3 Questions to Ask About Box 7 — Disqualifying
1. In your last five prospects, you looked for reasons to disqualify them — not reasons to qualify them
What does "Disqualify, Don't Qualify" mean?
Two opposite ways to evaluate a prospect. Qualifying searches for green flags — reasons this could be a deal — and is easy to talk yourself into for almost anyone. Disqualifying searches for red flags — reasons to say no — and is much harder to rationalize past.
A founder who qualifies keeps prospects around because SOMETHING about them looks promising, and ends up with a pipeline full of maybes. A founder who disqualifies removes anyone who fails even one hard criterion, and ends up with a shorter list of people who survived real scrutiny — which is who your limited hours should go to.
This is also what makes the 5-Factor Disqualifying Matrix work: it only produces a useful number if you are honestly looking for reasons to score low, not reasons to justify a high score.
1. Before your next call, write down the reasons this prospect might NOT be a fit — not the reasons they might be.
2. If you can't find at least one real disqualifying reason to check for, you are probably qualifying instead of disqualifying.
3. Score honestly on the 5-Factor Disqualifying Matrix (see below) using that same lens — you are hunting for the low score, not defending a high one.
4. Notice when you catch yourself explaining away a red flag ("but they seemed really interested") — that is qualifying creeping back in.
5. Do this on your last five prospects and count how many you would have kept if you had been looking for reasons to say yes instead.
Example: A founder about to log a call notices the prospect has no budget authority and a vague timeline — both real disqualifiers. Their first instinct is "but they were so engaged on the call, let's keep them warm." Catching that instinct and scoring the call honestly instead is the difference between qualifying and disqualifying.
2. You have a written disqualification matrix — 5 factors, each scored 2 (strong), 1 (some), or 0 (absent)
What does "The 5-Factor Disqualifying Matrix" mean?
A written scorecard rating every prospect on five factors, each scored 2 (strong), 1 (some), or 0 (absent), for a maximum of 10:
<u>Problem Urgency</u> — 2 = actively searching now with a deadline or trigger, 1 = would like to solve soon, 0 = can wait indefinitely.
<u>Trigger Event</u> — 2 = a recent, specific, named event, 1 = an older or vague one, 0 = no identifiable trigger.
<u>Decision Authority</u> — 2 = talking directly to the person who can sign, 1 = talking to an influencer, 0 = no access to the decision-maker.
<u>Current Solution Dissatisfaction</u> — 2 = actively unhappy and looking to switch, 1 = mildly dissatisfied but tolerating it, 0 = satisfied with the status quo.
<u>Resource Availability</u> — 2 = has budget and can act now, 1 = unclear or needs approval, 0 = no budget/time/authority.
High-scoring prospects close faster, pay closer to list price, negotiate less, and refer more. Low-scoring prospects consume the same hours and produce a fraction of the revenue — and almost no referrals.
Scoring makes the difference visible before you have sunk twenty hours into the wrong conversation.
1. Score every prospect on all five factors before booking a second meeting.
2. Set your threshold — 6/10 is a sensible default, or use your average won-deal score minus 2.
3. Anything below threshold gets archived, not pursued.
4. Re-score monthly. Scores move when triggers fire.
5. When it feels wrong to drop someone, check whether you are attached to the person or to the deal. Attachment to the person is the most common reason founders keep low scorers in the pipeline.
Example: Prospect scores: Urgency 2, Trigger 2, Authority 1, Dissatisfaction 2, Resources 1 = 8/10 → pursue hard.
Another: Urgency 1, Trigger 0, Authority 2, Dissatisfaction 1, Resources 2 = 6/10 → threshold case, no trigger fired yet. Archive with a reminder rather than chasing.
3. You have a scoring threshold — you stop pursuing prospects who score 2 or more below your current best active prospect
What does "The 2-Point Disqualification Rule" mean?
A pipeline rule: once you have active prospects, stop investing time in anyone scoring 2 or more points below your current best active prospect on the 5-factor matrix.
Every hour spent on a 5/10 is an hour not spent on a 7/10, and the 7/10 is several times more likely to close at a better price. The rule converts a vague feeling that you are busy into an explicit decision about where the next hour goes.
Founders who apply it consistently report shorter cycles within a month.
1. Every Monday, score your full pipeline on the 5-factor matrix.
2. Identify your highest-scoring active prospect.
3. Subtract 2. Anything below that number gets archived this week.
4. Archive means logging their likely next trigger and diarising a follow-up — not deleting them.
5. When you resist archiving someone, check whether the attachment is to the deal or to the person. It is usually the person, and that is not a reason to keep them in the pipeline.
Example: Best active prospect: 8/10. A 6/10 keeps asking for more information and will not commit to a next step. The rule says archive. Those four hours a week went into sourcing two new prospects, one of which scored 8/10 and closed inside a month.