Stop wasting time on unqualified leads. This workflow takes your Apollo CSV exports and uses AI to analyze each prospect against your ideal customer profile, scoring and categorizing them so your sales team can focus on the leads most likely to convert.
Parse Apollo CSV lead export
The workflow begins by parsing your Apollo CSV export and extracting key lead data including company name, job title, industry, company size, and contact information. Each row becomes a lead record ready for AI analysis.
Score leads with AI against your ICP
Using OpenAI, the workflow evaluates each lead against your ideal customer profile (ICP) criteria. The AI considers factors like company size, industry fit, job title seniority, and technology stack to generate a qualification score from 1-100.
Categorize leads by qualification tier
Based on the AI scoring, leads are automatically categorized into tiers: Hot (80-100), Warm (50-79), and Cold (below 50). Each tier can trigger different follow-up workflows or be routed to different sales reps.
Export qualified leads to Google Sheets
Finally, the qualified and scored leads are exported to a Google Sheet with their qualification score, tier, and AI-generated notes explaining why each lead scored the way they did. Your sales team gets a prioritized list ready for outreach.
Why automate lead qualification with AI?
Manually reviewing Apollo lead exports is time-consuming and inconsistent. Sales reps spend hours sifting through spreadsheets, often making snap judgments that miss good prospects or waste time on poor fits. AI-powered lead qualification solves this by applying consistent scoring criteria to every lead.
Save hours on lead review and prioritization
Instead of manually reviewing hundreds of Apollo leads, let AI score them in seconds. A typical 500-lead CSV export that would take hours to review manually gets processed and scored in under a minute.
Focus sales efforts on high-value prospects
By automatically identifying your hottest leads, your sales team can prioritize outreach to prospects most likely to convert. No more guessing which leads to call first.
Apply consistent qualification criteria at scale
Unlike manual review where criteria drift over time, AI applies the same ICP scoring rules to every lead. This ensures fair, consistent evaluation whether you're processing 50 leads or 5,000.
How to set up AI-powered lead qualification
Setting up this Apollo lead qualification workflow takes about 10 minutes. You'll need to define your ideal customer profile criteria, then let the AI handle the rest.
What you need to get started
- Apollo account with CSV export capability
- OpenAI API key for AI-powered scoring
- Google Sheets for output (or connect to your CRM)
- Your ideal customer profile criteria defined
Defining your ideal customer profile for AI scoring
- List your target company size ranges (e.g., 50-500 employees)
- Define target industries and verticals
- Specify job titles and seniority levels
- Note any technology or funding requirements
- Add any disqualifying criteria (competitors, certain industries)
Configuration tips for best lead scoring results
- Start with a sample CSV to test scoring accuracy
- Review AI explanations to refine your ICP criteria
- Adjust score thresholds based on your sales capacity
- Consider routing different tiers to different workflows
Frequently asked questions about AI lead qualification
How accurate is AI lead scoring compared to manual review?
AI lead scoring is highly consistent and often more accurate than rushed manual review. The key is providing clear ICP criteria. Most teams see 80-90% agreement between AI scores and eventual sales outcomes.
Can I customize the qualification criteria?
Yes, the AI prompt is fully customizable. You define exactly what makes a lead qualified for your business. company size, industry, job title, budget signals, or any other criteria you specify.
What Apollo fields work best for lead qualification?
The most valuable fields for AI scoring are: company size, industry, job title, seniority, company description, technologies used, and funding status. The more context you export from Apollo, the better the AI can score.
Can I send qualified leads directly to my CRM instead of Google Sheets?
Absolutely. You can swap the Google Sheets step for HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, or any other CRM. Hot leads can even trigger immediate Slack notifications to your sales team.