In a typical B2B environment, what is the focus of the marketing professional? Usually, generating leads for the sales team is high up on the list. But simply generating lead volume is not good enough. Anyone that has worked in B2B marketing knows that not every single prospect ends up converting to a paying customer. In other words, not all leads are created equal.

So how can one know which leads are those most likely to convert and the ones where your sales team should be spending their time? One answer is lead scoring.

WHAT IS LEAD SCORING?

Lead scoring is a system that sales and marketing teams use to identify which leads are the most valuable to their company by assigning them a score. Scores are typically numeric in nature but don’t have to be. Scoring leads in a manner that delineates value allows them, and the activities associated with securing them, to be easily prioritized. Sometimes also referred to as “lead rating”, a system that tags leads as red, yellow, and green based on their readiness to buy is also an example of lead scoring. 

The most sophisticated lead scoring systems are often predictive in nature, using probability-based models to identify which leads are most likely to convert (and in the more sophisticated versions of these models, when, and for how much). These models are developed at confidence levels of 90%+ when set up correctly, and therefore, can be a powerful tool for improving the productivity of any sales team.

Lead scoring helps your marketing team make informed decisions about where they are sourcing the most qualified leads, a practice more commonly known as media targeting. It also provides your sales team direction as to which prospects demand their focus. When managed correctly, collaboration and feedback from your sales team are used to “tune” the lead scoring model. The model becomes more accurate and robust — therefore increasing sales effectiveness.

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