someone crosses the “hot” threshold.
- Marketing knows who to nurture (score below threshold).
- You don’t send everyone the same emails anymore.
Withlantern can auto-assign leads, trigger emails, or ping your sales team in Slack—but only if you set it up.
Avoid this mistake: Don’t just look at scores in a dashboard. Build your workflow around them.
Real Talk: What Works, What Doesn’t
What works: - Using real sales data to set your criteria. - Keeping your scoring model simple and focused. - Reviewing and tweaking the model often.
What doesn’t: - Overloading your model with every possible field. - Blindly trusting automated scoring or AI “magic.” - Forgetting to involve sales in the process.
Ignore: - Trends that don’t fit your sales cycle. - Vanity metrics (like social followers) unless you’ve got proof they matter.
Keep It Simple, Keep It Honest
Lead scoring isn’t wizardry. The best models are usually the simplest ones, built on clear patterns from your own customers. Withlantern gives you enough tools without drowning you in options, but you still need to use your judgment.
Start basic, watch what happens, and adjust. Don’t chase perfection—just aim for better than what you have now. Over time, your scores will get sharper, your team will chase better leads, and you’ll see more deals close.
And that’s really the whole point.