deal-qualification

Deal Qualification

Help reps and managers objectively assess whether a deal is worth pursuing, identify gaps in qualification, and decide where to invest their time. The worst thing in sales is spending months on a deal that was never going to close — qualification prevents that.

Frameworks

MEDDIC (Recommended for Enterprise B2B SaaS)

The gold standard for complex, multi-stakeholder deals:

• M — Metrics: What quantifiable outcomes does the prospect expect?
• E — Economic Buyer: Who has the budget authority and final say?
• D — Decision Criteria: What factors will they use to choose a vendor?
• D — Decision Process: What are the steps, stakeholders, and timeline?
• I — Identify Pain: What specific problem are they solving?
• C — Champion: Who inside the account is actively selling for you?

BANT (Good for Simpler or Faster Sales Cycles)

• B — Budget: Do they have money allocated?
• A — Authority: Are you talking to the decision-maker?
• N — Need: Do they have a real problem you solve?
• T — Timeline: Is there urgency to act?

SPICED (Good for Customer-Centric Selling)

• S — Situation: What's their current state?
• P — Pain: What's broken or missing?
• I — Impact: What happens if they don't fix it?
• C — Critical Event: Is there a forcing function or deadline?
• E — Economic Decision: Who decides and how?
• D — Decision Criteria: How will they evaluate options?

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How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   DEAL QUALIFICATION                              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  MODES                                                            │
│  1. Score a Deal — Rate a specific opportunity on all criteria    │
│  2. Gap Analysis — Identify what's missing and how to fill it    │
│  3. Go/No-Go — Make a structured decision on whether to pursue   │
│  4. Pipeline Audit — Score multiple deals for prioritization      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  OUTPUT                                                           │
│  • Qualification scorecard with red/yellow/green per criterion   │
│  • Gap analysis with specific next actions                       │
│  • Risk assessment and overall confidence level                  │
│  • Comparison against ideal deal profile                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  SUPERCHARGED (when you connect your tools)                      │
│  + ~~CRM: Deal data, contacts, company, and engagement velocity  │
│  + ~~CRM: Stage progression and probability scoring              │
│  + ~~conversation intelligence (Gong): Discovery call transcripts│
│  + ~~conversation intelligence (Gong): Champion engagement signals│
│  + ~~conversation intelligence (Gong): Competitor mentions in calls│
│  + ~~data enrichment (ZoomInfo): Company profile validation      │
│  + ~~data enrichment (ZoomInfo): Org chart for buying committee  │
│  + ~~data enrichment (Clay): Company signals and enrichment      │
│  + ~~data enrichment (LinkedIn): Stakeholder backgrounds         │
│  + ~~data enrichment (LinkedIn): Champion activity and tenure    │
│  + ~~chat: Internal deal discussions and risk flags              │
│  + ~~calendar/email: Meeting history and engagement signals      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Getting Started

• "Score this deal using MEDDIC"
• "Is this deal worth pursuing? Here's what I know..."
• "What gaps do I have in qualifying [Company]?"
• "Review my pipeline — which deals are real?"
• "I have a go/no-go meeting — help me prepare"

---

Execution Flow

Step 0: Automatic Data Pull (Before Asking the User Anything)

CRITICAL: Before asking the user for deal context, check what MCP tools are available and pull data automatically. Reps should never have to paste data that already lives in their tools.

CRM Data Pull

Check if you have access to CRM tools (look for tools containing search_crm_objects, get_crm_objects, or similar CRM search/get functions in your available tools).

If CRM tools ARE available:

1. Find the deal. Search the deals object type using whatever identifier the user gave you.

   • Request these properties: dealname, amount, dealstage, closedate, pipeline, hubspot_owner_id, dealtype, description, notes_last_updated, notes_last_contacted, num_notes, hs_deal_stage_probability, hs_forecast_amount
   • If the user said "qualify my Acme deal", search with query "Acme" on the deals object type
   • If multiple deals match, present them and ask which one

2. Pull associated contacts. Once you have the deal ID, search for contacts associated with this deal.

   • Search the contacts object type with association filter: associatedWith → objectType: "deals", operator: "EQUAL", objectIds: ["<deal_id>"]
   • Request these contact properties: firstname, lastname, jobtitle, email, phone, company, hs_lead_status, lifecyclestage
   • Map contacts to MEDDIC roles based on job title:
     • C-suite, VP, Director titles → likely Economic Buyer candidates
     • Primary contact with most engagement → likely Champion
     • Technical titles (Engineer, Architect, IT) → Technical Evaluator
     • Procurement, Legal, Finance titles → Decision Process gatekeepers

3. Pull associated company. Search companies with association to the deal.

   • Properties: name, domain, industry, numberofemployees, annualrevenue, total_revenue, description, about_us, founded_year, country
   • Use this to assess deal size relative to company size

4. Assess engagement velocity.

   • notes_last_contacted — No contact in 14+ days on an active deal = 🔴 risk flag
   • num_notes — Low activity count + long cycle = stalling signal
   • hs_deal_stage_probability — Compare CRM probability vs your MEDDIC assessment

Chat Data Pull

Check if you have access to chat tools (look for slack_search_public, slack_search_public_and_private, chat_message_search).

If chat tools ARE available:

1. Search for the company/deal name in sales channels
2. Look for competitive intel, blockers, or internal sentiment
3. Surface risk flags mentioned by teammates — this context rarely makes it into the CRM

Conversation Intelligence Data Pull (Gong)

Check if you have access to Gong tools (look for tools prefixed with gong_).

If Gong tools ARE available:

1. Pull discovery calls. Use gong_search_calls with the company/deal name.
   • Look for discovery and qualification calls specifically
   • Use gong_get_transcript on the most recent calls to extract:
     • Pain points articulated by the prospect (fills Identify Pain)
     • Decision process details mentioned (fills Decision Process)
     • Budget/metrics discussions (fills Metrics and Economic Buyer)
     • Competitor mentions (flags competitive risk)
2. Assess champion engagement. Use gong_search_calls_by_participant with the champion's email.
   • Frequency of calls → Champion still engaged or going dark?
   • Talk patterns → Are they selling internally for you?
3. Get call stats. Use gong_get_call_stats for calls related to this deal.
   • Talk-to-listen ratio → Did the rep actually do discovery or just pitch?
   • Questions asked → Was qualification thorough?
   • Next steps confirmed → Is the process advancing?

Sales Intelligence Data Pull (ZoomInfo / Clay / LinkedIn)

ZoomInfo (check for tools prefixed with zoominfo_):

1. Validate company profile. Use zoominfo_search_company with the prospect company name.
   • Employee count, revenue, industry → Validate deal size is realistic
   • Growth signals → Is this company in a position to buy?
2. Map buying committee. Use zoominfo_get_org_chart to identify:
   • Who reports to the Economic Buyer → potential blockers
   • Technical evaluators not yet in the CRM → missing stakeholders
   • Procurement/Legal contacts → anticipate Decision Process steps
3. Get tech stack. Use zoominfo_get_tech_stack for the prospect company.
   • Current tools they use → competitive displacement opportunity or integration angle

Clay (check for tools prefixed with clay_):

1. Enrich prospect company. Use clay_enrich_company for recent signals.
   • Funding rounds, hiring surges, leadership changes → buying triggers or red flags
   • Growth trajectory → validates budget availability

LinkedIn (check for tools prefixed with linkedin_):

1. Research key contacts. Use linkedin_get_profile for the Economic Buyer and Champion.
   • Career tenure → Will they be around to see the deal through?
   • Previous companies → Did they use your product (or a competitor's) before?
   • Shared connections → Warm introduction opportunities
2. Validate org structure. Use linkedin_search_leads at the prospect company.
   • Cross-check against CRM contacts → Are we missing stakeholders?

Calendar/Email Pull

Check if you have access to calendar or email tools (look for outlook_calendar_search, outlook_email_search).

If available:

1. Search upcoming meetings with the prospect company name
2. Search recent emails for engagement signals

Present What You Found

After pulling data, present a brief summary:

"I pulled the [Deal Name] deal from your CRM — $[amount] in [stage] stage, expected close [date]. I found [N] contacts including [Name] ([Title]) who looks like your Economic Buyer and [Name] ([Title]) as your primary contact. The company is a [industry] company with [N] employees.

Here's what I still need from you to complete the qualification: [list specific gaps]"

Step 1: Gather Remaining Context

After the auto-pull, ask ONLY for information you couldn't find in the tools.

---

What I Need From You

If I pulled data from your CRM, I'll pre-fill what I can and only ask about gaps. If no tools are connected, tell me everything you know:

1. Company and deal size — Who and how big?
2. What you're selling — Product, use case, proposed solution
3. Who you're talking to — Names, titles, roles in the decision
4. What you've learned — Pain points, requirements, timeline
5. Where you are in the process — Stage, next steps, blockers
6. Framework preference — MEDDIC, BANT, SPICED, or "you decide"

When tools are connected: I'll already have items 1, 3, and 5 from your CRM. I'll focus on items 2, 4, and 6 — the context that lives in your head, not your CRM.

Step 2: Score Using Framework

Apply the framework against ALL evidence — CRM data, chat context, calendar signals, and user input. Cite tool-sourced evidence in the scorecard: "Per CRM, last contact was 18 days ago — scoring Engagement low."

Step 3: Store Insights

After generating the scorecard:

• Update memory/deal-patterns.md with qualification insights and scores
• Update memory/team.md if rep-specific patterns emerge
• Flag competitive intel for memory/competitors.md
• If the deal scored 🔴 on Champion, suggest running the discovery-guide skill

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Output Format: Deal Scorecard

# Deal Qualification: [Company Name]

**Date:** [Today]
**Framework:** [MEDDIC]
**Deal Size:** [$ amount]
**Stage:** [Current stage]
**Rep:** [Name]

---

## Qualification Score: [X / 30]

| Criterion | Score (0-5) | Status | Evidence |
|-----------|------------|--------|----------|
| **Metrics** | [0-5] | 🟢🟡🔴 | [What we know] |
| **Economic Buyer** | [0-5] | 🟢🟡🔴 | [What we know] |
| **Decision Criteria** | [0-5] | 🟢🟡🔴 | [What we know] |
| **Decision Process** | [0-5] | 🟢🟡🔴 | [What we know] |
| **Identify Pain** | [0-5] | 🟢🟡🔴 | [What we know] |
| **Champion** | [0-5] | 🟢🟡🔴 | [What we know] |

**Score Guide:** 🟢 25-30 (Strong) | 🟡 15-24 (Needs Work) | 🔴 0-14 (At Risk)

---

## Confidence Level: [High / Medium / Low]

[One paragraph assessment of overall deal health and likelihood to close]

---

## Gap Analysis

### Critical Gaps (Must Fill)
1. **[Gap]** — [Why it matters] — **Action:** [Specific step to fill this gap]
2. **[Gap]** — [Why it matters] — **Action:** [Step]

### Important Gaps (Should Fill)
1. **[Gap]** — **Action:** [Step]

### Nice to Have
1. **[Gap]** — **Action:** [Step]

---

## Risk Assessment

| Risk | Severity | Mitigation |
|------|----------|------------|
| [Risk 1] | High/Med/Low | [What to do] |
| [Risk 2] | ... | ... |

---

## Recommended Next Steps

1. [Most important action with specific guidance]
2. [Second priority]
3. [Third priority]

---

## Go / No-Go Recommendation

**Recommendation:** [PURSUE / PURSUE WITH CAUTION / DEPRIORITIZE / WALK AWAY]

**Rationale:** [Why — based on the evidence]

**Conditions to Continue:** [What must be true to keep investing in this deal]

---

Scoring Guide

Each criterion scores 0-5:

• 5 — Fully Validated: Clear evidence, confirmed by the prospect
• 4 — Strong Indication: Good evidence but not fully confirmed
• 3 — Partial: Some information but significant gaps remain
• 2 — Assumed: Based on inference, not direct confirmation
• 1 — Unknown: We know we need this but don't have it
• 0 — Missing/Negative: No information or actively concerning signals

---

Pipeline Audit Mode

When reviewing multiple deals, I'll produce a ranked list:

# Pipeline Qualification Audit

| Rank | Deal | Size | Score | Confidence | Key Risk | Action |
|------|------|------|-------|------------|----------|--------|
| 1 | [Deal A] | $X | 26/30 | High | [Risk] | [Action] |
| 2 | [Deal B] | $X | 21/30 | Medium | [Risk] | [Action] |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Summary
- **Strong deals:** [Count] worth $[total]
- **At-risk deals:** [Count] worth $[total] — need attention this week
- **Recommended deprioritize:** [Count] worth $[total]

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Related Skills

• discovery-guide — Fill qualification gaps with better discovery
• proposal-builder — Build proposals for well-qualified deals
• win-loss-analysis — Learn from past deal outcomes to improve qualification
• roi-calculator — Quantify the Metrics criterion