Observable signals
- Marketing reports lead volume while sales cannot explain which enquiries deserve attention.
- Different reps apply different qualification standards.
- Lost-deal reasons lack enough context to review.
Start with one specific problem
More leads, but inconsistent opportunities
Separate customer fit, enquiry completeness and sales handoff before increasing acquisition spend.
Start with non-sensitive context. Sending an enquiry does not confirm an appointment.
01 / Recognise the symptoms
Does this sound familiar?
Cost of inaction
Spend continues to reach poor-fit buyers while repeated screening delays suitable enquiries.
02 / Check before investing
Check the facts before buying a tool
Review enquiries from one observation window against customer fit, information quality and a viable next step. Do not infer quality solely from whether a deal closed.
What to bring
- Redacted enquiries with source, date and product category.
- Qualification rules and first-response records.
- Specific reasons for acceptance, rejection and loss.
Share only information you are authorised to use. Redact customer and personal details first.
03 / Focused validation
How a pilot begins
Start with one product family and one channel, using an agreed qualification and handoff rule.
Marketing and sales jointly own qualification; sales operations maintains the record.
- 01
Label a shared sample to expose disagreements about quality.
- 02
Define qualification checks, rejection reasons and the next-step owner.
- 03
Review channel fit and response speed before changing spend.
04 / Acceptance and limits
What is delivered—and how to judge it
This is a proposed validation design, not a claim of achieved client results. Targets and timing are agreed after baselining.
Working outputs
Qualification rubric, source-to-opportunity register and sales handoff checklist.
Read illustrative templates ↗Measurement definition
Sales acceptance rate: enquiries meeting agreed criteria divided by enquiries assessed in the same period. Disclose the unassessed backlog.
Guardrails
Check first-response time and missed high-value enquiries; rejecting difficult enquiries must not improve the score artificially.
Scale or stop decision
Expand spend only when qualification is consistent and handoffs are traceable. Otherwise fix definitions or ownership first.
05 / Fit and limits
When not to start this way
If the product and target customer are not yet defined, begin with positioning. This path does not promise a lead volume or acquisition cost.
Choose a next step
Have a specific constraint? Let's examine it
If priorities are unclear, start with an anonymous assessment. For the broader scope, explore the related solution.