Lead scoring is a system that ranks leads by how likely they are to become customers, based on fit and behavior. Fit measures how closely they match your ideal customer profile; behavior measures the intent they have shown. Scoring directs sales attention toward the leads most worth pursuing.

Lead scoring exists to stop your most expensive resource, selling time, being spent on people who will never buy. The trap is scoring on engagement alone, which rewards curious readers over serious buyers. Score on fit first and behavior second, or you will build a system that reliably prioritizes the wrong people.

Example:

A perfect-fit company that requested pricing scores far above a poor-fit company that opened four emails, even though the second looks more engaged.

What should lead scoring be based on?

Fit with your ideal customer profile first, and demonstrated buying behavior second. Engagement alone rewards curiosity rather than genuine purchase intent.

Why can lead scoring backfire?

If it rewards engagement over fit, it sends sales toward enthusiastic non-buyers while genuine prospects who engage less visibly get ignored.