What is lead scoring?
Lead scoring is a method of ranking new enquiries by how well they fit your ideal client and how ready they seem to buy, using points or rules, so staff spend their time on the most promising leads first.
Scores usually combine two kinds of signal. Fit describes who the lead is: location, company size, type of work, budget range. Intent describes what they have done: requested a quote, asked about start dates, visited the pricing page, or opened several emails. A commercial enquiry inside your service area asking for a site visit next week scores higher than a student downloading a guide.
For most service businesses, simple rules beat complex models. Start with three to five criteria that your best salespeople already use in their heads, assign points, and check the scores against what actually closed over the last few months. Many CRMs, including HubSpot, support scoring rules. AI tools can help read free-text enquiries, but a person should review how scores are being assigned.
Lead scoring only helps if it changes behavior. High scores should trigger faster follow-up or routing to a senior person; low scores might go into a nurture sequence instead of being ignored. Revisit the rules quarterly. Watch for scoring that quietly filters out good clients, such as penalizing a referral source you undervalued.
Example
For example, a commercial HVAC company scores enquiries on building type, square footage, service area and whether a maintenance contract was mentioned. Leads above a threshold go straight to the senior account manager for a same-day call. The sales manager compares scores with won and lost jobs each quarter and adjusts the points.