Catchlight Score Explained

What is the Catchlight Score?

The Catchlight Score is a predictive engagement score ranging from 0 to 100 that helps you prioritize outreach efforts by identifying which prospects and clients are most likely to respond positively to your contact.

Think of it as: A "lead temperature" indicator that helps you focus time on the warmest opportunities.

Not a measure of:

Client value or worth
Investment sophistication
Wealth level (that's captured in other fields)
Relationship quality for existing clients

Is a measure of:

Likelihood to engage and respond
Digital and professional activity levels
Accessibility and reachability
Openness to professional connections

How the Catchlight Score is Calculated

The score uses a proprietary algorithm that considers multiple factors:

Digital Presence and Activity (30-40%)

Social media presence: Active LinkedIn, Facebook profiles
Profile completeness: Detailed vs. minimal information
Update frequency: Recently updated vs. stale profiles
Professional networking: LinkedIn connections, activity, engagement
Online footprint: Discoverable information, public engagement

Higher scores: Active LinkedIn users with complete profiles, regular updates Lower scores: Minimal social media presence, sparse profiles

Professional Factors (25-35%)

Job level: Executives and senior professionals typically score higher
Company size: Employees at larger, established companies
Industry: Certain industries (tech, finance, professional services) score higher
Career trajectory: Recent job changes, promotions indicate activity
Professional visibility: Published articles, speaking engagements, awards

Higher scores: Senior professionals at established companies with visible careers Lower scores: Entry-level, undefined employment, minimal professional visibility

Demographic Indicators (20-30%)

Age: Mid-career (35-55) typically scores higher than very young or very old
Education: Advanced degrees correlate with higher scores
Geographic location: Urban and suburban higher than rural
Homeownership: Homeowners score slightly higher
Household stability: Established households vs. transient

Higher scores: Mid-career, educated, suburban homeowners Lower scores: Early career, transient, minimal established roots

Responsiveness Signals (10-20%)

Email validity: Verified, current email address
Contact accuracy: Up-to-date phone, address information
Recent changes: Activity suggesting engagement (job change, home purchase)
Public engagement: Participation in professional or community activities

Higher scores: Current, verified contact info, recent life activity Lower scores: Outdated contacts, no recent detectable activity

Interpreting Score Ranges

80-100: Highly Engaged (Hot Leads)

Characteristics:

Active professional and social media presence
Current, complete contact information
Senior professional or business owner
Recent career or life activity
Strong digital footprint

Recommended approach:

Priority outreach: Top of your contact list
Personalized communication: Research their background, reference specific details
Multi-channel: LinkedIn + email + phone
Timely follow-up: Respond quickly, strike while iron is hot
Premium service: Worth dedicating senior advisor time

Expected engagement rate: 30-50% response to cold outreach, 60-80% to warm introductions

Example: 52-year-old CFO at Fortune 500 company, active on LinkedIn, recently promoted, complete profile with professional headshot, verified email and phone.

60-79: Moderately Engaged (Warm Leads)

Characteristics:

Some social media presence, may not be highly active
Professional information available
Established career, stable situation
Generally reachable
Standard digital activity

Recommended approach:

Consistent outreach: Regular nurture campaigns
Value-first content: Educational resources, invitations to events
Patience: May take 3-5 touches to engage
Segmented campaigns: Group messaging with personalization
Team advisor: Can be assigned to associate or junior advisors

Expected engagement rate: 15-25% response to outreach

Example: 45-year-old manager at medium-sized company, basic LinkedIn profile, verified contact info, homeowner, no recent major activity.

40-59: Lower Engagement (Cool Leads)

Characteristics:

Minimal social media presence
Limited professional information
May have outdated contact information
Less active digitally
Harder to reach

Recommended approach:

Automated nurture: Email drip campaigns, digital marketing
Lower-touch: Don't invest heavy personal time upfront
Long-term cultivation: Multi-month or multi-year nurture
Group events: Invitations to seminars, webinars (low cost per contact)
Digital-first service: Robo or hybrid service model if they do engage

Expected engagement rate: 5-10% response to outreach

Example: 38-year-old with minimal online presence, unclear current employment, limited contact information, no recent activity detected.

0-39: Unlikely to Engage (Cold Leads)

Characteristics:

Little to no digital presence
Sparse or outdated information
Contact information may be invalid
Very private or digitally disconnected
Difficult to reach through standard channels

Recommended approach:

Low-priority outreach: Bottom of priority list
Bulk campaigns only: Only contact via automated, low-cost channels
Referral or personal introduction: If you really want to reach them, find a warm introduction
Re-evaluate periodically: Scores can improve as information updates
Consider skipping: May not be worth the effort

Expected engagement rate: 0-5% response to outreach

Example: 65-year-old retiree with no social media, minimal public information, potentially outdated contact data.

How to Use the Catchlight Score

Prioritization and Time Management

Focus Your Personal Time:

High scores (80-100): Personal research, customized outreach, direct calls
Medium scores (60-79): Personalized email campaigns, event invitations
Low scores (40-59): Automated campaigns, generic content
Very low scores (0-39): Minimal effort or skip unless other factors warrant

ROI Optimization: Your time is limited. Spending 30 minutes on a score-90 prospect yields much better results than the same time on a score-30 prospect.

Combining with Other Filters

The Catchlight Score is most powerful when combined with other data:

High-Value + High-Score:

Filter: Catchlight Score 80+ AND Projected Revenue $15K+ AND Life Event present
Result: Your absolute highest-priority opportunities
Action: Immediate, personalized, senior advisor outreach

High-Score + Growing Wealth:

Filter: Catchlight Score 70+ AND Age 35-50 AND Income $150K+
Result: Engaged prospects with growth potential
Action: Long-term relationship building

High-Score + Specific Niche:

Filter: Catchlight Score 75+ AND Current Employer = [Target Company]
Result: Engaged employees at target organization
Action: Company-specific outreach campaign

Campaign Design

Tiered Campaigns: Design different campaign levels based on score:

Tier 1 (Score 80+):

Personal phone call + LinkedIn connection + personalized email
Senior advisor assigned
Offer of complimentary planning session
Quick follow-up cadence (3-5 days)

Tier 2 (Score 60-79):

Personalized email campaign (3-touch series)
Invitation to relevant event
Associate advisor assigned
Follow-up cadence (7-10 days)

Tier 3 (Score 40-59):

Automated email nurture (monthly)
Digital content offers (webinars, guides)
Team or robo-advisor service
Quarterly touchpoints

Tier 4 (Score 0-39):

Bulk email only (if at all)
Re-evaluate quarterly for score changes
Referral-only approach

A/B Testing and Optimization

Use score segments to test messaging:

Test different subject lines on score 70-79 group
Measure response rates by score bracket
Optimize future campaigns based on what works for each tier

Score Updates and Changes

Update Frequency: Monthly

What Causes Score Increases:

LinkedIn profile updates or increased activity
Job change or promotion
New contact information added
Recent home purchase or life event
Increased online presence

What Causes Score Decreases:

Contact information becomes outdated (bounced emails)
No detectable activity for extended period
Social media profiles become inactive
Job becomes undefined or unemployment

Monitoring Changes:

Set alerts for significant score increases (20+ points)
Review clients whose scores drop significantly (may indicate disengagement)
Track score trends over time (improving vs. declining engagement likelihood)

Limitations and Considerations

What the Score Doesn't Tell You

Not a Relationship Quality Measure: A long-time client with low score isn't a bad client—they're just less digitally active. Don't neglect them based on score.

Not a Value Indicator: Low-score clients can be very wealthy. Private, wealthy individuals often have minimal digital presence intentionally.

Not a Prediction of Service Needs: High score doesn't mean high financial planning needs. Low score doesn't mean low needs.

Not a Substitute for Human Judgment: Someone with a low score but a warm referral from your best client is absolutely worth prioritizing over a high-score cold lead.

When to Ignore the Score

Existing Clients: Use score primarily for prospects and leads. For current clients, prioritize based on relationship, revenue, planning needs, and engagement history—not Catchlight Score.

Warm Referrals: A personal introduction from a trusted source trumps any score. A referred score-40 prospect is better than an unreferred score-90.

Strategic Relationships: Centers of influence, referral partners, niche targets, or strategic hires at target companies may warrant outreach regardless of score.

Unique Circumstances: Recent inheritance, business sale, or specific life event creates opportunity regardless of engagement score.

Privacy and Ethical Use

Transparency: If asked, you can explain that you use data analytics to identify who might benefit most from financial planning, but you don't need to mention a specific "score."

Non-Discrimination: Don't use score to deny service. Use it to prioritize proactive outreach, not to reject incoming inquiries.

Respect Low Scores: Some people intentionally maintain low digital profiles for privacy. Respect that choice.