Deal Inspection Scorecard (Skip-Level Edition)

Run this on any deal before it appears in a board deck, QBR headline number, or exec forecast call. Score each criterion 0, 1, or 2. Total out of 20.

Scoring rubric

The 10 criteria

1. Economic Buyer Identified & Engaged

Skip-level question: "Who signs the contract, and when did you personally speak with them?" Score 2 if: the rep has had direct, recent contact with the actual signer. Score 0 if: "my champion says they're aligned" is the entire answer.

2. Champion Confirmed & Tested

Skip-level question: "What has this person actually done to prove they're a champion, not just friendly?" Score 2 if: the champion has taken a real internal action (set up a meeting, pushed a deadline, shared internal info). Score 0 if: "champion" means someone who's simply pleasant on calls.

3. Pain Quantified in Business Terms

Skip-level question: "What's this problem costing them, in a number the CFO would recognize?" Score 2 if: there's a specific dollar or business-metric figure, sourced from the prospect. Score 0 if: the pain is described only in adjectives ("frustrating," "inefficient").

4. Decision Process Mapped

Skip-level question: "Walk me through every step between now and signature, with dates." Score 2 if: the rep can name each remaining step (legal, security, procurement, exec approval) with realistic dates. Score 0 if: the answer is "I think it's just paperwork now."

5. Decision Criteria Known — and We're Winning on Them

Skip-level question: "What are their top 3 criteria, and where do we rank on each?" Score 2 if: the rep can name the criteria specifically and where competitors stack up. Score 0 if: "I think they like us best" is unsupported by specifics.

6. Compelling Event / Timeline Verified

Skip-level question: "What happens to them if this doesn't close by the date on the forecast — and how do you know that, not assume it?" Score 2 if: there's a real, prospect-stated consequence tied to the date. Score 0 if: the date is one we proposed and they simply didn't object to it.

7. Budget Confirmed

Skip-level question: "Has the actual budget holder confirmed funds are allocated, not just that the price 'seems fine'?" Score 2 if: confirmed directly by the budget owner. Score 0 if: budget confirmation flows only through the champion.

8. Multi-thread Depth

Skip-level question: "Beyond the champion, who else on their side have you spoken with directly?" Score 2 if: 2+ additional stakeholders with logged, direct contact. Score 0 if: the deal is single-threaded.

9. Next Step Calendared with Mutual Close Plan

Skip-level question: "Is the next step on both calendars, with both sides having agreed to it — or just on ours?" Score 2 if: a mutual close plan exists and the prospect has actively engaged with it. Score 0 if: the "next step" is "I'll follow up."

10. Competitive Position Known

Skip-level question: "Who else are they evaluating, and why are we ahead — specifically?" Score 2 if: the rep names the competitor and the specific reason we're winning. Score 0 if: "I don't think there's real competition" is unverified.

Red-flag phrases that auto-cap a criterion at 0

• "I'm pretty sure..."
• "My champion says..." (on anything that should be confirmed by the economic buyer directly)
• "It's basically done"
• "They didn't say no"

Scoring bands

Blank scorecard