Have you ever wondered why some leads close effortlessly while others slip away? More often than not, it comes down to lead quality—something many companies struggle to assess and optimize. Too often, sales teams waste valuable time pursuing leads that aren’t ready to buy. But what if you could automatically identify prospects with the highest likelihood of converting?
In this guide, we’ll show you how to leverage HubSpot’s lead scoring system to separate hot prospects from tire-kickers, enabling your sales and marketing teams to operate with precision and efficiency.
What is Lead Scoring?
Lead scoring assigns value to leads based on their behavior and perceived fit with your ideal customer profile (ICP). In simple terms, it’s a way to identify which prospects are ready to buy and which ones need more nurturing.
Think of lead scoring as a data-driven method to prioritize outreach, optimize marketing campaigns, and align sales activities—all of which can boost conversion rates.
Why is Lead Scoring Critical to Your Business?
Lead scoring can be quite the game-changer if you get it right. Businesses using lead scoring report a 77% boost in lead generation ROI compared to those that don’t (source: Grain.com).
Here’s why it works:
- Targeted Outreach: Engage the right leads at the right time, optimizing the effectiveness of both sales and marketing.
- Resource Efficiency: Allocate time and resources where they will have the most impact, reducing wasted effort on poor-fit leads.
- Revenue Growth: Improved lead qualification leads to higher conversion rates and shorter sales cycles
How to Set Up a Lead Scoring Model in HubSpot
Building an effective lead scoring system in HubSpot involves three main components:
- Positive Scoring Attributes: Indicators of a higher likelihood to convert
- Negative Scoring Attributes: Signals that suggest a lower likelihood to convert
- Threshold for Sales Qualification: The score at which a lead becomes sales-qualified
Positive Scoring Attributes
These are actions and traits that indicate a higher likelihood of conversion. Here’s what you should consider:
High-Intent Actions:
- Demo or consultation requests: +50 points
- Pricing page visits: +30 points
- Case study or customer story downloads: +30 points
- Product feature page visits: +15 points
- Multiple blog post reads: +5 points per post
- Email engagement: +2 points per click
Demographic or Firmographic Fit:
- Target industry match: +20 points
- Decision-maker title: +25 points
- Company size within ICP: +15 points
- Target geography: +10 points
Negative Scoring Attributes
Balancing your lead scoring system is essential—positive signals are great, but you also need to identify disqualifying behaviors and traits to avoid chasing unqualified leads. Here’s what to watch for:
Disqualifiers:
- Non-target industry: -20 points
- Company size outside ICP: -15 points
- Non-decision maker role: -15 points
- Inactivity period over 90 days: -10 points
- Student or academic email domain: -20 points
- Personal email address: -10 points
Determine Your Sales Qualification Threshold for Action
Once you’ve established your scoring criteria, define the score at which a lead becomes sales-qualified.For example, if a lead reaches a score of 60 points, they can be classified as a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL). HubSpot allows you to automate this process by creating tasks for your sales team to follow up when leads hit the desired score.
How to Get Started with HubSpot Lead Scoring
- Audit Existing Leads: Identify common behaviors among leads that convert.
- Map Your Customer Journey: Understand how prospects interact with your brand.
- Assign Points Based on Historical Data: Use data to determine which actions matter most.
- Set Up Scoring Rules in HubSpot: Use Hubspot’s automation tools to implement your system.
- Monitor and Optimize: Review performance after 90 days and adjust scoring criteria as needed.
Maximize the Performance of Your Sales Pipeline
Don’t let your sales team waste time chasing the wrong leads. With a well-designed lead scoring system in HubSpot, you can ensure they spend their time on prospects who are ready to convert.
Ready to see the difference? Contact Marketlyft today to learn how we can help you implement and optimize lead scoring for your sales and marketing teams.
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