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.
Practical Examples
Example 1: New Prospect List You upload 500 prospects from a networking event.
Sort by Catchlight Score descending
Filter for scores 70+: 87 prospects
Add filter for Projected Revenue $10K+: 34 prospects
Start outreach with these 34 highest-priority contacts
Example 2: Re-engagement Campaign You have 200 cold leads from 2 years ago.
Filter for Catchlight Score 60+ (scores may have improved): 52 contacts
Add filter for Recent Life Event: 15 contacts
Launch re-engagement campaign to these 15 with event-specific messaging
Example 3: Resource Allocation You're assigning leads to your team:
Score 80+: Senior advisor (you)
Score 60-79: Mid-level associate
Score 40-59: Junior associate
Score 0-39: Automated digital nurture only
Related Articles
6.1: Prioritizing Leads
5.9: Social Capital Score
3.3: Using Filters to Refine Your View
6.2: Personalizing Outreach
7.1: Data Accuracy and Limitations