aibot88 Lead Qualification
When to Apply
- Evaluating new leads for pipeline entry
- Marketing-sales handoff decisions
- When pipeline quality is poor (low conversion rates)
- When downstream bottleneck exists (too many unqualified leads)
- Configuring qualification criteria during onboarding
Core Framework
BANT 6-Criteria Gate
Every lead must pass all 6 criteria before entering the pipeline at Step 2:
| Criteria | Question | Pass Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Problem | Does the prospect have a problem our product solves? | Specific, articulated pain point matching our solution |
| Budget | Is budget allocated or likely? | Budget exists or can be created within purchase timeline |
| Authority | Is the decision-maker engaged or accessible? | Direct contact with buyer, or champion with access to buyer |
| Timeline | Is there a reasonable purchase timeframe? | Active evaluation, not "maybe someday" |
| Fit | Does our product capability match their need? | Core use case alignment, not edge-case stretching |
| Margin | Can we achieve acceptable margin on this deal? | Deal economics above minimum threshold |
Qualification Flow
Incoming lead
|
+-> Score against 6 criteria
|
+-> All 6 pass: QUALIFIED
| -> Enter pipeline Step 2
| -> Assign to appropriate sales Actions
|
+-> 1-2 fail: NURTURE
| -> Add to nurture sequence
| -> Re-evaluate in 30/60/90 days
| -> Do NOT add to pipeline
|
+-> 3+ fail: DISQUALIFY
-> Remove from active tracking
-> Log reason for future pattern analysis
Downstream Bottleneck Rule
When the pipeline bottleneck is downstream (e.g., demo capacity at 90% utilization):
Reduce upstream lead gen volume, don't increase it.
Bottleneck: Demo capacity (30/month, 90% utilized)
Qualified leads waiting: 15 in queue
WRONG: "Generate more leads to increase pipeline"
RIGHT: "Reduce lead gen to match demo throughput.
Generating more leads than demo can handle is waste."
This is TOC's subordination principle applied to the sales pipeline.
Quality vs Quantity Tradeoffs
| Scenario | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| High volume, low qualification rate (<20%) | Tighten lead gen targeting. "39% qualification means 61% wasted effort." |
| Low volume, high qualification rate (>80%) | Expand lead gen. Quality is proven, need more volume. |
| High volume, high qualification rate | Scale carefully — check downstream capacity first. |
| Low volume, low qualification rate | Fix targeting AND qualification criteria. Both broken. |
Qualification Criteria Calibration
Criteria should be reviewed quarterly:
- Too strict: pipeline starves (qualification rate >90%, pipeline-to-quota <2x)
- Too loose: pipeline polluted (qualification rate <20%, downstream conversion drops)
- Target: 30-50% qualification rate with healthy downstream conversion
Decision Rules
- All 6 criteria must pass — partial qualification goes to nurture, not pipeline
- Nurture is not rejection — unqualified today may qualify later
- Downstream capacity limits upstream — never flood a constrained pipeline
- Qualification rate is a health metric — track it, calibrate criteria
- Log disqualification reasons — patterns reveal targeting problems
- Quarterly criteria review — criteria drift over time, recalibrate
Anti-Patterns to Detect
| Anti-Pattern | Signal | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Pipeline pollution | Unqualified leads in pipeline | "These leads don't meet criteria. Move to nurture." |
| Upstream flooding | Lead gen outpacing downstream capacity | "Subordinate upstream volume to downstream throughput." |
| Over-strict criteria | >90% qualification, starving pipeline | "Criteria may be too strict. Consider relaxing [specific criterion]." |
| Missing criteria | Qualification without checking all 6 | "Budget and Authority not checked. These are common failure points." |
| Wishful qualification | "Budget probably exists" | "Unverified. Mark as hypothesis, verify before pipeline entry." |
| Ignoring nurture | Disqualified leads abandoned | "Nurture sequences convert 5-15% over 6 months. Don't abandon." |