Lead Grading Calculator
Grade a lead A–F on firmographic fit alone, the classic grading matrix.
Grade C is a marginal fit. These are usually worth nurturing rather than routing straight to sales, the gap is almost always talking to a decision-maker.
Grading measures fit (who they are); it says nothing about intent. Combine with the Lead Scoring Logic Architect for the classic grade × score routing matrix.
About this calculator
Lead grading is the classic marketing-automation concept most teams half-remember: a letter grade, A through F, based purely on firmographic and demographic fit, with no behavior or engagement in the mix at all. That deliberate narrowness is the point, this calculator answers "is this the right kind of company and contact" completely separately from "are they engaged," so the two questions don't get muddled together in one score.
How to use it
- Rate five fit criteria as Yes, Partially, or No: right industry/vertical, right company size, budget confirmed or implied, talking to a decision-maker, and serviceable geography.
- Read the resulting letter grade, A through F, and the fit score out of 100 it's based on.
- Check the weakest criterion, the lowest-scoring input dragging the grade down.
Methodology
Each criterion carries a fixed weight: industry 25, company size 20, budget 20, authority 20, geography 15, totaling 100. A Yes answer scores full weight, Partially scores half weight, No scores zero.
The fit score is the sum of weighted points divided by total possible weight (100), expressed as a percentage. That percentage maps to a letter grade: 90+ is A, 75-89 is B, 60-74 is C, 40-59 is D, below 40 is F.
The weakest criterion is simply whichever input has the lowest point value among the five, surfaced separately so you know exactly which fit dimension to investigate before routing the lead further.
This grade is fit-only by design, it says nothing about engagement, intent, or how actively the prospect is evaluating a purchase. A grade-A lead who has never opened an email is still a cold lead; the classic grade × score matrix pairs this fit grade with a separate behavioral score (see the Lead Scoring Logic Architect) before a routing decision is made.
FAQ
Grading measures only who the prospect is, industry, size, budget, authority, geography, into a letter grade. Scoring (the Lead Scoring Logic Architect) measures both fit and behavior together into a numeric 0-100 score with a routing recommendation. The two are meant to be used together, not as substitutes for each other.
Generally no, a poor fit grade means the prospect isn't a real match for what you sell regardless of how engaged they seem, so routing them to a rep wastes the most expensive resource in the funnel. Suppress or route to a self-serve or lower-touch track instead.
Mark it Partially or No rather than guessing Yes, since an inflated grade based on assumed budget or authority will misroute leads that later turn out to be a poor fit. Discovery calls exist specifically to convert these unknowns into confirmed Yes/No answers.