A comprehensive guide to SuiteCRM lead scoring

High-performing marketing campaigns often lead to a high volume of new contacts entering your systems, but not every lead is ready to buy. This lack of qualification risks overwhelming your sales team. This tutorial provides a four-step framework for defining and automating lead classification (scoring) directly within your SuiteCRM system using custom workflows.

• Implement a Four-Step Process: Define the process, check the data structure, implement the workflow, and then test and deploy the solution.
• Define Classes: Use classical B2B scoring, classifying leads (e.g., A, B, C) based on critical data like company size.
• Use Conditional Workflows: Apply logic to automatically assign a class or score based on values that website visitors entered via web forms.
• Optimize Sales Handoff: Ensure leads move along the customer journey, deciding when the transfer from the marketing department to the sales department should occur.

Understanding the 'Why': The Necessity of Lead Scoring and Classification

In the best case, your marketing campaigns are working well and resonating with your target group of customers, leading to plenty of leads coming into your systems. However, you will notice quickly that not every lead is the same.

If your sales team starts calling or working directly with every new lead—even a marketing qualified lead (MQL) who simply signed up for a webinar or filled out a web form—your sales team will be overwhelmed. They will be very unhappy that they receive very unqualified leads. This is not ideal because the leads are simply not ready to buy.

Therefore, you need to move the leads along a customer journey or a lead journey. You must decide when the transfer between the marketing department and the sales department should occur. Even if you have newer ways of selling where everybody is marketing, you still need to put a number onto the lead. This number indicates how likely it is that the lead is ready for you to talk to them now.

The Four-Step Process for Implementing Lead Scoring

Implementing lead scoring is a standard business process. You should follow this four-step approach:

1. Define the Process: Establish the criteria for scoring.
2. Check the Data: Verify that the scoring is possible with your existing data structure or the future data you are building up.
3. Implement the Workflow: Build the automation logic.
4. Test and Deploy: Validate the setup.

Defining a Classical B2B Lead Classification Model

To define the process, we would simply go with a classical B2B lead scoring system or method. There are alternative options, such as adding points based on the values or data the lead provided. If you focus more on the marketing automation side of things, you can score based on the behavior, such as what the person did on the website. The classical approach detailed here relies on forms collecting data that people entered.

We will use the following classical classification example based on company size:

• Class C Lead: If a lead's company size is less than 20 people.
• Class B Lead: If the company size is between 21 and 100 people or employees.
• Class A Lead: If the company size is more than 101 people.

Sometimes points work better, and sometimes it works better to think in classes. You will have to figure out what works best for your organization.

Preparation: Setting Up Data Fields and Web Forms in CRM

First, check your current system to see if leads are organized or if their value is clear. In your SuiteCRM system, you must create fields for company size (e.g., options for 1 to 20, 21 to 100, and 101+) and lead class (A, B, C). [Visual Suggestion: Screenshot 1: CRM Field Setup]

Additionally, ensure your lead web form collects the necessary data points, such as the employee/company size, in addition to standard data like name, phone number, and email. [Visual Suggestion: Screenshot 2: Web Form Example]

Implementing Classification Using Multiple Workflows

Once people fill in the web form and the data enters your CRM system, you can use a workflow to qualify or put a score or class onto the lead. Access the admin area and navigate to the Workflow Manager.

General Workflow Configuration:

When configuring the workflow, select the Leads module. We want the workflow to run only on Save and only on new records. Name your workflows reasonably, such as "Score Lead" or "Classify/Qualify Lead," so you can easily recognize them. For simple logic, we will use conditions and base specific outcomes on those end conditions, rather than complex calculated fields.

Step-by-Step: Creating the Class C Workflow

We start by defining the conditions for a Class C lead:

1. Define Conditions (Pre-conditions):
   • Lead Source: The lead source should be from the website. This avoids applying the same scoring if you import data, where you might already know the class in advance.
   • Data Presence: The company size field should not be equal to Mt (empty).
   • Specific Range (White List): The company size is specifically one through 20 employees.
2. Define Action: If all conditions are met, modify the record.
   • Set the field lead class to the value C.
3. Testing: It is best to test the Class C workflow first to check for obvious mistakes before duplicating it two times. A test submission with a company size in the 1-20 range demonstrated that the lead class was correctly assigned as C. [Visual Suggestion: Screenshot 3: Workflow Configuration (Class C)]

Duplication and Setup for Class B and A Workflows

Since the Class C workflow is successful, the simple way to implement the rest of the logic is to duplicate the existing workflow.

1. Edit for Class B: Change the workflow name to include Class B, modify the range condition to 21 to 100 employees, and set the resulting lead class field to B.
2. Edit for Class A: Duplicate the workflow again, change the name to include Class A, modify the range condition to above 100 employees, and set the resulting lead class field to A.

After duplication, leads covering the medium-sized and bigger company options were tested. A lead with 101 employees resulted in an A class, and a medium-sized lead resulted in a B class. [Visual Suggestion: Screenshot 4: Test Result View]

Alternative Approach: Using Calculated Fields for Complex Logic

Using multiple simple workflows based on specific conditions is very easy if you maintain a good naming convention. This method prevents you from having to build all those complex formulas by yourself.

However, if you need more complex scoring logic—for instance, if you have multiple fields as pre-conditions—your total number of workflows will become high. For complex models, especially those involving maybe two fields or more, using calculated fields is recommended. Calculated fields allow for complex formulas with nested terms, which can build more sophisticated logic into your lead scoring process. While this makes the formula complexer (longer), it reduces the total amount of workflows needed.

Summary and Next Steps

You have seen how leads coming into your CRM system can use workflows to calculate lead points or a lead class. This classification is based on the values that your website visitors entered into the web forms. If your logic is simple, keep it simple by adding a couple of workflows with defined conditions and outcomes. If you require more complex logic, you should look into calculated fields to build a more sophisticated scoring process.