What is scoring?

In marketing, scoring is a method used which consists in assigning a score to a prospect or customer based on certain predefined criteria. The established score then allows us to establish a commercial profile for each customer file. It gives an indication of the customer’s probability of purchasing.

How is scoring calculated?

Scoring is calculated from known qualitative and quantitative data on the customer/prospect. The criteria taken into account can for example be based on socio-demographic data, behavior regarding the latest marketing actions, consumption habits.

The data can also be based on the company of belonging for BtoB. Scoring practices in this sector are particularly complex and must be automated.

Scoring is particularly used in the insurance and credit sector to determine risks. Scoring is used to determine credit capacity and insurance rates.

What is scoring used for?

Customer scoring will allow the company to optimise the results of its future marketing campaigns by focusing its resources on prospects who have a high score. This optimises the probability of positive responses.

What are the different scoring techniques?

There are many marketing scoring techniques adapted to the sectors and types of customers the company targets.

First name scoring

First name scoring allows you to assign a probability to the age of the prospect based on their first name. First name scoring is done using INSEE (French national institute of statistics and economic studies), which lists more than 20,000 first names from civil registry registrations.

Prospect scoring

Prospect scoring is a technique which consists in defining a score for each prospect identified according to the different elements available on it. The type of scoring is particularly used in BtoB exchanges.

Predictive scoring

Predictive scoring makes it possible to generate probabilities on the behavior of the recipient or a customer regarding a marketing campaign. It makes it possible to select the recipients with the best chance of responding favorably to the offer proposed by the company. Predictive scoring also makes it possible to determine whether the risk of attrition is high.

Lead scoring

Lead scoring is a sales optimisation method. It helps determine which leads are most likely to be converted into customers. This type of scoring is mainly used in BtoB (Business to Business) commercial exchanges.

There are two types of lead scoring:

• Demographic lead scoring: it allows you to identify the person you are talking to in order to only contact leads who have commercial potential.
• Behavioral lead scoring allows you to assign a score to a prospect’s actions on the company’s website. This makes it possible to establish its transfer to the sales force.