Changing lead score in SFDC, but Marketo changing it back

[Anonymous]

There are instances where I want to overwrite our standard lead scoring process (in this case, to clean up old leads that weren't properly triggering newer scoring campaigns). In a number of cases, I am changing the score in Salesforce, but Marketo changes it back in the next sync. Reviewing the Activity Log in Marketo doesn't provide any insight into why it is getting changed back.

Are we not able to change a score in Salesforce and have Marketo accept it?

[Grégoire_Miche2]

HI Gordon,

First thing, check that the Lead score field update is not blocked. To do this, admin -> field management. Select Lead score on the right and loo whether some field update is set.

-Greg

[Grégoire_Miche2]

HI again Gordon,

In order for us to understand what is going on, please provide a screenshot of the lead activity log from Marketo, at the exact same time.

Greg

[Mike_Reynolds2]

Gordon,

Marketo is the owner of lead scores. Any changes made in SFDC for a record that is synced to Marketo will have the change overwritten by Marketo. This is expected behavior.If you have Sales Insight, you could use that to request a Marketo campaign that would change the score.

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Mike Reynolds​,

This is apparently more complex. In our instance, we have 3 scores :

• behavior
• demographic
• lead score, which is the sum of the 2 first

In salesforce, we have workflows that compute lead score = behavior + demographic.

It appears that we cannot change behavior score from Salesforce, only in Marketo. But the workflow that computes total score works and we have permanently the right sum both in SFDC and Marketo.

Could you please let us know how this fits into what you explained earlier ?

-Greg

[Mike_Reynolds2]

Grégoire Michel​

The standard Marketo Lead Score field is mapped to these SFDC fields:

mkto2__Lead_Score__c (SFDC Lead)

mkto2__Lead_Score__c (SFDC Contact)

If these are the score fields that you're changing from the SFDC side, as soon as that record syncs back to Marketo, those values will be overwritten by Marketo because Marketo owns the scores in that field. Other score fields like custom fields work differently, but if this field is letting you make changes that stick in Marketo, it shouldn't and it would be something that Support should look into

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Mike,

Sorry to say, but this is not the case 🙂

We are unable to change the custom score fields, since they are declared as scores in Marketo, but we are able to set the total score, using Marketo's leads score you are mentioning.

-Greg

[Mike_Reynolds2]

Greg,

We may be talking about two different types of fields here. It sounds like you're referring to a Formula, Lookup or Roll-up field in SFDC that is combining or adding the two different score fields together, or some other field other than a Score field. If it's not a score field synced directly to Marketo, then yes, changes to that field from the SFDC side would of course stick. If it's an Integer field for example, then any changes made would stick. But if it's a score field directly synced to Marketo, then Marketo will overwrite that field value.

I've double checked with other Support Engineers, including Tier 2 and our SFDC Subject Matter Experts. I also tested it in my own Stage account, and if it is in fact a score field synced directly to Marketo, then a change from the SFDC side will be overwritten by the value from the Marketo side. If you're seeing different behavior, then something is broken and you should open up a case with Support to have it checked out.

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Mike,

Again, I am sure it's not a formula or whatever. And it works as I describe at most of the customers we work for and has been for years. We compute the lead score (THE lead score field that is part of MLM package and sync'ed with the score field in Marketo) as the sum of behavior + demographic with a workflow in SFDC and push it back and the lead score is updated in Marketo.

Now may be it is not supposed to work that way

Contact me directly if you want further details or even a demo...

-Greg

[Robert_Kelen3]

Mike Reynolds

This same issue recently came up at a client of ours. Is there documentation somewhere on which fields that "Marketo owns" and are treated differently than the expected bi-directional sync?