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Lead scoring (SMART)

SMART scoring automatically rates every lead based on real engagement — calls, emails, SMS, and AI analysis — so your hottest opportunities always rise to the top.

How SMART scoring works

Every interaction with a lead contributes to their SMART score. The system evaluates engagement signals and maps the result to a status label:

Score range	Status	What it means
10+	Hot	High-intent lead with strong engagement. Prioritize for follow-up.
5 – 9	Warm	Interested lead with moderate engagement. Keep the conversation going.
0 – 4	Cold	Low engagement. May need a different approach or re-engagement campaign.

SMART scoring trusts Cori's AI analysis more heavily than raw activity counts. A single high-quality call where the lead expresses buying intent can push a score higher than a dozen unanswered outbound attempts.

What affects the score

Scores increase or decrease based on these engagement signals:

Signal	Impact
Successful call with engagement	Strong positive
AI-detected buying intent in transcript	Strong positive
Lead replies to SMS or email	Positive
Lead opens/clicks your email	Moderate positive
Meeting scheduled or completed	Positive
Unanswered outbound call	Slight negative
No activity for extended period	Gradual decay

Cold calls that go unanswered are penalized in scoring. The system rewards genuine two-way engagement over high outbound volume.

Viewing scores

You can see a lead's SMART score in several places:

Leads table — the status column reflects the SMART-assigned status
Lead detail page — the score appears alongside the status badge with a numeric value
Lead Scoring page — go to Lead Scoring in the sidebar for a detailed breakdown of any lead's score, showing which signals contributed and how much

Automatic updates

Scores update after every interaction — you do not need to trigger a recalculation. When you make a call, send an SMS, or receive a reply, the lead's score and status adjust in real time.

The status label on the leads table and Kanban board updates automatically to reflect the current score.

Manual overrides

You can always override a lead's status manually. When you do:

Open the lead's detail page and change the status dropdown to your preferred value.
SMART auto-scoring pauses for that lead — your manual choice takes precedence.
The lead retains your manual status regardless of new interactions.
To re-enable auto-scoring, click Reset to Auto on the lead's detail page. The score recalculates based on all interactions.

When you override a lead's status, Cori stops adjusting it. If you want Cori to manage the lead's status again, you must explicitly click Reset to Auto.

The Lead Scoring page

Go to Lead Scoring in the sidebar for a dedicated view that breaks down how each lead's score was calculated. This page shows:

The overall score and current status
A breakdown of contributing signals — each interaction type and its point value
Whether the lead is in auto-scoring or manual override mode
The score trend — whether the score has been rising or falling

Frequently asked

Can I customize the score thresholds?+

The thresholds (Hot at 10+, Warm at 5-9, Cold at 0-4) are calibrated to work across most sales processes. Contact support if your business needs require different thresholds.

Does the score ever go down?+

Yes. Scores decay gradually when there is no activity with a lead, and unanswered outbound calls have a slight negative impact. This ensures your pipeline stays current.

How does AI analysis affect scoring?+

After each call, Cori analyzes the transcript for buying signals, objections, and sentiment. Strong buying intent in a conversation contributes significantly to the score — more than raw activity volume.

What happens to the score when I import leads?+

Imported leads start with a score of 0 (Cold status) since there is no engagement history. The score updates as you begin interacting with them.

Can I see scoring for my whole team?+

Yes. The Lead Scoring page shows all leads. Filter by agent to see how an individual team member's leads are scoring.

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Last updated 16 Jun 2026 · Applies to: Asan CRM