Why ICP Scoring Matters
Most B2B companies have a vague sense of their Ideal Customer Profile. "Mid-market SaaS companies" or "Enterprise retailers" is about as specific as it gets.
The problem? This level of granularity leaves massive efficiency on the table. Your team wastes cycles on accounts that will never close while high-potential prospects slip through the cracks.
A robust ICP scoring system changes everything.
Building Your Scoring Framework
Step 1: Analyze Your Winners
Start by examining your best customers—the ones who:
- Closed quickly
- Expanded over time
- Had high NPS scores
- Referred other customers
Look for patterns across:
- Firmographics: Company size, industry, geography, growth rate
- Technographics: Tech stack, tools they use, infrastructure maturity
- Behavioral: How they found you, engagement patterns, champion profile
- Situational: Timing triggers, recent events, org changes
Step 2: Weight Your Criteria
Not all signals are equal. Use historical data to determine which factors actually predict success.
Example weighting:
| Factor | Weight | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Uses Kubernetes | 25 | 90% of best customers use it |
| 50-500 employees | 20 | Sweet spot for our solution |
| Series B-D funded | 15 | Budget available, growing pains |
| Posted DevOps job | 15 | Active hiring = active need |
| Tech industry | 10 | Shorter sales cycles |
| US-based | 10 | Time zone alignment |
| Has CISO | 5 | Security budget exists |
Step 3: Implement Dynamic Scoring
Static scores decay quickly. Build a system that updates based on:
- Real-time signal detection
- Engagement with your content
- Changes in company situation
- Competitive intelligence
Step 4: Create Score Bands
Segment your scored accounts into actionable bands:
- 90-100 (Hot): Immediate, high-touch outreach
- 70-89 (Warm): Prioritized sequences
- 50-69 (Nurture): Automated nurture tracks
- Below 50: Deprioritize or exclude
Advanced Scoring Tactics
Negative Scoring
Don't forget to subtract points for red flags:
- Using a competitor (-20)
- Recent layoffs (-15)
- No technical team (-30)
- Bad payment history (-25)
Champion Scoring
Score individuals, not just accounts:
- Has budget authority (+20)
- Technical background (+15)
- Active on LinkedIn (+10)
- Engaged with content (+15)
- Referred by customer (+25)
Intent Layering
Combine fit scores with intent signals:
- High fit + High intent = Top priority
- High fit + Low intent = Nurture for timing
- Low fit + High intent = Qualify carefully
- Low fit + Low intent = Deprioritize
Measuring Success
Track these metrics to validate your scoring model:
- Conversion rate by score band - Higher scores should convert better
- Sales cycle length by score - Higher scores should close faster
- Deal size by score - Higher scores should have larger ACVs
- Churn rate by score - Higher scores should retain better
Recalibrate quarterly based on actual outcomes.
Need help building your ICP scoring model? Our team can help you analyze your data and implement a system tailored to your business.