Lead scoring model template for leads you score by hand
A lead scoring model template for small B2B and service teams: 9 fit and intent criteria worth 100 points, scored in 2 minutes from what the lead said in a chat, form or call. Plus a BANT worksheet, grades tied to an owner and a response time, a monthly calibration, Word and Excel.
Made by Anatolii Ulitovskyi 
Fact-checked by RH Fardin Updated 1. Lead scoring model template: fit and intent points
Start hereScore each new lead in 2 minutes from what they said in the chat, form or call. Fit points: who they are. Intent points: what they need and when.
Fit points: who they are (40)
| Criterion | Full points when the lead says | Half points | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | A size in your range, such as 5 to 50 employees | Close to the range, or "about" | 12 |
| Service area | A location in your area | Moving there soon, or remote work you can serve | 10 |
| Service fit | Needs a service you sell | Needs it plus work you do not do | 12 |
| Systems | Uses the tools or systems you support | Not sure which one | 6 |
Intent points: what they said (60)
| Criterion | Full points when the lead says | Half points | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Need | A specific problem in their own words | General interest: "looking at options" | 16 |
| Timing | A start date or deadline within 60 days | Within 6 months, or "soon" | 16 |
| Budget evidence | A number, range or current spend that fits your minimum price | Fits part of the work, or "depends on the price" | 12 |
| Authority | Decides, or the decision maker joins the next call | Names who decides, not involved yet | 10 |
| Next step | Asks for a call, a price or a proposal | Agrees to one when you offer it | 6 |
Score in 2 minutes
- Read onceRead the chat, form or call notes. Copy the lead's exact words for need, timing, budget and authority.
- Pick a level per rowClear: full points. Partly: half points. Not said: 0, and the row goes on the unanswered questions list.
- Subtract and stopSubtract negative points (tab 03). Any hard disqualifier ends the scoring: grade X.
- Route itLook up the grade, owner and respond-by time (tab 04). Write the score and grade on the lead.
Keep it to 6 to 10 criteriaEvery extra row costs time and adds noise. Add one, remove one, and keep the total at 100 so scores stay comparable.
2. BANT qualification worksheet: evidence for each answer
One worksheet per lead. Evidence is what the lead said, in quotes. Anything you believe but did not hear goes under Assumption and scores 0.
BANT worksheet
| Field | Evidence: their words | Assumption to check | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget evidence | their words on budget or current spend | what you believe | 0, 6 or 12 |
| Authority | their words on who decides | who else may be involved | 0, 5 or 10 |
| Need | their words on the problem | the cause you suspect | 0, 8 or 16 |
| Timing | their words on a date, deadline or event | why that date matters | 0, 8 or 16 |
| Unanswered questions | every row with 0 or half points | Ask at the next contact, one at a time | - |
2.1Budget evidence
CountsA number, a range, or what they pay today.
Does not count"Price is not an issue" without a number.
AskSo I can suggest the right option: what do you spend on this today, or what range did you have in mind?
2.2Authority
Counts"I decide", or a named person who agrees to join the call.
Does not countA senior job title alone.
AskWho else will be part of the decision? They are welcome to join the call.
2.3Need
CountsA problem, what it costs them, or what triggered the search.
Does not count"Just looking at options."
AskWhat made you look for help with this now?
2.4Timing
CountsA date, a deadline or an event, such as a contract that ends.
Does not count"Soon" or "ASAP" with no date.
AskIs there a date this needs to be in place by?
Ask the need firstAsk about the need before the budget. A budget question feels natural once the lead has explained the problem.
3. Negative points and hard disqualifiers
Negative points lower a score that looks good on paper. A hard disqualifier ends the scoring: the lead gets grade X, a polite reply and the Junk status, whatever the points say.
Negative points
| Signal | Example in their words | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Price shopping only | "Just send me your lowest price." No details given. | -10 |
| Far-off start | "Maybe next year." A start more than 6 months away. | -10 |
| Budget below your minimum | "amount at most." Below your minimum, but more than half of it. | -15 |
| Terms you do not offer | Asks for a guarantee, deadline or contract you cannot give. | -10 |
Hard disqualifiers: grade X, whatever the score
| Disqualifier | What to do |
|---|---|
| Not a buyer: job seeker, vendor, competitor, spam | A short reply, or none for spam. |
| Wants a service you do not sell | Polite exit, name another provider. |
| Outside the area you serve | Polite exit with the reason. |
| Budget below half of your minimum | Polite exit. Offer a lower-cost option if you have one. |
Polite exit messageHi first name,
Thank you for telling us about their need. We focus on what you do and for whom, so we are not the right fit for their request. Another option or provider, if you know one.
If things change, we would be glad to hear from you.
your name
Write down the reasonEvery X and every negative point gets a one-line reason in the lead's notes. The reasons show which leads your website attracts by mistake.
4. Grades with thresholds, owners and response times
Respond on timeEach grade has a score range, an owner, a response time in business hours and a Leads status.
Grade table
| Grade | Owner, respond within | Action and Leads status |
|---|---|---|
| A: 70 to 100 | senior seller or owner, 1 business hour | Call, or reply with two meeting times. Status: Qualified. |
| B: 45 to 69 | sales rep, 4 business hours | Ask the unanswered questions, offer one next step. Status: In Progress. |
| C: 0 to 44 | nurture owner, 1 business day | Send one useful resource, check in after 30 days. Status: In Progress. |
| X: any disqualifier | name, 2 business days | Polite exit with the reason. Status: Junk. |
A lead: first replyHi first name, your name from company here. Thanks for the details on their need. We can help with that before their deadline. Could we talk for 20 minutes on day at time or day at time? Decision maker is welcome to join.
B lead: first replyHi first name, thanks for writing to company about their need. So I can suggest the right option, two quick questions: unanswered question 1? And unanswered question 2? Then I'll send you a price range or two times for a call.
C lead: first replyHi first name, thanks for your interest in company. Since you're planning for their timing, here is a guide, checklist or price list that helps with their need: link. I'll check in on date. If anything changes sooner, just reply here.
Rules
- Every lead gets a reply, X leads included.
- After hours, the clock starts at opening time on the next business day.
- If the owner is away, backup name takes the lead. Log the time of the first reply.
5. Sales opportunity scorecard: go or no-go before a proposal
Use it after the first call, before you write a proposal. Go only when all four parts pass.
Opportunity scorecard
| Part | Check | Pass if | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit signals | Size, area, service, systems | Fit points 30 or more of 40 | points |
| Disqualifiers | Any hard disqualifier or negative signal | No disqualifier; -10 negative points at most | none, or which |
| Buyer evidence | Budget, authority, need, timing in their words | All four with at least half points | their words |
| Next step | A dated step the buyer agreed to | Date, time and who joins | date and time |
| Decision | Go, or no-go with a reason | Go: all four parts pass | go or no-go |
Go: convert to a deal
- Convert the lead to a deal with the deal value and the buyer's words in the notes.
- Book the next step as a task with a deadline.
No-go: stop or nurture
- A disqualifier came up on the call: polite exit, status Junk.
- Buyer evidence is missing: ask for it once more, then move the lead to C with a check-in date.
- No next step agreed: do not write the proposal yet.
Next-step email after a goHi first name,
Thanks for your time today. What I heard: need in their words, by date, with a budget of amount or range. Decision maker decides.
Next step: proposal or meeting on day, date at time. If anything above is wrong, reply and I'll fix it before then.
your name
6. Score decay and monthly calibration with won and lost deals
Intent fades when a lead goes quiet, and weights drift away from what really wins. Two routines keep the model honest.
Score decay
- Fit never decaysSize, area, service and systems stay until the lead says they changed.
- Intent loses 5 points a weekFor every 7 days without a reply from the lead, subtract 5 points, up to all intent points.
- Re-grade when it dropsWhen the current score falls into a lower grade, that grade's owner and action apply.
- Re-score on any replyScore intent from the new message and restart the count.
Monthly calibration, first [Monday] of the month
- Fill in outcomesMark each lead Won or Lost once it closes. Open leads stay blank.
- Check win rate by gradeA must win more often than B, and B more often than C. If not, fix the thresholds or weights.
- Check each criterionCompare the share of points won and lost leads got on it. A gap under 10 points: lower its weight. 30 points or more: raise it.
- Change littleMove at most 2 weights, by up to 5 points each. Keep the total at 100 and write down the date.
- Wait for dataChange weights only with 20 or more closed leads.
Check A leads firstCheck the share of A leads answered within 1 business hour. A perfect score is wasted if nobody calls.
7. How the AI agent asks the scoring questions
Paste into InstructionsThe AI agent asks the questions in the chat, one at a time, and writes an evidence summary. A person scores the lead from it in 2 minutes.
Qualification rules for the InstructionsQUALIFICATION RULES
1. Answer the visitor's question first. Then ask up to 6 short questions, one per message, in this order: what they need help with, company size and location, the system or software they use, when they need it, their budget or current spend, who decides.
2. Skip any question the visitor has already answered.
3. Ask about budget only after the need, and say why: so we can suggest the right option. Prices come only from the Knowledge Base.
4. If they ask for a call or a price, offer next step and ask for the best phone number or email.
5. Never tell the visitor a score, a grade or that they are being qualified. Never promise a price, a discount or a start date.
6. If the visitor is a job seeker or a vendor, or wants a service we do not sell, thank them and say: "polite exit line"
7. End with: "team name replies within 1 business day, often sooner."
8. Write a summary for the team: Need, Timing, Budget, Authority, each in the visitor's own words or "not said", then Unanswered questions.
Test it: 4 messages
| Visitor types | Pass if |
|---|---|
| What do you charge for service? | Answers from the Knowledge Base, then asks about the need. |
| We need someone by date, budget about amount. | Does not ask about timing or budget again. |
| What's my lead score? | Mentions no score or grade. |
| Can you guarantee a start next Monday? | Promises no date, offers next step. |
Evidence summary the agent writesLead summary
Need: "their words"
Timing: "their words" or not said
Budget: "their words" or not said
Authority: "their words" or not said
Company: size, location, system
Asked for: call, price or proposal
Unanswered questions: list
For small sales and support teams
Your AI agent asks the questions. Your team scores and calls.
In CRMsoftware.pro the AI agent asks your qualification questions in the chat, day and night. New chats land in Leads, where your team adds the score in a custom field and plans the call as a task. The app does not score leads for you.
- Leads with Status, Assigned To, Notes and Convert to Deal
- Custom Fields for the score and grade, tasks with a Deadline
- AI chat and leads on Free; human handover from Launch, $19 a month billed yearly
Free plan: 3 users, no credit card.
Filled example
A lead scored in 2 minutes: from chat to grade A
This lead scoring model template, filled in for one lead. Juniper Ledger, a fictional bookkeeping firm in Denver, Colorado, gets a website chat on Tuesday 6 October 2026 at 10:14. The AI agent asks the questions, Ben scores the lead at 10:25, and grade A goes to Rosa, the owner.
BANT worksheet
| Field | Evidence: her words | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Need | "Our books are already 4 months behind", and the bookkeeper retires | 16 of 16 |
| Timing | "Before 1 November" | 16 of 16 |
| Budget evidence | "We pay Pat about $500 a month"; nothing said on the catch-up | 6 of 12 |
| Authority | "Greg, the owner" decides; not in the chat yet | 5 of 10 |
| Next step | "Can we talk this week?" | 6 of 6 |
Score and routing
| Fit points | 37 of 40: 18 people, Aurora, monthly books and payroll; QuickBooks Online not sure (3 of 6) |
| Intent points | 49 of 60 |
| Score and grade | 86, grade A: no negative points, no disqualifier |
| Owner and respond by | Rosa, by 11:14 (1 business hour). First reply 10:41: on time |
| Unanswered questions | Catch-up budget, Greg on the call, QuickBooks Online, how many people on payroll |
| If she goes quiet | After 2 weeks: 76, still A. After 4 weeks: 66, grade B, owner Ben |
What lands in the CRM
| Leads | Tallgrass Signs, Source Live Chat, Status Qualified, Assigned To Rosa |
| Custom fields | Lead score 86, Grade A |
| Notes | The BANT evidence in her words and the 4 unanswered questions |
| Task | Call with Marisol and Greg, Assignee Rosa, Deadline Thursday 8 October, 10:00 |
| After the call | Opportunity scorecard, then Convert to Deal if it is a go |
Why it matters
Why a simple lead scoring model beats no model
The first hour matters more than the perfect pitch. In a study of 1.25 million sales leads at 29 B2C and 13 B2B companies in the US, firms that tried to contact a lead within an hour of the inquiry were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify it, meaning a meaningful conversation with a key decision maker, as firms that tried even an hour later. They were more than 60 times as likely as firms that waited 24 hours or longer1.
Many firms are slower than they think. An audit of 2,241 US companies, in the same article, found that 37% answered a web lead within an hour, 24% took more than 24 hours and 23% never answered. The average response time was 42 hours1. The data is from 2011, so treat it as a direction, not a forecast. A score earns its keep when it decides who calls which lead first.
BANT, short for budget, authority, need and timeline, was first developed in the 1950s2. Salesforce notes that it can be too simple for complex deals with several stakeholders2. This model keeps the four questions, asks for evidence instead of guesses, and adds fit, negative points and a monthly check against real wins.
7x
more likely to qualify a lead contacted within an hour than one contacted an hour later (HBR, 2011)
42 hours
average response to a web lead in an audit of 2,241 US companies (HBR, 2011)
100 points
9 criteria, scored in about 2 minutes per lead (this template's rule)
Examples
Lead scoring criteria examples for 6 small B2B businesses
Same model, different words. Pick 6 to 10 criteria that fit your business, then check them against your own won and lost deals.
| Business | Fit criteria | Intent criteria | Hard disqualifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping firm | 5 to 50 employees, in your state, software you support | Books behind, a tax or payroll deadline, current spend | Personal tax returns only |
| IT services | 10 to 100 devices, within an hour's drive, no in-house IT | A recent outage or security scare, a contract that ends | A one-off repair of a home computer |
| Marketing agency | A revenue band you serve, a market you know | A launch date, a monthly budget, the owner on the call | Budget below half your minimum retainer |
| Commercial cleaning | Office size in your range, in your service area | Current contract ends, a start date, current price | One-time cleaning, if you sell contracts |
| B2B software | Team size, a tool you connect with | Trial started, a problem with the current tool, a renewal date | Personal use, or a competitor |
| Wholesale supplier | Shop or trade business, a region you ship to | Order size, a reorder date, a problem with the current supplier | Below your minimum order |
Behavior points such as email opens and page views need marketing software that tracks them. When you score by hand from a chat, a form or a call, score what the lead said.
Excel
Lead scoring template for Excel: weights, scores, calibration
Three sheets: Criteria and weights, Lead scores and Calibration. Pick Clear, Partly or Not said for each criterion; the score, grade, owner and respond-by time fill in by themselves. Opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.
| Column | What it does |
|---|---|
| Criteria and weights | Criteria, weights that total 100, negative points, disqualifiers, grades, opening hours. |
| Received, Lead, Company, Source | When the lead arrived, and where from. |
| 9 criteria: Clear, Partly or Not said | What the lead actually said. Not said scores 0. |
| Negative signal, Disqualifier | Pick from the lists. A disqualifier makes the grade X. |
| Fit, Intent, Negative, Score, Grade Auto | Points from the weights, a score from 0 to 100, the grade from the thresholds. |
| Owner, Leads status, Respond by, On time Auto | From the grade, in business hours. On time compares your first reply with the deadline. |
| Decay, Current score, Current grade Auto | Minus 5 points per 7 days without a reply from the lead, up to all intent points. |
| Outcome, Deal value, Unanswered questions | Won or Lost once the lead closes. |
| Calibration Auto | Win rate by grade, A leads answered on time, and a check of each criterion against won and lost leads. |
The sample is Juniper Ledger, 1 September to 6 October 2026: 27 leads, 21 closed, 3 disqualified. Grade A won 6 of 8 (75%), B 3 of 8 (38%) and C 1 of 5 (20%), so the score predicts wins. 9 of 10 A leads got a reply within 1 business hour. The criteria check suggests raising Timing and lowering Systems.
How to use
How to set up this lead scoring model template
- 1
Pick 6 to 10 criteria
Start with the 9 in tab 01. Fill in your size range, area, services and minimum price.
- 2
Set weights and grades
Fit 40, intent 60, total 100. Name an owner and a response time for A, B, C and X.
- 3
Score every new lead
2 minutes per lead, from what they said. Not said scores 0 and becomes a question.
- 4
Let the agent ask
Paste the rules from tab 07 into the AI agent and run the 4 test messages.
- 5
Calibrate every month
Fill in Won or Lost, check win rate by grade and each criterion, change at most 2 weights.
Set it up in CRMsoftware.pro
- Open Custom Fields in the left menu and click Add field: Entity type Leads, Field label Lead score, Field type Number. Add a second field, Grade, Field type Select, with Add option for A, B, C and X. Click Create field.
- My Bots > choose the bot > Basics tab: paste the rules from tab 07 into Instructions and your prices into the Knowledge Base. On the Behavior tab, turn on Collect User Data and Collect Description. Click Save Bot, then test in Try Bot.
- New chats land in Leads. Open the lead, read the chat, fill in Lead score and Grade, and paste the evidence and the unanswered questions into Notes.
- Set the Status (Qualified for A, In Progress for B and C, Junk for X) and Assigned To for the grade's owner.
- In Tasks, click New Task: Task title, Assignee and a Deadline at the respond-by time.
- After a go on the opportunity scorecard, click Convert to Deal and enter the Deal Title and Deal Value.
The app does not score leads: the score is a field your team fills in. AI chat, the leads inbox (limited), 1 pipeline and basic tasks are in the Free plan for 3 users. Launch, $19 a month billed yearly for 8 users, adds human handover and WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Messenger.
Monthly check: the model works when
- A leads win more often than B, and B more often than C.
- 9 or more of every 10 A leads got a reply within 1 business hour.
- Every X lead has a reason in Notes.
- The model still has 6 to 10 criteria, and the weights total 100.
FAQ
Lead scoring model template: common questions
What is a lead scoring model template?
A ready-made points table for ranking new leads: the criteria, the points for each, the score range for each grade and what happens next. This one has 9 criteria worth 100 points, split into fit (who the lead is) and intent (what they said).
What are good lead scoring criteria examples?
For fit: company size, service area, a service you sell and the systems you support. For intent: a specific need, a start date or deadline, budget evidence, who decides and a request for a call or a price. The examples table shows criteria for 6 kinds of small B2B businesses.
How is a lead score calculated?
Add the points for each criterion, then subtract any negative points. In this model a clear answer earns full points, a vague answer half, and anything not said 0. In the example, 37 fit points plus 49 intent points give 86, grade A.
What is BANT qualification?
BANT qualification checks four things about a lead: budget, authority, need and timeline. Salesforce dates it back to the 1950s2. The worksheet in tab 02 adds one rule: write down what the lead said as evidence, and score an assumption as 0 until the lead confirms it.
What is a sales opportunity scorecard?
A go or no-go check after the first call, before you write a proposal. It looks at fit signals, disqualifiers, buyer evidence and an agreed next step. If one part fails, you do not write the proposal yet.
Is there a free lead scoring template in Excel?
Yes, on this page, with no sign-up: a criteria and weights sheet, a scoring sheet where the score, grade, owner and respond-by time fill in by themselves, and a calibration sheet with win rate by grade.
How fast should you respond to a hot lead?
This template's rule for grade A is 1 business hour. In a study of 1.25 million leads, firms that tried to contact a lead within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify it as firms that tried an hour later1.
How often should you update a lead scoring model?
Check it every month against won and lost deals, and change weights only with at least 20 closed leads. Move at most 2 weights, by up to 5 points each.
What is the biggest mistake in lead scoring?
Scoring what you assume instead of what the lead said. A close second: no owner and no response time per grade, so hot leads wait as long as cold ones.
Does CRMsoftware.pro score leads automatically?
No. The AI agent asks your qualification questions in the chat, and the lead lands in Leads with the conversation. Your team adds the score and grade in custom fields, sets the Status and Assigned To, and plans the call as a task.
Related templates
Free tools
Sources
- Study of 1.25 million leads and audit of 2,241 US companies: James B. Oldroyd, Kristina McElheran and David Elkington, The Short Life of Online Sales Leads, Harvard Business Review, March 2011
- BANT definition, origin and limits: What is BANT? The Way to Qualify Better Leads and Close More Deals, Salesforce, 3 September 2024
- Plans, prices and features, checked 8 October 2026: CRMsoftware.pro pricing
Score what the lead said. Answer the best leads first.
Start free with 3 users: the AI agent asks your questions, and every lead lands in Leads with the chat. Human handover comes with Launch, $19 a month billed yearly.