Sales Qualification Pack

Context

Company Profile: B2B SaaS targeting operations teams at companies with 50-500 employees ACV: $12,000 Sales Cycle: ~45 days Team Structure: SDRs qualify inbound leads and hand off to AEs Core Problem: High inbound volume but AEs report low meeting quality

1. Problem Diagnosis

The gap between high inbound volume and low meeting quality points to a qualification breakdown. Common root causes in this scenario include:

• Loose or undefined qualification criteria: SDRs may lack a clear, shared framework for what constitutes a "qualified" lead, leading to inconsistent handoffs.
• Incentive misalignment: If SDRs are compensated primarily on meetings booked rather than pipeline generated or deals closed, they are incentivized to pass volume, not quality.
• Insufficient discovery during qualification: SDRs may be scheduling meetings after surface-level conversations rather than confirming genuine fit, need, and timing.
• Inbound lead source quality variance: Not all inbound channels produce the same quality. Some channels (e.g., content downloads, free tool signups) may attract researchers or non-buyers.
• Lack of a feedback loop: AEs may not have a structured way to report meeting quality back to SDR leadership, so the problem persists undiagnosed.

2. Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Refinement

Before qualification criteria can work, the team needs a tight ICP. Based on the stated parameters:

Firmographic Fit

Persona Fit

3. Qualification Framework

Recommended: MEDDPICC (Adapted for $12k ACV, 45-day cycle)

Given the ACV and cycle length, a full enterprise qualification framework is overkill. Instead, use a streamlined version focused on the dimensions that most predict conversion:

SDR Qualification Criteria (BANT+)

SDRs should confirm at least 4 of the following 5 before booking an AE meeting:

1. Budget Indication

• The prospect's company can reasonably afford $12k/year (not a tiny bootstrapped startup)
• They are not in a hiring freeze, layoff cycle, or publicly known financial distress
• SDR question: "How does your team typically evaluate and budget for tools like this? Is there a budget allocated for operations improvements this year?"

2. Authority / Access to Power

• The person on the call holds a relevant title (Manager+ in operations or a closely related function)
• OR they can specifically name the decision-maker and confirm willingness to involve them
• SDR question: "Who else would be involved in evaluating a solution like this? Walk me through how your team has made similar decisions in the past."

3. Need / Pain Confirmed

• The prospect can articulate a specific operational pain point your product addresses
• The pain is current (not hypothetical, not "someday we might")
• SDR question: "What's the biggest operational challenge your team is dealing with right now? How is that impacting the business?"

4. Timing / Urgency

• There is a triggering event or deadline creating urgency (new hire, lost customer, compliance requirement, board mandate, broken process)
• They are actively looking for a solution, not just researching the market
• SDR question: "What's driving you to look at this now? Is there a timeline you're working toward?"

5. Fit Confirmation

• The prospect's use case aligns with your product's core capabilities
• They are not asking for functionality you don't have and won't build
• SDR question: "Based on what you've described, let me confirm -- you're looking for [restate their need]. Is that right?"

Scoring System

4. SDR-to-AE Handoff Protocol

The Handoff Brief (Required for Every Meeting)

SDRs must complete the following template before an AE meeting is confirmed:

HANDOFF BRIEF
=============
Date: [Date]
SDR: [Name]
AE: [Name]
Prospect: [Name, Title, Company]

COMPANY SNAPSHOT
- Company: [Name]
- Employees: [Number]
- Industry: [Industry]
- Website: [URL]
- Inbound Source: [How they found us -- specific channel]

QUALIFICATION SUMMARY
- Budget: [Yes/Partial/Unknown] -- [Notes]
- Authority: [Decision-maker / Champion / Influencer] -- [Notes]
- Need: [Specific pain stated] -- [Verbatim quote if possible]
- Timing: [Active / Exploring / Future] -- [Trigger event if known]
- Fit: [Strong / Moderate / Uncertain] -- [Notes on use case]

SCORE: [X out of 5]

KEY CONTEXT FOR AE
- What the prospect cares about most: [1-2 sentences]
- What they've tried before: [Previous solutions, if discussed]
- Potential objections or concerns raised: [List any]
- Competitors mentioned: [List any]

MEETING DETAILS
- Date/Time: [Scheduled time]
- Format: [Video / Phone / In-person]
- Attendees: [List all confirmed attendees and their roles]
- Suggested AE approach: [Discovery-heavy / Demo-ready / Executive alignment]

Handoff Rules

1. No blank fields. If a field is unknown, write "Not discussed -- AE should explore." This forces intentionality.
2. 48-hour freshness rule. If more than 48 hours pass between the SDR call and the AE meeting, the SDR sends a brief re-engagement email to the prospect confirming the meeting and restating context.
3. AE pre-read required. AEs must review the handoff brief before the meeting. No walking in cold.
4. Warm introduction. The SDR sends a bridge email introducing the AE to the prospect before the meeting. Template below.

Bridge Email Template

Subject: [First Name], meet [AE First Name] -- your [Company Name] specialist

Hi [Prospect First Name],

Thanks again for our conversation on [day]. As I mentioned, I'm connecting you
with [AE Full Name], who works directly with operations teams like yours on
[brief value prop related to their stated pain].

[AE First Name] -- [Prospect First Name] leads operations at [Company] and is
looking to [restate their specific need in 1 sentence]. They're currently
[brief context on timing/urgency].

You're set to connect on [Date] at [Time]. Looking forward to hearing how it goes.

Best,
[SDR Name]

5. Inbound Lead Scoring Model

Implement lead scoring to pre-filter before SDR outreach and prioritize the queue:

Behavioral Scoring (0-50 points)

Firmographic Scoring (0-50 points)

Scoring Thresholds

6. Disqualification Criteria

SDRs must be empowered (and expected) to disqualify. Passing unqualified leads wastes AE time and erodes trust.

Hard Disqualifiers (Immediate)

• Company has fewer than 30 employees
• Prospect is a student, consultant (not buying for a client), or competitor
• No operations function exists at the company
• Prospect explicitly states no budget and no path to budget in the next 6 months
• Prospect needs functionality your product fundamentally does not offer
• Prospect is in a market/geography you do not serve

Soft Disqualifiers (Route to Nurture)

• Right company profile but wrong persona (e.g., marketing intern filled out the form)
• Timing is 6+ months out with no triggering event
• Prospect is evaluating but has no authority and cannot name the decision-maker
• Company is in ICP but prospect cannot articulate a specific pain

7. SDR Compensation Alignment

If SDR comp is tied only to meetings booked, quality will suffer. Recommended structure:

Proposed SDR Compensation Mix

Key Changes from Typical Models

• Meetings booked is only 20%, not 50%+. This discourages volume-chasing.
• Pipeline generated connects SDR effort to revenue outcomes.
• Conversion rate creates a direct quality signal. If an SDR books 50 meetings but only 10% convert, their comp reflects that.

8. AE Meeting Quality Feedback Loop

Meeting Quality Scorecard

After every SDR-sourced meeting, the AE completes a 60-second rating:

MEETING QUALITY SCORECARD
=========================
Date: [Date]
Prospect: [Company / Name]
SDR: [Name]
AE: [Name]

1. Was the prospect expecting the call and prepared?
   [ ] Yes  [ ] Partially  [ ] No

2. Did the prospect match the handoff brief?
   [ ] Matched  [ ] Partially matched  [ ] Did not match

3. Was there a real, confirmed pain point?
   [ ] Yes, specific and urgent  [ ] Vague/general  [ ] No pain identified

4. Did the prospect have authority or access to authority?
   [ ] Decision-maker present  [ ] Champion identified  [ ] No authority

5. Is this a viable opportunity?
   [ ] Yes, creating opportunity  [ ] Maybe, needs follow-up  [ ] No, disqualifying

OVERALL QUALITY: [ ] High  [ ] Medium  [ ] Low

NOTES FOR SDR COACHING: [Free text]

Feedback Cadence

9. Inbound Channel Quality Analysis

Since not all inbound is equal, track and act on source quality:

Recommended Tracking Dimensions

For each inbound channel, measure:

1. Volume: Leads generated per month
2. Qualification Rate: % of leads that meet 4/5 SDR criteria
3. Meeting Conversion Rate: % of qualified leads that become AE meetings
4. Opportunity Rate: % of AE meetings that become pipeline opportunities
5. Win Rate: % of opportunities that close
6. Blended CAC: Cost to acquire a customer through this channel

Channel Quality Matrix (Example Framework)

10. Recommended Process Changes -- 90-Day Implementation Plan

Month 1: Foundation

• Finalize and document ICP (firmographic + persona fit criteria)
• Train SDR team on updated qualification framework (BANT+ with scoring)
• Implement handoff brief template as a required step in CRM
• Launch AE meeting quality scorecard
• Audit current lead scoring model; implement or update in marketing automation platform

Month 2: Optimization

• Analyze first 30 days of meeting quality scorecards; identify patterns
• Run first SDR-AE calibration session to align on "qualified"
• Review inbound channel quality data; make initial budget reallocation recommendations
• Adjust SDR compensation structure (phase in over current quarter)
• Implement automated lead routing based on scoring thresholds

Month 3: Scaling

• Measure impact: compare meeting quality scores, opp conversion rates, and cycle times vs. baseline
• Refine qualification criteria based on data (which criteria most predict closed-won?)
• Formalize disqualification as a tracked, positive SDR behavior
• Publish internal "What Good Looks Like" examples -- best handoff briefs, highest-quality meetings
• Set targets for Month 4-6 based on learnings

11. Key Metrics to Track

Leading Indicators (Weekly Review)

Lagging Indicators (Monthly Review)

12. Quick-Reference: Top 5 SDR Discovery Questions

For SDRs to use on every qualification call:

1. "What's the biggest operational challenge your team is facing right now?" Purpose: Confirm a real, specific pain exists.

2. "How is that impacting the business? Can you put a number on it?" Purpose: Quantify the pain; urgency and budget justification follow from this.

3. "What have you tried so far to solve this?" Purpose: Understand competitive landscape, prior solutions, and sophistication level.

4. "Who else would be involved in evaluating and deciding on a solution?" Purpose: Map the buying committee; confirm authority or path to authority.

5. "What's driving you to look at this now, and what does your timeline look like?" Purpose: Identify trigger events and urgency; distinguish active buyers from browsers.

Summary

The core issue -- high inbound volume with low meeting quality -- is a qualification and handoff problem, not a demand generation problem. The fixes are:

1. Tighten qualification criteria with a structured, scored framework (BANT+ with 4/5 threshold).
2. Standardize the handoff with a required brief that forces SDRs to confirm fit before booking.
3. Realign incentives so SDRs are rewarded for quality (pipeline generated, conversion rate), not just volume.
4. Close the feedback loop with AE meeting quality scorecards and regular calibration sessions.
5. Score and route inbound leads so SDR time goes to the highest-potential prospects, and low-quality leads go to automated nurture.
6. Track channel quality to identify which inbound sources produce real pipeline and which produce noise.

These changes should be implementable within 90 days and measurable within the first 60.