AI Lead Qualification That Researches, Scores and Routes Every Inbound Lead

Who this is for

This build is for B2B teams whose inbound form fills arrive with no context, so salespeople spend their mornings researching leads instead of selling and their calendars fill with calls that were never going to close.

• Marketing is generating volume but sales says the leads are unqualified.
• Reps manually Google every inbound lead before deciding whether to call.
• Hot leads sit unactioned for hours or days because nobody flags them.
• Leadership cannot tell which lead sources actually produce qualified pipeline.

What we build

• Custom ICP scoring logic: your ideal-customer criteria translated into a rubric the AI uses to grade every lead from 1 to 10.
• Automated web research: the agent visits the lead's website, reads their About and Services pages and identifies their industry and size.
• Instant CRM enrichment: the AI writes a three-sentence summary of the lead's business straight into your CRM notes.
• High-intent routing: leads scoring 8 or above are pushed immediately to a priority Slack channel or SMS alert.
• Automated disqualification: low-scoring leads are routed to an automated resource and nurture email instead of a sales calendar.

How the workflow runs

• The researcher node: n8n opens a headless browser, visits the lead's URL and extracts key metadata and site content.
• The LLM brain: site data and form responses go to OpenAI or Anthropic with a specialised system prompt for evaluation.
• The comparison engine: the AI checks the lead against your explicit no-go list, such as students, competitors or companies under a revenue floor.
• The feedback loop: a thumbs up / thumbs down button in Slack lets your team correct the AI so scoring improves week over week.

Inputs we need from you

• A written definition of who is and is not a qualified lead, before the build starts.
• Access to one lead source, for example your website forms.
• Access to one destination, for example HubSpot or Pipedrive, plus Slack if you want alerts.
• Your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key. Usage is billed to you and depends on volume, model, and provider.

Timeline and scope

This build is scoped and priced as an AI Automation System. Scope covers one lead source connected to one destination system, with the scoring rubric and prompts documented so your team can adjust them without us. Timeline, price and acceptance criteria are agreed in writing before the build starts.

What the AI cannot do

• It can only research leads that supply a valid business email or website URL; it cannot uncover private or hidden financial data.
• It does not replace a discovery call; it decides who earns one.
• Scoring accuracy depends on the clarity of the ICP definition you provide.

Related engagements

• Use the free ICP Generator first if your ideal customer profile is not written down yet.
• Start with an AI Success Audit if you are not sure lead qualification is the right first build.
• Consider a Fractional CAO engagement if several workflows need owning, not just one.

Lead qualification guides

• MQL vs SQL: what changes at the sales handoff
• Lead scoring: build a model sales will trust
• AI SDR vs lead qualification system

Frequently asked questions

How does the AI research leads?

The AI uses a headless browser to visit the lead's website, extracts key metadata and content from their About and Services pages, then evaluates them against your ICP scoring criteria using OpenAI or Anthropic models.

What is included in the ICP scoring?

We translate your ideal customer profile into a rubric that grades every lead from 1 to 10, covering company size, industry, services offered and any no-go criteria you specify such as excluding competitors or students.

How much do API costs run?

You supply and own your OpenAI or Anthropic API key and usage. The cost depends on volume, model, and provider.

What happens to low-scoring leads?

They are routed automatically into a nurture sequence with educational resources instead of onto your sales team's calendar. They are not deleted, just handled appropriately.

Can the AI scoring improve over time?

Yes. A Slack feedback loop lets your team thumbs-up or thumbs-down each AI decision, and that feedback is used to tighten the scoring prompt so accuracy improves week over week.

How long does the build take?

It depends on the lead source and destination system. We agree the timeline, scope and acceptance criteria in writing before the build starts, once the ICP definition and system access are in place.