qualify-a-sales-lead

name	qualify-a-sales-lead
category	data
description	Evaluate a prospective customer against explicit problem, fit, authority, timing, and risk evidence, then choose a respectful next action. Use when deciding whether a lead should advance, nurture, refer, or close.

qualify-a-sales-lead

Qualification is a mutual fit decision, not a score for how persuadable someone appears. Preserve the evidence, unknowns, and disqualifiers behind the decision.

Inputs

• Gather the source, account research, conversation notes, stated problem, product constraints, and qualification model.
• Confirm required customer, technical, commercial, security, legal, regional, and implementation conditions.
• Identify consent and communication preferences for any further contact.

Procedure

1. Record the lead's stated outcome and current workflow in their own terms.
2. Separate verified facts, prospect claims, seller hypotheses, and unanswered questions.
3. Assess problem impact, frequency, urgency, and evidence of a real change priority.
4. Identify stakeholders, decision process, budget process, timing, and implementation capacity without assuming titles equal authority.
5. Test product fit against actual capabilities, required integrations, support, security, and exclusions.
6. Record evidence against fit, including existing solution, low impact, missing prerequisite, or unacceptable risk.
7. Apply the qualification criteria consistently and explain each rating or decision.
8. Choose advance, gather evidence, nurture, refer, or close with one respectful next action.
9. Set an owner and review date; remove unsupported personal judgments from the record.

Boundaries

Never infer protected traits, financial distress, or personal vulnerability. Do not fabricate urgency, budget, authority, or product fit. Respect opt-outs and suppression lists, and do not keep contacting a closed lead without a new permissioned reason.

Done

• The qualification record distinguishes facts, claims, hypotheses, unknowns, and disqualifiers
• Fit is checked against current product and implementation constraints
• The selected disposition follows the documented criteria rather than personal preference
• The next action, owner, consent state, and review date are recorded