[object Object]

A lead scoring model is only useful if a rep changes their next action because of it. Zoho’s Scoring Rules engine is flexible enough to model anything — and that’s exactly the problem. Constrain it.

Score Two Axes, Not One

A single score is a math trick. Build two:

  • Fit Score — firmographics: company size, industry, region.
  • Intent Score — behavioral: pricing page visits, demo requests, replies.

A high-fit + high-intent lead is a call now. High-fit + low-intent is nurture. Low-fit + high-intent is qualify-out politely. A combined score hides this.

Limit Your Scoring Criteria to 12

If you have 40 scoring rules, no one — including you — knows why a lead is at 65. Pick the top 12 highest-signal events. Everything else is decoration.

Use Negative Scoring Generously

Negative rules are how you keep junk leads out of the call queue:

+15  Title contains "VP", "Director", "Head"
+10  Visited /pricing twice in 14 days
+8   Replied to outbound email
-20  Email domain in free_email_providers list
-15  Country not in serviceable territories
-25  Status = Disqualified in last 90 days

Without negatives, every lead trends upward over time and the model loses its shape.

Decay Behavioral Scores

Behavior from 90 days ago should not weight equally with this week’s. Use a workflow rule that runs nightly and reduces the Intent Score by 5% per week of inactivity. A 60 from a year ago shouldn’t outrank a 50 from yesterday.

Validate Against Closed Won

Every quarter, pull the Closed Won deals and look at their scores 30 days before close. If most were below your “hot” threshold, your model is wrong. If most were above, but you also have a long tail of high-scored leads that never converted, your false-positive rate is too high — usually a fit issue.

Show the Score in Canvas

The score belongs on the Canvas top strip, not buried in a sidebar. Color-code it. A rep glances and decides — that’s the whole point.

What to Do This Week

  1. Split your single score into Fit and Intent fields.
  2. Add at least three negative rules.
  3. Set up a nightly decay workflow on the Intent Score.
  4. Pull last quarter’s closed deals and check if scores predicted them.
[object Object]
Share