Qualify the Lead Before the First Call

Added 2026-11-05

Not everyone who asks is a buyer; sorting early respects both sides.

These are the inquiries I have received: [descriptions or typical cases]. Qualify them before the first call: 1) design five questions that surface need, budget, decision maker, timeline, and success criteria in one pass; 2) map answer combinations to a verdict — pursue, nurture, decline politely; 3) name the inquiries that look eager but will not close, and why; 4) give a fifteen-minute triage flow and the fields to record; 5) write a polite decline that keeps the door open; 6) say when not to quote early, and what to offer instead. Do not treat everyone as a prospect.

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[descriptions or typical cases]

How to use

Screening unsuitable leads early respects the client's time.

Try tweaking it

Have it state how the hypothesis could be falsified before discussing execution.
Split the plan into a one-week testable experiment.

What you should get

A small testable experiment with a failure threshold
Costs, risks, and what needs outside confirmation

Common mistakes

Asking for a "full business plan" and getting unverifiable optimistic assumptions.
No failure threshold, so you never know whether to continue.

How to check the output

There is a clear failure threshold, testable within a week.
Costs, assumptions and risks are listed separately.

Where it works

Good for: turning business assumptions into a small testable experiment with a failure threshold first.
Watch out: for pricing, contracts and legal points, treat output as a draft needing professional review.