Skills › Knowledge Work Plugins › lead-finder › scoring.md

scoring.md

92 lines · small-business/skills/lead-finder/reference/scoring.md at 2574e29

1# Scoring

3Three components. The score decides the order the owner works the list in, which is the main thing the list is for.

5```

6score = (fit x 0.4) + (signal x 0.4) + (reachability x 0.2)

7```

9Each component runs 0 to 10. Signal is weighted equal to fit deliberately — a good-fit company with nothing happening is a cold call, and cold calls are what the owner was already doing badly.

11---

Scoring

Three components. The score decides the order the owner works the list in, which is the main thing the list is for.

score = (fit x 0.4) + (signal x 0.4) + (reachability x 0.2)

Each component runs 0 to 10. Signal is weighted equal to fit deliberately — a good-fit company with nothing happening is a cold call, and cold calls are what the owner was already doing badly.

Raw lines 1 to 12

13## Fit — 40%

15How closely the company matches the profile from `icp_method.md`.

17| Score | Meaning |

18|---|---|

19| 9–10 | Matches every profile criterion |

20| 7–8 | Matches the core criteria, off on one secondary dimension |

21| 5–6 | Plausible, but missing something that matters |

22| 3–4 | Adjacent — worth including only if signal is strong |

23| 0–2 | Do not include it |

25If the profile has a counter-pattern ("under 10 employees churns"), a company matching the counter-pattern caps at 4 regardless of everything else.

27---

Fit — 40%

How closely the company matches the profile from icp_method.md.

Score	Meaning
9–10	Matches every profile criterion
7–8	Matches the core criteria, off on one secondary dimension
5–6	Plausible, but missing something that matters
3–4	Adjacent — worth including only if signal is strong
0–2	Do not include it

If the profile has a counter-pattern ("under 10 employees churns"), a company matching the counter-pattern caps at 4 regardless of everything else.

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29## Signal — 40%

31Evidence something is happening right now. This is the difference between a prospect list and a directory.

33| Signal | Score | Why it matters |

34|---|---|---|

35| New location, expansion, or major permit filed | 10 | They are spending and their existing vendors may not scale |

36| Hiring for a role related to what the owner sells | 9 | Budget already approved |

37| Leadership or ownership change | 8 | New decision-makers re-evaluate vendors |

38| Funding, acquisition, or major contract won | 8 | Money and new needs at once |

39| Recent poor reviews of their current provider | 8 | Active dissatisfaction, usually the warmest signal available |

40| Seasonal timing matches their buying cycle | 6 | Right time, no specific trigger |

41| Recent website or brand refresh | 5 | Investing, but weak evidence of need |

42| Nothing found | 2 | Not disqualifying, just cold |

44**A signal needs a date and a source.** "Expanding" is a rumor. "Filed a permit for a second location on Mar 14, county records" is a reason to call this week.

46Never invent a signal. A prospect list with fabricated triggers destroys the owner's credibility on the first call, and they will never trust the skill again.

48---

Signal — 40%

Evidence something is happening right now. This is the difference between a prospect list and a directory.

Signal	Score	Why it matters
New location, expansion, or major permit filed	10	They are spending and their existing vendors may not scale
Hiring for a role related to what the owner sells	9	Budget already approved
Leadership or ownership change	8	New decision-makers re-evaluate vendors
Funding, acquisition, or major contract won	8	Money and new needs at once
Recent poor reviews of their current provider	8	Active dissatisfaction, usually the warmest signal available
Seasonal timing matches their buying cycle	6	Right time, no specific trigger
Recent website or brand refresh	5	Investing, but weak evidence of need
Nothing found	2	Not disqualifying, just cold

A signal needs a date and a source. "Expanding" is a rumor. "Filed a permit for a second location on Mar 14, county records" is a reason to call this week.

Never invent a signal. A prospect list with fabricated triggers destroys the owner's credibility on the first call, and they will never trust the skill again.

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50## Reachability — 20%

52How directly the owner can get in front of the decision-maker.

54| Route | Score |

55|---|---|

56| Shared customer or mutual connection who would introduce | 10 |

57| Named decision-maker with a verified direct contact | 8 |

58| Named decision-maker, contact inferred but unverified | 6 |

59| Named person, but not the decision-maker | 4 |

60| General company contact only | 3 |

61| No contact route found | 1 |

63**Warm paths are worth hunting for.** Cross-check target companies against the owner's existing customer list, shared associations, and overlapping geography. A referral route converts several times better than anything cold, and owners consistently underestimate how many they already have.

65---

Reachability — 20%

How directly the owner can get in front of the decision-maker.

Route	Score
Shared customer or mutual connection who would introduce	10
Named decision-maker with a verified direct contact	8
Named decision-maker, contact inferred but unverified	6
Named person, but not the decision-maker	4
General company contact only	3
No contact route found	1

Warm paths are worth hunting for. Cross-check target companies against the owner's existing customer list, shared associations, and overlapping geography. A referral route converts several times better than anything cold, and owners consistently underestimate how many they already have.

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67## Presenting the score

69Show the rank and the reason, not the arithmetic. Owners do not want to see a weighted formula; they want to know why this company is number three.

71**Bad:**

72```

73Ridgeline Property Group — score 8.4

74```

76**Good:**

77```

783. Ridgeline Property Group — 6 buildings, 18 miles out.

79 Filed a permit for a 7th on Mar 14. Their current HVAC vendor has

80 three 2-star reviews this quarter. Contact: Dana Whitfield, Facilities

81 Director, direct line verified.

82```

84Same score. Only one of them gets called.

86---

Presenting the score

Show the rank and the reason, not the arithmetic. Owners do not want to see a weighted formula; they want to know why this company is number three.

Bad:

Ridgeline Property Group — score 8.4

Good:

3. Ridgeline Property Group — 6 buildings, 18 miles out.
   Filed a permit for a 7th on Mar 14. Their current HVAC vendor has
   three 2-star reviews this quarter. Contact: Dana Whitfield, Facilities
   Director, direct line verified.

Same score. Only one of them gets called.

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88## Ties and cutoffs

90Break ties toward signal recency. A trigger from last week beats one from last quarter.

92Anything scoring below 4 does not go on the list at all. Including weak rows to reach a target count is the fastest way to make the ranking meaningless, and the ranking is the product.

Ties and cutoffs

Break ties toward signal recency. A trigger from last week beats one from last quarter.

Anything scoring below 4 does not go on the list at all. Including weak rows to reach a target count is the fastest way to make the ranking meaningless, and the ranking is the product.

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