Sales Qualification
Scope
Covers
- Defining what “qualified” means for your business (fit + need + access + urgency)
- Writing explicit disqualification rules to avoid time sinks
- Creating a qualification scorecard that produces consistent decisions across reps
- Designing a discovery/qualification call script that surfaces deal reality quickly
- Setting stage exit criteria + “no next step, no stage” pipeline hygiene rules
- Implementing a lightweight rollout + measurement plan for adoption
When to use
- “Our pipeline is full but nothing closes—help us qualify better.”
- “Create a lead qualification scorecard and disqualification criteria.”
- “Write a discovery/qualification script for SDRs/AEs.”
- “Define stage exit criteria so deals don’t rot in CRM.”
- “We’re spending time on bad-fit leads—create rules to stop it.”
When NOT to use
- You don’t have an ICP hypothesis or you’re still pre-problem/solution fit (start with
founder-salesorproblem-definition) - You need a full sales org design (roles, hiring, enablement system) rather than qualification (use
building-sales-team) - You need pricing/packaging strategy, contracting, or legal/security review
- You want lead scraping/spammy outreach or anything deceptive
Inputs
Minimum required
- Product + target customer (1 sentence each)
- ICP hypothesis (industry, size, buyer titles, “not for” exclusions)
- Sales motion (inbound/outbound/PLG→sales/enterprise) + current stages (if any)
- Typical deal profile (ACV range, cycle length, required stakeholders)
- Current pain: what “bad leads” look like (examples of 3–5 recent losses or stalls)
- Constraints: rep capacity, required response times, tooling (CRM), and handoff (SDR→AE)
Missing-info strategy
- Ask up to 5 questions from references/INTAKE.md (max 3–5 at a time).
- If data is missing, proceed with explicit assumptions and ship two variants if needed: (A) “Simple SMB motion” vs (B) “Complex/enterprise motion”.
Outputs (deliverables)
Produce a Sales Qualification Pack in Markdown (in-chat; or as files if requested):
- Context snapshot (ICP, motion, constraints, “what qualified means”)
- Qualification charter (ICP segments, disqualifiers, qualification criteria, stage exit criteria)
- Qualification scorecard (weighted criteria + thresholds + examples)
- Discovery/qualification script (agenda, opener, question bank, disqualify talk track)
- CRM artifacts (qualification notes template + required fields + pipeline hygiene rules)
- Rollout + measurement plan (training, coaching, KPIs, iteration loop)
- Risks / Open questions / Next steps (always included)
Templates: references/TEMPLATES.md
Workflow (7 steps)
1) Intake + define the qualification decision
- Inputs: User context; references/INTAKE.md; sample deals (won/lost/stalled).
- Actions: Clarify the decision you’re optimizing for: pursue now, nurture, or disqualify. Define the unit of analysis (lead, account, opportunity) and who qualifies (SDR, AE, founder).
- Outputs: Context snapshot + decision definitions + assumptions/unknowns.
- Checks: A rep can answer: “What decision am I making after this call?”
2) Lock ICP segments + hard disqualifiers (protect time)
- Inputs: ICP hypothesis; loss notes; product constraints; pricing guardrails.
- Actions: Create 1–3 ICP segments (primary/secondary) plus explicit exclusions. Write hard disqualifiers (fast “no” rules) that prevent time waste (e.g., wrong segment, no meaningful pain, cannot access buyer, cannot meet minimum price/value threshold).
- Outputs: ICP segment table + disqualifier list + a graceful disqualify talk track.
- Checks: Disqualifiers are observable and can be applied within the first 10–15 minutes.
3) Build the qualification scorecard (fit × need × access × urgency)
- Inputs: ICP + disqualifiers; desired outcomes; buyer risks.
- Actions: Choose 5–8 criteria and weight them. Add clear scoring anchors (0/1/2/3 or 1–5). Define thresholds for accept, nurture, reject. Add “minimum must-pass” criteria (non-negotiables).
- Outputs: Qualification scorecard + scoring rules + examples.
- Checks: Two different reps scoring the same deal should land within ~1 tier (accept/nurture/reject).
4) Define stage exit criteria + “no next step, no stage”
- Inputs: Current pipeline stages (or create minimal set); scorecard thresholds.
- Actions: Write stage definitions and exit criteria (what evidence is required to advance). Add pipeline hygiene rules: required fields, maximum stage age, and “no next step, no stage”.
- Outputs: Stage exit criteria table + hygiene rules + stalled-deal policy.
- Checks: Every active opportunity has (a) a next step with date, (b) an owner, and (c) a reason it can win.
5) Create the discovery/qualification script + question bank
- Inputs: Scorecard criteria; common loss reasons; buyer workflow.
- Actions: Draft a 20–30 minute call flow that surfaces: current state, pain/impact, trigger/urgency, stakeholders/decision process, constraints, and next step. Include a disqualify path (“not a fit, here’s what I recommend instead”) and a nurture path.
- Outputs: Call agenda + opener + question bank mapped to scorecard criteria.
- Checks: The script reliably produces a decision (accept/nurture/reject) by the end of the call.
6) Create CRM note template + rollout/measurement plan
- Inputs: CRM constraints; team roles; existing fields/stages; metrics baseline.
- Actions: Produce a single notes template that captures scorecard inputs in a structured way. Define required fields, lost/nurture reasons, and a 2-week rollout plan (training, call reviews, calibration).
- Outputs: CRM qualification notes template + rollout plan + measurement plan.
- Checks: A manager can audit 10 opportunities quickly and see consistent qualification evidence.
7) Quality gate + finalize
- Inputs: Draft pack.
- Actions: Run references/CHECKLISTS.md and score with references/RUBRIC.md. Add Risks / Open questions / Next steps and a short “iteration loop” (what to revisit after 20–30 calls).
- Outputs: Final Sales Qualification Pack.
- Checks: The pack is copy/paste ready and reduces time spent on bad-fit deals immediately.
Quality gate (required)
- Use references/CHECKLISTS.md and references/RUBRIC.md.
- Always include: Risks, Open questions, Next steps.
Examples
Example 1 (inbound B2B SaaS): “Use sales-qualification. We sell workflow automation to HR ops teams (50–500 employees). Inbound leads are high volume but low close rate. We need an SDR qualification script + scorecard + stage exit criteria. Output: a Sales Qualification Pack.”
Example 2 (outbound mid-market/enterprise): “Use sales-qualification. We’re doing outbound to security leaders. ACV $50k–$200k, cycle 90–180 days. Deals stall after first call. Output: disqualifiers, MEDDICC-style scorecard, and CRM note template + hygiene rules.”
Boundary example: “Just give me a list of leads to call and a generic pitch.” Response: explain this skill focuses on qualification decisions and artifacts; ask for ICP/product context and propose using founder-sales for outreach messaging if needed.