Fit score
In short
A fit score is a numeric rating of how well a company or person matches the profile of customers you want. It is built from traits that rarely change, such as industry, employee count, region, tools used, and job title.
A fit score answers one question: should we sell to this account at all? It does not say whether the account is ready to buy. That is the job of an intent or engagement score.
What goes into a fit score
- Firmographics: Industry, size, revenue, and region.
- Technographics: Tools the company uses that suggest need or compatibility.
- Role and seniority: For contact-level scoring, whether the person has buying influence.
- Disqualifiers: Traits that subtract points or rule an account out, such as a market you cannot serve.
A simple example
Say a team scores accounts out of 100. Matching the target industry adds 30 points, being in the right size band adds 25, using a compatible tool adds 25, and being in a served region adds 20. An account scoring 85 goes to the priority list. One scoring 30 is left alone. The weights are illustrative; yours should come from your own win data.
Fit score vs. ICP scoring
They are close, and teams often use them loosely as the same thing. The practical difference: a fit score is the output, the rating attached to one account, while ICP scoring is the method and model used to produce it, including how weights are chosen and tested. Use ICP scoring for the how and fit score for the result.
How to use it
Combine with intent
Pair fit with a timing signal. High fit and high intent means act now. High fit and low intent means nurture. Low fit and high intent is usually a poor use of time.
Set thresholds
Decide what score routes to a rep, what goes to a nurture program, and what is excluded. Write the cutoffs down.
Check it against outcomes
Every quarter, compare scores with closed-won and closed-lost deals. If high scorers do not win more often, the weights are wrong.
Common mistakes
- Setting weights by opinion instead of from customer data.
- Mixing fit and behavior into one number, which hides why an account ranks high.
- Letting data decay so scores reflect last year's company size.
- Never testing whether the score predicts wins.
Fit score FAQs
What is a fit score in sales?
A fit score is a number that rates how closely a company or contact matches your ideal customer, based on stable traits like industry, size, tech stack, and role. It helps teams decide which accounts deserve outreach, but not when to reach out.
How is a fit score calculated?
You assign points to traits that match your best customers, such as target industry, size band, or compatible tools, and subtract points for disqualifiers. Weights should come from analysis of closed-won and closed-lost deals, then be tested over time.
What is the difference between a fit score and an intent score?
A fit score measures how well an account matches your target customer. An intent score measures signs it is actively looking to buy. Fit says whether to pursue an account, and intent helps decide when to approach it.
What is a good fit score?
There is no universal good score, because every model uses its own scale and weights. Define thresholds from your data, for example the score range where most past wins fall, and use them to route accounts to reps or nurture.
