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⏱️ 2-4 hours • 🔧 Beginner • 💰 $50/month

Lead Intake & Qualification Playbook

Automate lead capture from multiple sources, enrich with company data, score for quality, route to the right person, and trigger personalized follow-up sequences. Turn every lead into a qualified opportunity.

What this automation does

This playbook creates an intelligent lead processing system that:

  • Captures leads from website forms, ads, and phone calls
  • Enriches lead data with company and contact information
  • Scores leads based on fit and behavior criteria
  • Routes qualified leads to the appropriate team member
  • Sends personalized auto-replies with next steps
  • Creates tasks and alerts for high-priority leads
  • Tracks lead source attribution and conversion rates

Typical Results

  • ⚡ Response time: Under 2 minutes (vs. 3+ hours manual)
  • 📈 Conversion rate: 40-60% improvement
  • 🎯 Lead quality: 80% reduction in unqualified leads
  • ⏰ Time saved: 15-20 hours per week

What you'll need

🔧 Required Tools

  • Zapier account (Starter plan minimum)
  • CRM system (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho, etc.)
  • Lead capture forms (website, landing pages)
  • Email service (Gmail, Outlook, or marketing platform)

💡 Optional Enhancements

  • Clearbit or similar for data enrichment
  • Slack for team notifications
  • Calendar scheduling tool (Calendly, Acuity)
  • SMS service (Twilio) for urgent leads

💰 Monthly Costs

  • Zapier: $20-50/month
  • Data enrichment: $50-200/month
  • Total: $70-250/month

System Architecture

High-level view of the lead processing workflow

📊 Workflow Architecture

1. Capture
Forms, Ads, Calls
2. Enrich
Company Data
3. Score
Quality Rating
4. Route
Right Person
5. Reply
Auto Response
6. Alert
Team Notification

Step-by-step implementation

Follow these steps to build your lead automation system

1

Set Up Lead Capture Forms

Goal: Create standardized forms that capture essential lead information across all channels.

Required Fields

  • Name: First and last name (separate fields)
  • Email: Primary contact method
  • Company: Business name
  • Phone: Optional but valuable for high-intent leads
  • Service Interest: Dropdown with your service categories
  • Message: Brief description of their needs
  • Lead Source: Hidden field to track form location

Implementation

  1. Create forms on your website using your form builder
  2. Add forms to landing pages for ad campaigns
  3. Set up consistent field naming across all forms
  4. Configure form submissions to trigger webhooks
  5. Test each form to ensure data is captured correctly
💡 Pro Tip: Keep forms short (5-6 fields max) to maximize conversion rates. You can collect additional information later in the nurturing process.
2

Configure Data Enrichment

Goal: Automatically enhance lead data with additional company and contact information.

Zapier Setup

  1. Trigger: New form submission (Webhook or form integration)
  2. Action 1: Clearbit Enrichment
    • Input: Email address from form
    • Output: Company size, industry, revenue, social profiles
  3. Filter: Only proceed if enrichment was successful
  4. Action 2: Format data for CRM import

Data Points to Capture

  • Company size (employee count)
  • Industry classification
  • Estimated annual revenue
  • Company location
  • Technologies used
  • Social media profiles
  • Job title and seniority level
⚠️ Important: Not all leads will have enrichment data available. Set up fallback workflows for leads without company information.
3

Implement Lead Scoring

Goal: Score leads based on fit and intent to prioritize follow-up efforts.

Scoring Criteria

Fit Score (Company)
  • Company size: 10-500 employees (+20 points)
  • Industry match: Target industries (+15 points)
  • Revenue: $1M-$50M (+10 points)
  • Location: Target geography (+5 points)
  • Technology stack: Uses relevant tools (+10 points)
Intent Score (Behavior)
  • Job title: Decision maker (+20 points)
  • Service interest: High-value service (+15 points)
  • Message quality: Detailed inquiry (+10 points)
  • Lead source: Direct website (+10 points)
  • Phone provided: Shows high intent (+5 points)

Zapier Scoring Logic

// Example scoring calculation in Zapier Code step
let score = 0;

// Company size scoring
if (inputData.company_size >= 10 && inputData.company_size <= 500) {
  score += 20;
}

// Industry scoring
const targetIndustries = ['technology', 'healthcare', 'finance'];
if (targetIndustries.includes(inputData.industry.toLowerCase())) {
  score += 15;
}

// Job title scoring
const decisionMakers = ['ceo', 'cto', 'vp', 'director', 'manager'];
if (decisionMakers.some(title => inputData.job_title.toLowerCase().includes(title))) {
  score += 20;
}

output = [{lead_score: score}];
💡 Pro Tip: Start with simple scoring rules and refine based on which leads actually convert. Track score vs. conversion rate to optimize your criteria.
4

Set Up Routing Rules

Goal: Route qualified leads to the appropriate team member based on criteria.

Routing Logic

  1. High Score (80+ points): Route to senior sales rep
  2. Medium Score (50-79 points): Route to appropriate specialist
  3. Low Score (Below 50): Route to nurture sequence
  4. VIP Indicators: Route to account manager
    • Large company (500+ employees)
    • High revenue potential
    • Existing customer referral

CRM Assignment

  1. Create lead record in CRM with all enriched data
  2. Assign to appropriate team member based on routing rules
  3. Set lead status (New, Qualified, Hot, etc.)
  4. Add tags for lead source and characteristics
  5. Create follow-up task with priority level
⚠️ Note: Ensure your team has clear SLAs for responding to different priority levels (e.g., Hot leads within 15 minutes, Medium within 2 hours).
5

Create Auto-Response Templates

Goal: Send immediate, personalized responses that set expectations and provide value.

Email Templates by Score

🔥 High Priority Lead (80+ points)
Subject: [Name], let's schedule your automation strategy call

Hi [First Name],

Thanks for reaching out about automation for [Company]. Based on your inquiry about [Service Interest], I can see huge potential for streamlining your operations.

I've reviewed [Company]'s profile and have some specific ideas that could save your team 15-20 hours per week.

I'll personally call you within the next 30 minutes, or if you prefer, you can book a time that works better here: [Calendar Link]

Best regards,
[Assigned Rep Name]
📋 Medium Priority Lead (50-79 points)
Subject: [Name], here's how we can help automate [Service Interest]

Hi [First Name],

Thanks for your interest in automation for [Company]. I've put together some resources specific to [Service Interest] that should be helpful.

[Relevant case study or playbook link]

I'll reach out within 24 hours to discuss your specific needs, or feel free to book a time directly: [Calendar Link]

Best regards,
[Team Member Name]
💡 Pro Tip: Use dynamic content to personalize emails with company name, industry, and specific challenges mentioned in their inquiry.
6

Set Up Team Notifications

Goal: Alert team members immediately when high-priority leads come in.

Notification Channels

  • Slack: Instant notifications for hot leads (80+ score)
  • SMS: Text alerts for VIP leads or after-hours submissions
  • Email: Daily digest of new qualified leads
  • CRM: Tasks and calendar blocks for follow-ups

Slack Notification Template

🔥 HOT LEAD ALERT 🔥

Name: [First Name] [Last Name]
Company: [Company] ([Company Size] employees)
Score: [Lead Score]/100
Interest: [Service Interest]
Source: [Lead Source]

Message: "[Inquiry Message]"

Assigned to: @[Team Member]
CRM Link: [Direct link to lead record]

👆 Follow up within 15 minutes for best results!
💡 Pro Tip: Include lead score and key data points in notifications so team members can quickly assess priority and prepare for the call.

Testing & Optimization

Ensure your automation works perfectly before going live

🧪 Testing Checklist

Pre-Launch Testing

  • Submit test leads through all forms
  • Verify data enrichment is working
  • Check lead scoring calculations
  • Confirm CRM records are created correctly
  • Test email templates for formatting
  • Verify team notifications are sent
  • Check routing to correct team members

Edge Cases to Test

  • Leads without company information
  • Duplicate email addresses
  • International phone numbers
  • Missing required fields
  • Very long inquiry messages

📊 KPIs to Monitor

Lead Quality Metrics

  • Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate
  • Average lead score vs. actual conversion
  • Time from lead to first contact
  • Response rate to auto-replies
  • Lead source performance

Operational Metrics

  • Data enrichment success rate
  • Automation error rates
  • Team response time by priority level
  • Cost per qualified lead
  • Time saved vs. manual process

Advanced configurations

Take your lead automation to the next level

🤖 AI-Powered Enhancements

  • Intent Analysis: Use OpenAI to analyze inquiry messages for buying intent
  • Response Generation: AI-generated personalized replies based on company data
  • Sentiment Scoring: Detect urgency and emotion in lead messages
  • Meeting Scheduling: AI chooses optimal follow-up timing
Tools: OpenAI API, Claude, or similar LLM services

📱 Multi-Channel Integration

  • Social Media: Capture leads from LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
  • Chat Widgets: Real-time chat lead qualification
  • Phone Calls: Voice-to-lead conversion with transcription
  • Events: Trade show and webinar lead processing
Tools: Social media APIs, chat platforms, call tracking services

🔄 Nurture Automation

  • Email Sequences: Automated follow-up campaigns by lead score
  • Content Delivery: Targeted resources based on interests
  • Re-engagement: Win-back campaigns for cold leads
  • Behavioral Triggers: Actions based on website activity
Tools: Email marketing platforms, marketing automation software

Frequently asked questions

Lead scoring accuracy improves over time as you refine criteria based on actual conversion data. Start with basic rules (company size, job title, industry) and adjust scoring weights based on which leads actually convert. Most businesses see 70-80% accuracy within 30 days of optimization.

The automation includes fallback workflows for leads without enrichment data. These leads are scored based on form information only and routed to a general queue. You can also set up manual research tasks for high-potential leads missing company data.

Absolutely. The email templates are fully customizable and can include dynamic content based on lead data, company information, and service interests. You can create different templates for different industries or lead sources.

Ensure your forms include proper consent checkboxes and privacy policy links. Store data only in GDPR-compliant tools, and include unsubscribe options in all automated emails. Document your data processing activities and retention policies.

Adjust your lead scoring criteria to be more restrictive, add qualification questions to your forms, or implement progressive profiling to filter leads over time. You can also set up separate nurture sequences for lower-scoring leads to warm them up before sales contact.

Ready to implement this playbook?

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