How to Qualify Opportunities Effectively
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Test the opportunity before investing in a proposal. Record evidence for each criterion, assign unanswered questions, and agree with the buyer on the steps that would make continued work worthwhile.
Developing
Start here. Build the foundation.- 1
Before discovery, list criteria still based on assumption. Start with open questions about priority, impact, decision process, and timing and follow the answers to concrete examples or named stakeholders before presenting a solution.
- 2
Before proposal, assess every agreed qualification criterion and record its evidence and rationale. Leave unanswered items unknown and assign the next question and owner; stop advancement when a required condition is contradicted.
Proficient
Build consistency and rhythm.- 3
Once qualification supports continued work, co-create the evaluation-to-signature plan with the buyer. Give each step an owner and date and review it together at buyer meetings; update slipped milestones while both parties are present.
- 4
When a deal fails the agreed criteria, close it lost that week and record the reason. Redirect the planned selling time to qualified work so coverage does not remain artificially high through unsupported opportunities.
Mastered
Operate at the highest level.- 5
After wins and losses, preserve the early signals and compare them at quarter end. Submit an evidence-backed question, weight, or threshold change for team review and retain the current standard until a revision is approved.
Common Pitfalls
Avoid the common failure modes.- Turning discovery into a product pitch. Follow the last buyer answer to a concrete example before presenting.
- Passing every opportunity through the framework. Compare early judgments with losses and identify the criterion that admitted weak deals.
- Leaving the mutual plan unchanged. Reconfirm the next owner and date with the buyer and close out if no credible path remains.
- Keeping weak deals for coverage. Record disqualification promptly and rebuild coverage from qualified work.