Your reps' time is the scarcest resource in your funnel. Lead scoring exists to spend it only on people who can and want to buy. Most scoring models fail because they're built on form fields and clicks, which say very little about intent.
Score conversations, not forms
A form tells you a name and a phone number. A two-minute conversation tells you budget, need, timeline and whether you're talking to the decision maker. Score what the lead says, captured by an AI call or chat, not what they clicked.
A simple 0–100 model
Weight the four classic dimensions, then add behavior.
- Budget (0–25): confirmed and in range scores full; unknown scores low; explicitly out of range scores zero.
- Need (0–25): a specific requirement ("a 2-bedroom near the school, ready by September") scores higher than "just looking".
- Timeline (0–25): under 30 days scores full; 1–3 months scores medium; "someday" scores low.
- Authority (0–15): decision maker, or influencer who can bring the decision maker to the meeting.
- Engagement (0–10): answered the first call, replied on WhatsApp, opened the brochure, asked a pricing question.
Adjust the weights to your sales cycle. A dealership cares more about timeline; a training institute cares more about need.
Use the score for three decisions
Routing
Above 80: warm transfer or immediate booking with your best closer. 50–80: booking with any available rep. Below 50: automated nurturing, no human time yet.
Prioritization
Sort every rep's queue by score, then by recency. Nobody should decide who to call first based on gut feeling.
Follow-up cadence
High scores get a callback within the hour if the meeting isn't booked. Medium scores follow the day 1, 3, 7, 14 sequence. Low scores get monthly value-driven touches.
Keep the score alive
A score is a snapshot. Recalculate it after every interaction: a lead who opened the price list and replied "can I visit this week?" just jumped 20 points.
Common mistakes
- Scoring on demographic proxies instead of stated intent.
- Setting the threshold so low that reps still talk to everyone.
- Never revisiting the weights after the first quarter.
Measure the model, not just the leads
Track the conversion rate by score band. If leads scored 80+ convert at 25% and leads scored 50–80 convert at 6%, the model works. If the bands look the same, revisit the weights.