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Appendix B1 — Qualification Question Banks

Purpose of This Appendix

This appendix provides standardized qualification question banks used to determine fit and intent before a deal advances.

Qualification is not about curiosity.
It is about protecting the system.

These questions exist to:

  • surface truth early
  • prevent pipeline pollution
  • reduce wasted sales effort
  • enable confident disqualification

SalesOps treats qualification as a discipline, not a conversation style.

How These Questions Should Be Used

Qualification questions:

  • are not asked all at once
  • are not read verbatim
  • are not used interrogatively

They are diagnostic tools, applied intentionally based on context.

If a question does not inform a decision, it should not be asked.

Qualification Dimensions (Non-Negotiable)

SalesOps qualification always evaluates two dimensions:

  1. Fit — Should this buyer be sold to?
  2. Intent — Should this buyer be sold to now?

Both must be present for a deal to advance.

B2B Qualification — Fit Questions

Goal: Determine structural alignment.

  • What prompted you to look at this now?
  • How are you currently handling this?
  • What happens if nothing changes?
  • Who is affected by this problem?
  • What does success look like from your perspective?
  • Have you attempted to solve this before?

Red Flags:

  • No defined problem
  • No ownership
  • No consequence
  • Vague success criteria

B2B Qualification — Intent Questions

Goal: Determine readiness and seriousness.

  • What would need to happen for you to move forward?
  • Who else needs to be involved in this decision?
  • Is there a timeline you’re working against?
  • How are decisions like this typically made?
  • What concerns would stop this from moving forward?

Disqualifiers:

  • No authority path
  • No timeline
  • No urgency
  • No willingness to engage further

B2C Qualification — Fit Questions

Goal: Confirm relevance and viability.

  • What are you hoping to solve?
  • What’s driving you to look into this now?
  • Have you explored other options?
  • What’s most important to you in a solution?

Red Flags:

  • Unclear need
  • Unrealistic expectations
  • Misalignment with offer scope

B2C Qualification — Intent Questions

Goal: Confirm readiness to act.

  • Are you looking to move forward soon or just gathering information?
  • Is there anything holding you back right now?
  • What would help you feel confident in a decision?
  • If this were a fit, what would next steps look like?

Disqualifiers:

  • No intent to act
  • Pure price shopping
  • Repeated delay without reason

Authority & Decision Clarity (All Contexts)

SalesOps requires clarity on:

  • Who decides
  • Who influences
  • Who approves
  • Who executes after close

Sample prompts:

  • “Who ultimately signs off on this?”
  • “If we agreed today, what happens next internally?”
  • “Who would need to be comfortable with this for it to move forward?”

Unknown authority equals unknown risk.

Budget & Constraint Framing (Non-Adversarial)

SalesOps avoids direct budget interrogation.

Instead, it surfaces constraints:

  • “What range were you expecting to invest?”
  • “What would make this not worth it?”
  • “How do you typically evaluate trade-offs like this?”

If constraints cannot be discussed, the deal is unstable.

Disqualification Language (Approved)

SalesOps encourages clear, respectful exits.

Examples:

  • “Based on what we’ve discussed, this may not be the right fit.”
  • “It sounds like timing isn’t aligned right now.”
  • “I don’t want to push something that won’t serve you well.”

Disqualification protects both sides.

What This Appendix Enables

With standardized qualification:

  • deals advance with confidence
  • pipelines stay clean
  • reps stop guessing
  • managers trust the data

Without it:

  • sales chases noise
  • deals collapse late
  • effort is wasted

 

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