What you'll get
- 4 copy-ready blocks
- 5 tables
- 9 min read
- Checklist (copy into the account record)
- Questions to ask (by check)
- Handover note (send with every Pursue)
- Checklist, filled in
How to use it
- Step 1: Answer each check with Yes, No or Unknown. Add the evidence in one line.
- Step 2: Treat Unknown as a task, not as a No. The questions in Part 2 are there to turn Unknowns into answers.
- Step 3: Apply the decision rule in Part 3: pursue, develop or park.
- Step 4: Send the handover note in Part 4 with every account you pass to a seller.
- Step 5: Re-run the checklist when a trigger lands or a contact changes.
A lead is one person. A purchase in a large company is a decision by several people about a problem the company has agreed to solve. This checklist qualifies all three: the account, the people and the opportunity.
Part 1: The 15 checks
A. The account: should we win this company?
| # | Check | Evidence that counts |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | It matches our ideal customer profile on industry, size and geography | Their own website, filings or a business directory |
| A2 | No knock-out applies | Checked against your written walk-away rules |
| A3 | The problem we solve is visibly present | A job post, a public statement, a review, something a person there said |
| A4 | A typical deal here would clear our minimum size | Comparison with similar customers |
| A5 | There is a reason to act now | A trigger event or named initiative in the last six months |
B. The people: do we know who decides?
| # | Check | Evidence that counts |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | We know who makes the final decision | A name, confirmed by someone inside the account |
| B2 | We know who holds the budget | A name, or the function and the approval route |
| B3 | We are in a two-way conversation with at least two people | Replies or calls, dated |
| B4 | Someone inside has acted for us | An introduction made, a document shared, a meeting set up |
| B5 | We know who is likely to object, and why | A name and a reason |
C. The opportunity: is there something to pursue?
| # | Check | Evidence that counts |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | They have described the problem in their own words | A quote in your notes |
| C2 | They have said what happens if nothing changes | A cost, a risk or a missed date, in their words |
| C3 | Money exists or there is a known way to get it | A budget line, or the approval process described |
| C4 | We know how they will decide | Steps, people and any formal process such as procurement or security review |
| C5 | A next step is agreed with a date and a second person | Calendar entry |
Checklist (copy into the account record)
ACCOUNT QUALIFICATION: [account], [date], checked by [name]
Answer Y, N or ? (unknown). Add evidence for every Y.
A. ACCOUNT
A1 Matches our ICP (industry, size, geography) [ ] Evidence:
A2 No knock-out applies [ ] Evidence:
A3 Problem visibly present [ ] Evidence:
A4 Deal would clear our minimum size [ ] Evidence:
A5 Reason to act now (trigger or initiative) [ ] Evidence:
B. PEOPLE
B1 Decision maker known [ ] Name:
B2 Budget owner known [ ] Name:
B3 Two-way conversation with two or more people [ ] Names:
B4 Someone inside has acted for us [ ] Who, and what they did:
B5 Likely objector known, with reason [ ] Name and reason:
C. OPPORTUNITY
C1 Problem described in their words [ ] Quote:
C2 Cost of doing nothing stated [ ] Quote:
C3 Money exists or route to it is known [ ] Evidence:
C4 Decision process known [ ] Steps:
C5 Next step agreed, dated, with a second person [ ] Date and who:
Totals: A [ ]/5 B [ ]/5 C [ ]/5 Decision: PURSUE / DEVELOP / PARKPart 2: Questions that turn Unknown into an answer
Questions to ask (by check)
A3 "What made this worth a conversation now?"
A5 "Is this tied to a programme or a date, or is it a standing issue?"
B1 "When you bought something like this before, who made the final call?"
B2 "Whose budget would this come from?"
B3 "Who else is affected by this day to day? Would it help if I spoke with them directly?"
B5 "Who is likely to push back, and what would they say?"
C1 "How would you describe the problem to a colleague?"
C2 "If nothing changes in the next twelve months, what happens?"
C3 "Is there money set aside for this, or would it need a case to be made?"
C4 "What are the steps between a decision in principle and a signature? Is procurement or security involved?"
C5 "Who should join the next conversation so we don't repeat this one?"Ask them as part of a conversation, not as a list. Two or three per call is plenty. A buyer who feels interrogated stops answering.
Part 3: The decision rule
| Result | Rule | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Pursue | A is 5 of 5, B is at least 3 including B3, C is at least 3 including C5 | Hand to the seller with the note in Part 4. Review weekly |
| Develop | A is at least 4 with A2 a Yes, but B or C falls short | Keep working the account. The missing checks are your to-do list |
| Park | A2 fails, or A is 3 or lower | No outreach. Re-check when a trigger appears |
Three rules sit on top:
- A2 is a gate. A knock-out ends the check. Do not argue with your own walk-away rules because a contact was friendly.
- A comes before C. An eager person in a poor-fit company is still a poor fit.
- A Yes needs evidence. "I think so" is an Unknown.
The thresholds are a starting point. Tighten them if sellers say too much is being passed, and loosen them if good accounts are stuck in Develop.
Part 4: Handover note
Handover note (send with every Pursue)
HANDOVER: [account], [date]
Why this account: [ICP match and the trigger, one line each]
The problem in their words: "[quote]"
What happens if nothing changes: "[quote]"
People
Decision maker: [name, title] - contact so far: [none / message / call]
Budget owner: [name, title] - contact so far: [ ]
In conversation: [names, titles, last contact date]
Acting for us: [name, and what they did]
Likely objector: [name, reason]
Decision process: [steps and any formal reviews]
Money: [budget line or approval route]
Agreed next step: [what, date, who attends]
Still unknown: [list the checks marked ?]
Sources: [links to notes and research]Part 5: How this differs from BANT
BANT asks about budget, authority, need and timeline for one contact. Every one of those four is in this checklist. The difference is where they sit:
| BANT asks | Here it becomes |
|---|---|
| Does this person have budget? | C3, plus B2: who holds it |
| Does this person have authority? | B1 to B5: who decides, who agrees and who objects |
| Is there a need? | A3, C1 and C2: visible from outside and stated by them |
| Is there a timeline? | A5 and C5: a reason now and a dated next step |
The checklist adds the question BANT leaves out: is this a company we should be trying to win at all?
Worked example (illustrative, not a real company)
"Northfield Logistics", checked by a warehouse-software seller after two calls. Names are invented.
Checklist, filled in
ACCOUNT QUALIFICATION: Northfield Logistics (example)
A. ACCOUNT A1 Y A2 Y A3 Y A4 Y A5 Y second distribution centre, March
B. PEOPLE B1 ? B2 Y B3 Y B4 N B5 ? VP Supply Chain and a warehouse manager
C. OPPORTUNITY C1 Y C2 ? C3 ? C4 ? C5 N problem quoted, no dated next step
Totals: A 5/5 B 2/5 C 1/5 Decision: DEVELOPThe account is right and the timing is real, but nobody inside has acted for the seller and no next step is dated. The to-do list is B1, B4 and C5: ask who made the final call last time, ask the warehouse manager for an introduction, and agree a dated next step with a second person.
Five mistakes to avoid
- Qualifying the person and skipping the company. Run group A first, every time.
- Treating Unknown as Yes. Optimism is not evidence.
- Passing an account with one contact. B3 exists because single-contact deals stall when that person goes quiet or leaves.
- Asking all the questions in one call. Spread them across conversations and people.
- Qualifying once. People move and priorities shift. Date the checklist and repeat it.
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
What is a lead qualification checklist?
A fixed set of checks a seller runs before spending more time on an opportunity. This one has 15 checks in three groups: the account, the people and the opportunity.
How is this different from BANT?
BANT qualifies one contact on budget, authority, need and timeline. This checklist keeps all four and adds the company and the other people in the decision (Part 5).
When is an account ready to hand to a seller?
When it meets the Pursue rule in Part 3: all five account checks, at least three people checks including a two-way conversation with two people, and at least three opportunity checks including a dated next step.
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