Lead scoring is a methodology used to rank prospects against a scale that represents the perceived value each lead represents to the organization. The resulting score is used to determine which leads a receiving function (e.g. sales, partners, teleprospecting) will engage, in order of priority.
The most accurate lead scoring models include both explicit and implicit information. Explicit scores are based on information provided by or about the prospect, for example - company size, industry segment, job title or geographic location. Implicit scores are derived from monitoring prospect behavior; examples of these include Web-site visits, whitepaper downloads or e-mail opens and clicks. A new type of score is the Social Score - it predicts lead relevancy based on analyzing a person's presence and activities on social networks.
Lead Scoring allows a business to customize a prospect's experience based on his or her buying stage and interest level and greatly improves the quality and "readiness" of leads that are delivered to sales organizations for followup.
Key Benefits
When a lead scoring model is effective, the key benefits are: