What is Lead Scoring?
A method of ranking prospects by assigning points based on their characteristics and engagement, helping you prioritize who to contact first.
Lead Scoring Explained
Lead scoring is a system for ranking prospects so your team knows who to prioritize. Each lead gets a numerical score based on two categories: who they are (fit) and what they've done (engagement). Higher scores mean higher priority.
Fit Scoring vs. Engagement Scoring
Fit scoring evaluates whether the lead matches your ideal customer profile. Criteria might include company size, industry, job title, or geography. A VP of Sales at a 50-person SaaS company scores higher than an intern at an unrelated industry.
Engagement scoring tracks behavior — email opens, link clicks, replies, website visits, demo requests. A prospect who opened three emails and clicked your pricing page is more engaged than one who hasn't opened anything.
When to Implement Lead Scoring
Lead scoring adds value when you have more leads than you can contact personally. If you're sending 20 emails a day, you don't need scoring — you can evaluate each one manually. At 200+ leads in your pipeline, scoring helps you focus on the most promising ones first.
Simple Scoring Model Example
- Email opened: +1 point
- Link clicked: +3 points
- Email replied: +10 points
- Matching industry: +5 points
- C-level title: +5 points
- Bounced email: -10 points
Lead Scoring and CRM
Effective lead scoring requires a CRM that tracks engagement automatically. When Enough CRM logs opens, clicks, and replies from your email sequences, you have the raw data to build scoring rules — even if you start with a simple manual approach before automating.