Why Most B2B Leads Get Ignored (And How to Fix It)
Marketing sends 1,000 leads. Sales calls only 50. The rest? Deleted.
That’s $1.2 million wasted every year for most mid-sized B2B companies.
The fix is simple: build a B2B lead scoring model that sales trusts and uses.
At CFT B2B Leads, we’ve helped over 200 teams create scoring systems that increase sales follow-up by 45% and cut customer cost by 38%. They work in HubSpot, Salesforce, or even Excel.
Here’s your simple 4-step guide. No tech skills needed.
Step 1: Work Together to Define Your Perfect Customer
Don’t guess who your best customers are. Ask sales this one question: “Which 5 customers closed fastest last year?”
Then combine that with marketing data like company size, job title, and industry.
Do it in one 90-minute meeting. Use a shared Google Sheet. Let sales pick 50% of the scoring rules.
This single step makes sales 60% more likely to use the model.
Step 2: Score Leads in 2 Simple Ways (The 60/40 Rule)
Split your scoring into two parts.
First, who they are (60% of the score):
- VP or Director = +20 points
- Company with over $50 million revenue = +15 points
- In your target industry = +10 points
Second, what they do (40% of the score):
- Requested a demo = +30 points
- Visited pricing page = +25 points
- Opened 3 or more emails = +15 points
Easy formula: Total Score = (Who They Are × 0.6) + (What They Do × 0.4)
Leads with 80+ points go straight to sales.
Step 3: Set 3 Clear Actions (No Confusion)
Make it automatic. No manual work.
If the score is 80 to 100, auto-send to the top salesperson and send a Slack alert. If it’s 60 to 79, have an SDR call within 24 hours. Below 60, keep in email nurture.
Connect HubSpot to Slack and you’re done. One client cut response time from 2 days to just 6 minutes.
Step 4: Improve It Every Month (Takes 30 Minutes)
Your model gets better over time. Every 30 days, do this:
- Look at 100 scored leads
- Ask sales: “Which rules should change?”
- Update scores (add or subtract 5 points)
After 3 months, accuracy jumps from 68% to 91%. Sales cycles drop from 84 days to 59.
Real Example: SaaSFlow Fixed Their Lead Problem
Before working with us, SaaSFlow sent 800 leads a month. Sales used only 19%. Cost per customer was $24,000.
After our 4-step model:
- Sales used 64% of leads
- Cost per customer dropped to $14,000
- Pipeline grew 48%
The VP of Sales said: “Finally, marketing sends leads we actually call.”
Your Turn: Build Your Model in 1 Week
Just follow these 4 steps:
- Meet with sales
- Use 60/40 scoring
- Set auto-actions
- Review monthly
Ready to Start? USA Office: 973-814-2525 Or fill the form: cftb2bleads.com/contact
Get Your FREE Scoring Template ready in 2 minutes.
FAQ (Google Featured Snippet Ready)
Q1: What is a B2B lead scoring model? A: A system that gives points to leads based on who they are and what they do, so sales knows who to call first.
Q2: Why do sales ignore most leads? A: Because marketing scores without sales input. Fix: Let sales pick 50% of the rules.
Q3: What’s the best score ratio? A: 60% who they are + 40% what they do = best results.
Q4: How fast do we see results? A: 30 to 60 days with auto-actions and monthly updates.
Q5: What tools work best? A: HubSpot, Salesforce, or Excel all supported by CFT templates.