Lead Qualification Automation

Turn inbound leads into qualified opportunities automatically. In this guide, you’ll build a conversational AI that engages new leads, asks qualifying questions, scores them, and creates records in your CRM — all without human intervention. What you’ll build: A complete lead qualification system that:

Engages leads via web chat, email, or SMS
Collects company size, budget, timeline, and use case
Scores leads based on your criteria
Creates contacts in HubSpot (or your CRM)
Routes hot leads to sales immediately

Time: 30-45 minutes

Prerequisites

Completed the First Conversational Agent guide
HubSpot account connected (or another CRM)
Understanding of integrations

The Business Problem

Your website generates leads, but your sales team wastes time on unqualified prospects. You need:

Immediate engagement — Respond to leads instantly, 24/7
Consistent qualification — Ask the same questions every time
Automatic scoring — Prioritize based on fit, not gut feeling
CRM sync — No manual data entry

Traditional chatbots feel robotic. Human qualification doesn’t scale. CogniAgent gives you the best of both: natural conversation that captures structured data.

Architecture Overview

Step 1: Create the Application

Create application

Create a new application called “Lead Management”.

Create workflow

Create a workflow called “Lead Qualifier”.

Step 2: Set Up the Trigger

We’ll use a webhook to receive leads from your website form.

Add Webhook trigger

Drag a Webhook node onto the canvas.

Copy the webhook URL

The node will show a unique URL. You’ll configure your website form to POST to this URL.

Configure expected data

Set up the expected payload structure:

{
  "name": "string",
  "email": "string",
  "company": "string",
  "source": "string"
}

For testing, use the webhook URL with a tool like Postman or curl to send test leads.

Step 3: Build the Qualification Skillset

This is the core of your lead qualification. The skillset defines what questions to ask and how to ask them.

Add Ask a Person node

Drag an Ask a Person node and connect it to the webhook.

Name: “Lead Qualification”
Key: lead_qual

Configure the skillset

Create a skillset with this configuration:

{
  "agentId": "lead-qualifier",
  "name": "Lead Qualification",
  "description": "Qualify inbound leads through natural conversation",

  "persona": {
    "agentName": "Alex",
    "organization": "{{company_name}}",
    "tone": "Professional yet friendly. Genuinely curious about their business challenges. Not pushy or salesy."
  },

  "inputVariables": [
    {
      "name": "company_name",
      "description": "Our company name",
      "defaultValue": "Acme Corp"
    },
    {
      "name": "lead_name",
      "description": "The lead's name from the form"
    },
    {
      "name": "lead_company",
      "description": "The lead's company from the form"
    }
  ],

  "settings": {
    "maxFieldAttempts": 3,
    "maxConsecutiveClarifications": 3,
    "requireConfirmation": true
  },

  "formFieldsMapping": {
    "company_size": {
      "template": {
        "id": "company_size",
        "name": "Company Size",
        "description": "Number of employees at their company",
        "type": "selection",
        "options": ["1-10", "11-50", "51-200", "201-1000", "1000+"],
        "required": true
      }
    },
    "annual_budget": {
      "template": {
        "id": "annual_budget",
        "name": "Annual Budget",
        "description": "Their budget range for this type of solution",
        "type": "selection",
        "options": ["Under $10k", "$10k-$50k", "$50k-$100k", "$100k-$500k", "Over $500k"],
        "required": true
      }
    },
    "timeline": {
      "template": {
        "id": "timeline",
        "name": "Timeline",
        "description": "When they're looking to make a decision or implement",
        "type": "selection",
        "options": ["Immediately", "1-3 months", "3-6 months", "6-12 months", "Just researching"],
        "required": true
      }
    },
    "use_case": {
      "template": {
        "id": "use_case",
        "name": "Primary Use Case",
        "description": "What problem they're trying to solve or what they want to accomplish",
        "type": "text",
        "required": true
      }
    },
    "current_solution": {
      "template": {
        "id": "current_solution",
        "name": "Current Solution",
        "description": "What they're currently using to solve this problem, if anything",
        "type": "text",
        "required": false
      }
    },
    "decision_maker": {
      "template": {
        "id": "decision_maker",
        "name": "Decision Authority",
        "description": "Whether they can make the purchasing decision or need to involve others",
        "type": "selection",
        "options": ["I make the decision", "I influence the decision", "I'm researching for someone else"],
        "required": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Map input variables

Pass the webhook data to the skillset:

{
  "lead_name": "{{webhook_1.body.name}}",
  "lead_company": "{{webhook_1.body.company}}"
}

Why These Fields?

Field	Qualification Signal
Company Size	Larger companies = bigger deals
Budget	Direct indicator of purchasing power
Timeline	”Immediately” = hot lead
Use Case	Validates product fit
Current Solution	Shows pain level and switching potential
Decision Maker	Determines if you’re talking to the right person

Step 4: Score the Lead

After the conversation, use AI to calculate a lead score.

Add Ask AI node

Connect an Ask AI node to the event handle of Ask a Person.

Name: “Score Lead”
Key: lead_score

Configure the scoring prompt

You are a lead scoring expert. Based on the qualification data below,
assign a lead score from 0-100 and categorize as HOT, WARM, or COLD.

Scoring criteria:
- Company size 201+ employees: +20 points
- Company size 51-200: +15 points
- Company size 11-50: +10 points
- Budget $50k+: +25 points
- Budget $10k-$50k: +15 points
- Timeline "Immediately": +25 points
- Timeline "1-3 months": +15 points
- Decision maker: +15 points
- Decision influencer: +10 points

Lead Data:
- Company: {{webhook_1.body.company}}
- Company Size: {{lead_qual.collectedData.company_size}}
- Budget: {{lead_qual.collectedData.annual_budget}}
- Timeline: {{lead_qual.collectedData.timeline}}
- Use Case: {{lead_qual.collectedData.use_case}}
- Current Solution: {{lead_qual.collectedData.current_solution}}
- Decision Authority: {{lead_qual.collectedData.decision_maker}}

Respond in JSON format:
{
  "score": <number 0-100>,
  "category": "<HOT|WARM|COLD>",
  "reasoning": "<one sentence explanation>"
}

Set output format

Set the output format to JSON so you can use the structured response.

Step 5: Route by Score

Different scores get different treatment.

Add Multi-Condition node

Add a Multi-Condition (Switch) node after the scoring.

Configure conditions

Create three branches:Branch 1: HOT

{{lead_score.response.category}} == "HOT"

Branch 2: WARM

{{lead_score.response.category}} == "WARM"

Branch 3: COLD (default)

Otherwise

Step 6: Set Up CRM Integration

All leads go to your CRM. We’ll use HubSpot, but the pattern works for any CRM.

Add App Action for each branch

Add an App Action node to each branch:

App: HubSpot
Action: Create Contact

Configure contact creation

Map the fields:

{
  "email": "{{webhook_1.body.email}}",
  "firstname": "{{webhook_1.body.name}}",
  "company": "{{webhook_1.body.company}}",
  "company_size": "{{lead_qual.collectedData.company_size}}",
  "budget_range": "{{lead_qual.collectedData.annual_budget}}",
  "timeline": "{{lead_qual.collectedData.timeline}}",
  "lead_score": "{{lead_score.response.score}}",
  "lead_category": "{{lead_score.response.category}}",
  "use_case": "{{lead_qual.collectedData.use_case}}",
  "lead_source": "{{webhook_1.body.source}}"
}

Step 7: Alert Sales for Hot Leads

Hot leads need immediate attention.

Add Slack notification

On the HOT branch, after creating the HubSpot contact, add an App Action:

App: Slack
Action: Send Message
Channel: #sales-alerts

Configure the message

🔥 *HOT LEAD ALERT* 🔥

*{{webhook_1.body.name}}* from *{{webhook_1.body.company}}* just qualified!

*Score:* {{lead_score.response.score}}/100
*Budget:* {{lead_qual.collectedData.annual_budget}}
*Timeline:* {{lead_qual.collectedData.timeline}}
*Use Case:* {{lead_qual.collectedData.use_case}}

{{lead_score.response.reasoning}}

<{{hubspot_contact_url}}|View in HubSpot>

Step 8: Add to Nurture for Warm Leads

Warm leads get added to an email nurture sequence.

Add nurture enrollment

On the WARM branch, after CRM creation, add another App Action:

App: HubSpot
Action: Add to List (or Enroll in Sequence)

Configure enrollment

Add to your nurture list or sequence ID.

Complete Workflow

Your final workflow should look like:

Testing Your Workflow

Send a test lead

Use curl or Postman to send a test lead:

curl -X POST https://your-webhook-url \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Jane Smith",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "company": "BigCorp Inc",
    "source": "website-demo-form"
  }'

Complete the qualification

Open the chat/email and answer the qualification questions as a hot lead:

Company size: 201-1000
Budget: $100k-$ 500k
Timeline: Immediately
Use case: “Automate customer support”
Decision maker: “I make the decision”

Verify the results

Check:

HubSpot contact was created with all fields
Slack alert was sent to #sales-alerts
Lead score is calculated correctly

Customization Ideas

Add Calendar Booking for Hot Leads

After Slack notification, add a booking link:

Multi-Channel Support

Let leads qualify through their preferred channel:

{
  "channels": ["web_widget", "email", "sms"],
  "channelPriority": "user_preference"
}

Add Knowledge Base

Let the AI answer product questions during qualification:

{
  "knowledgeBaseId": "kb_product_info"
}

The AI will search your knowledge base when leads ask questions.

Custom Scoring Rules

Adjust scoring based on your ideal customer profile. If you sell to enterprise:

- Company size 1000+: +30 points
- Company size 201-1000: +20 points
- Company size under 50: +0 points

Metrics to Track

Once deployed, monitor:

Metric	What It Tells You
Qualification completion rate	Are leads finishing the conversation?
Average conversation length	Is the AI being efficient?
Score distribution	Are you getting quality leads?
Sales conversion by score	Is your scoring accurate?
Time to first response	How fast are you engaging leads?

Troubleshooting

Leads aren't completing qualification

Check if there are too many required fields. Consider making some optional. Also review conversation logs — are users getting confused or frustrated?

Scores don't match expectations

Review your scoring criteria. The AI follows your rules exactly. If results seem off, adjust the point values or add new criteria.

CRM fields aren't populating

Verify the HubSpot property names match exactly. Custom properties need to be created in HubSpot first.

Slack alerts aren't sending

Check that the Slack integration has permission to post to the channel. Also verify the channel name is correct (with #).

Next Steps

E-commerce Returns

See another practical example with order system integration.

Skillset Engine

Advanced skillset configuration options.

Integrations

Connect to more CRMs and tools.

Knowledge Base

Let your AI answer product questions during qualification.

Guides

​Lead Qualification Automation

​Prerequisites

​The Business Problem

​Architecture Overview

​Step 1: Create the Application

​Step 2: Set Up the Trigger

​Step 3: Build the Qualification Skillset

​Why These Fields?

​Step 4: Score the Lead

​Step 5: Route by Score

​Step 6: Set Up CRM Integration

​Step 7: Alert Sales for Hot Leads

​Step 8: Add to Nurture for Warm Leads

​Complete Workflow

​Testing Your Workflow

​Customization Ideas

​Add Calendar Booking for Hot Leads

​Multi-Channel Support

​Add Knowledge Base

​Custom Scoring Rules

​Metrics to Track

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

E-commerce Returns

Skillset Engine

Integrations

Knowledge Base

Lead Qualification Automation

Prerequisites

The Business Problem

Architecture Overview

Step 1: Create the Application

Step 2: Set Up the Trigger

Step 3: Build the Qualification Skillset

Why These Fields?

Step 4: Score the Lead

Step 5: Route by Score

Step 6: Set Up CRM Integration

Step 7: Alert Sales for Hot Leads

Step 8: Add to Nurture for Warm Leads

Complete Workflow

Testing Your Workflow

Customization Ideas

Add Calendar Booking for Hot Leads

Multi-Channel Support

Add Knowledge Base

Custom Scoring Rules

Metrics to Track

Troubleshooting

Next Steps