Commercial Qualification

Commercial Qualification

Purpose

• Systematically qualify consulting opportunities to ensure the pipeline contains real deals worth pursuing.
• Prevent the team from wasting time on unwinnable or unprofitable deals.
• Produce a defensible, data-backed qualification verdict using the BANTTD framework.
• Execute graceful disqualifications (Professional Cut) to preserve relationships and pipeline hygiene.

Scope

• This skill WILL:

  • Run the P.U.D.T.F pre-filter to screen opportunities before full BANTTD scoring
  • Score opportunities across six dimensions (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline, Tech-fit, Decision Date)
  • Produce a qualification scorecard with verdict and confidence level
  • Identify key risks, information gaps, and recommended next actions
  • Update pipeline state with qualification results
  • Flag deals below minimum engagement thresholds
  • Trigger re-qualification for stale opportunities (30+ days)
  • Execute the Professional Cut protocol for disqualified opportunities

• This skill WILL NOT:

  • Design solutions or estimate effort (that is solution-design)
  • Conduct discovery meetings (that is commercial-discovery)
  • Make final go/no-go business decisions — it provides the data for humans to decide

Inputs

• qualification-meeting-notes.md — notes from the qualification meeting (primary evidence source for P.U.D.T.F and BANTTD scoring).
• discovery-notes.md — from commercial-discovery (supplementary evidence when available).
• prospect-profile.md — from commercial-prospecting (company and stakeholder context).
• commercial-state.md — current pipeline context (stage, history, capacity).
• user_input — additional intel, override context, or competitive intelligence.

Notes:

• Meeting notes may be incomplete. Score conservatively and flag gaps.
• Tolerate ambiguity — never invent evidence to fill scoring gaps.

Reference

• qualification-meeting-guide.md — Full meeting script (30-40 min), P.U.D.T.F operational guide, budget calibration techniques, decision date extraction scripts, Professional Cut protocol, red/green flags, and Branch B transition script.

Step 1 — P.U.D.T.F Pre-Filter

Before running the full BANTTD scoring, apply the P.U.D.T.F pre-filter. This is a rapid in-meeting or post-meeting screen (5 dimensions, 1-5 each, total /30). It maps directionally to BANTTD dimensions and provides an early signal.

Pre-filter verdict:

Single-dimension hard block: A score of 1 on any P.U.D.T.F dimension (no problem, no decision maker access, no budget signal, no urgency, no timeline) is a hard red flag regardless of total score. Escalate to human judgment before proceeding.

For detailed scoring guides per dimension (1-5 scales with examples), see qualification-meeting-guide.md.

Step 2 — BANTTD Framework

Score each dimension 0-20. Total score range: 0-120.

B — Budget (0-20)

Is there money? Is it allocated? Is the range known and consistent with our engagement model?

A — Authority (0-20)

Do we have access to the economic buyer? Is the champion identified and actively engaged?

N — Need (0-20)

Is the pain real and urgent? Is the prospect actively looking for solutions? Is the impact quantified?

T — Timeline (0-20)

Is there a defined timeline? Is there an external deadline or event driving urgency?

T — Tech-fit (0-20)

Does our expertise match their needs? Can we deliver meaningful value without excessive subcontracting?

D — Decision Date (0-20)

Is there a specific date by which the prospect expects to make a decision? Is it tied to a business event? Is it near-term enough to drive action?

For detailed scoring rubrics with criteria at each 5-point increment, see references/scoring-models.md.

Step 3 — Verdict Logic

Confidence Level: High / Medium / Low — based on information completeness across all dimensions.

Critical override: A single dimension at 0-5 should trigger concern regardless of total score (e.g., no budget = hard to pursue even if need is 20/20).

Disqualify / Nurture Flow

Disqualify — Professional Cut Protocol

When verdict is Disqualify, execute a Professional Cut within 24 hours. Do not ghost.

1. Identify the primary disqualification reason (weak Budget, no Authority path, no real Need, no Timeline, poor Tech-fit, no Decision Date).
2. Select the appropriate Professional Cut script from qualification-meeting-guide.md:
   • Script 1: No Budget / Not the Right Time
   • Script 2: No Decision Maker Access
   • Script 3: Problem is Not Real or Not Urgent Enough
   • Script 4: Catch-All (multiple weak signals)
3. Execute the cut in the final minutes of the meeting or via follow-up call (same day or next day at latest).
4. Send the follow-up email within 24 hours using the template in the meeting guide.
5. Archive the opportunity in commercial-state.md with stage closed_lost, documented disqualification reason, and a re-engage trigger date if applicable.

Principle: A respectful, honest disqualification preserves the relationship. The prospect may return when timing changes, or refer others. A ghosted prospect never does either.

Nurture — Holding Pattern

When verdict is Nurture:

1. Define which dimensions need to improve and what would trigger re-qualification.
2. Set a re-qualification date (30-60 days typical; 90 days maximum before escalating to Disqualify).
3. Define a lightweight nurture action (1-2 touchpoints before re-qualification: article share, event invitation, check-in call).
4. Update commercial-state.md with nurture plan, weak dimensions, and re-qualification trigger.

Pipeline Branch Recommendation

When verdict is Pursue, immediately determine which commercial branch to follow. This decision drives the next skill to invoke.

Branch A — Direct Implementation Proposal

Use when ALL of the following are true:

• Scope can be defined with estimation accuracy +/- 20% or better.
• Requirements are clear and bounded.
• Client knows what they want to build (or discovery already clarified it).
• Scope-changing assumptions are 2 or fewer.
• Qualification confidence: High or Medium with low ambiguity.

Next step: invoke commercial-solution-design → commercial-proposal-writer.

Branch B — Discovery Service Proposal

Use when ANY of the following is true:

• Scope cannot be reliably estimated (uncertainty > +/- 30%).
• Client has vague requirements or multiple undecided directions.
• Technical complexity requires investigation before architecture can be proposed.
• Multiple systems, domains, or stakeholder groups need assessment before scoping.
• Client has a problem but does not know what solution they need.
• Qualification confidence: Low, or scope-changing assumptions > 3.

Next step: invoke commercial-discovery-proposal to create a paid Discovery engagement.

Note: The Discovery engagement is an independent commercial opportunity — it has its own proposal, negotiation, and close cycle. Implementation is a separate, subsequent opportunity that may or may not stay with us after Discovery closes.

For the Branch B transition script (how to explain Discovery to the prospect), see qualification-meeting-guide.md.

Branch Decision Table

Framework Comparison

• BANT: Classic but misses tech-fit and decision date — both critical for consulting.
• BANTT: Our prior framework — extended BANT with Tech-fit. Now superseded by BANTTD.
• MEDDIC/MEDDPICC: Comprehensive but complex — BANTTD captures the essentials for consulting.
• P.U.D.T.F: Operational in-meeting filter (1-5 scale, /30). Used as a pre-filter before BANTTD, not a replacement.
• CHAMP: Good but less structured scoring.
• ANUM: Budget-first approach may miss good nurture opportunities.

BANTTD extends BANTT with Decision Date to address a critical gap: a well-qualified deal with no clear decision date cannot be forecast reliably and tends to stall.

Outputs (contract)

1. New File: qualification-scorecard.md

Per opportunity, containing:

# Qualification Scorecard: {Company Name}

## Opportunity Summary
- **Opportunity ID**:
- **Company**:
- **Opportunity description**:
- **Qualification Date**: YYYY-MM-DD

## P.U.D.T.F Pre-Filter

| Dimension | Score (1-5) | Evidence |
|-----------|------------|----------|
| P — Problema   |            |          |
| U — Urgencia   |            |          |
| D — Decisor    |            |          |
| T — Ticket     |            |          |
| F — Fecha      |            |          |
| **Total**      | **/30**    |          |

**Pre-filter verdict**: Pass (>=22) | Borderline (16-21) | Fail (<16)

## Urgency Score (1-10)
- **Score**: X/10
- **Prospect's exact words**:
- **Compelling event (if any)**:

## BANTTD Scores

| Dimension | Score (0-20) | Evidence |
|-----------|-------------|----------|
| Budget        |             |          |
| Authority     |             |          |
| Need          |             |          |
| Timeline      |             |          |
| Tech-fit      |             |          |
| Decision Date |             |          |
| **Total**     | **X/120**   |          |

## Verdict: {PURSUE / NURTURE / DISQUALIFY}

**Confidence Level**: {High / Medium / Low}

### Justification
[2-3 sentences explaining the verdict based on scores and evidence]

### Key Risks
- [Risk 1]
- [Risk 2]

### Missing Information
- [What we still need to learn]

### Recommended Next Actions
- [ ] Action 1
- [ ] Action 2

## Deal Estimate
- **Size estimate**: $X - $Y
- **Probability**: X%

## Pipeline Branch
- **Recommended branch**: A (Direct Proposal) | B (Discovery Service)
- **Branch rationale**: [1-2 sentences explaining why this branch was selected]
- **Next skill to invoke**: `commercial-solution-design` | `commercial-discovery-proposal`

2. Updated: commercial-state.md

Update opportunity stage, probability, and notes based on qualification verdict.

Guardrails

1. Always run the P.U.D.T.F pre-filter before the full BANTTD scoring.
2. Every dimension score must include specific evidence or cite information gaps.
3. Never default to "Pursue" without strong justification — bias toward honesty.
4. If confidence is Low, recommend information-gathering actions before final verdict.
5. A single dimension at 0-5 should trigger concern regardless of total score.
6. Re-qualification should happen if opportunity has been stale for 30+ days.
7. Compare qualification against team capacity — a qualified deal we cannot staff is still a problem.
8. Flag deals that are qualified but below minimum engagement size.
9. A Disqualify verdict must trigger a Professional Cut within 24 hours — never ghost.
10. Record the prospect's exact words for urgency (1-10 scale) and decision date — these are the most reliable forecasting inputs.

Example

Scenario: Mid-market fintech (200 employees) wants to build a data platform to unify customer analytics across three product lines. Qualification meeting completed with VP Engineering.

P.U.D.T.F Pre-Filter:

BANTTD Scores:

Verdict: Pursue (85/120, Confidence: Medium)

• Key risk: CTO not yet directly engaged — authority could stall at final approval.
• Key risk: Decision date is soft — "before Q1 planning" could slip.
• Missing: Specific budget figure, CTO meeting, specific decision date (day/week).
• Next actions: Schedule CTO introduction meeting. Request specific decision date. Prepare capability deck on data platform work. Confirm budget range before solution-design.