Should I forecast this deal? — Notes from an AE

Who this tool is for This tool is built for B2B technology sales — complex, multi-stakeholder enterprise deals with long sales cycles. If that is your world, it will be highly relevant. If you are selling transactional products, high-volume SMB, or consumer goods, the framework will be less applicable. The concepts draw from MEDDICC, BANT, and years of enterprise sales experience — they are most powerful in environments where deals involve multiple decision makers, significant budget, and a formal buying process.

This tool scores your deal across five pillars — the five areas that, in my experience, determine whether a deal belongs in forecast or not. Each pillar carries a different weight because not all gaps are equal. A missing champion kills a deal. A missing business case slows it down. The scoring reflects that reality. (See the five pillars below before you begin.)

🎯 Pain

Is there a real, business-critical problem your prospect cannot solve alone? Without genuine pain, there is no deal — only a conversation.

🏆 Champion

Do you have someone inside the organisation who will fight for you when you are not in the room? No champion, no deal — this is the hardest gate in the tool.

⏰ Urgency

Is there a compelling event — a specific deadline or consequence — that makes doing nothing costly? Without urgency, even the best deals slip.

💰 Commercial

Is the budget real, the pricing understood, and the full decision process mapped including legal and procurement? Commercial gaps late in a cycle are almost always avoidable.

📋 Process & Alignment

Have you mapped the buying committee, agreed a mutual action plan, quantified ROI, and presented a business case? This pillar separates deals that are close from deals that feel close.

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🎯 Pillar 1 — Pain

Question 1 of 13

Have you identified a challenge your prospect cannot solve alone?

⚠️ No identified pain means no deal. This is a hard stop — remove this from your pipeline until a real challenge is surfaced.

Question 2 of 13

Is this challenge business critical — does it directly impact revenue, risk, or cost for the organisation?

🏆 Pillar 2 — Champion

Question 3 of 13

Have you identified a champion for this deal — someone inside the prospect organisation who wants this to happen?

Related reading: Do you really have a champion? →

⚠️ No champion means no deal. Without an internal advocate with access to power, this opportunity cannot progress. Focus on building this relationship before forecasting.

Question 4 of 13

Have you tested your champion against these criteria: they have access to power and can influence the final decision; they are actively selling your solution internally when you are not in the room; they have a personal stake in the project's success; they have credibility — others listen to them.

⚠️ An untested champion is a risk. A contact who hasn't proven they will advocate for you internally is a coach at best, not a champion. This deal cannot reach Forecast until this is validated.

⏰ Pillar 3 — Urgency

Question 5 of 13

Is there a compelling event with a specific deadline driving urgency — a date, consequence, or external trigger that makes doing nothing costly?

⚠️ No urgency means this deal will slip. Without a compelling event, there is no reason for your prospect to prioritise this over everything else on their plate. Maximum outcome: Watch List.

💰 Pillar 4 — Commercial

Question 6 of 13

Is there a qualified budget — either allocated or with a clear approval path?

⚠️ Unqualified budget means this deal is Too Early at best. Get budget confirmed before moving this forward.

Question 7 of 13

Has your champion approved the pricing in principle, subject to buying committee sign-off?

Question 8 of 13

Have you qualified the full decision making process — including legal, procurement, and any other stakeholders with veto power?

📋 Pillar 5 — Process & Alignment

Question 9 of 13

Has the full buying committee been identified and mapped — do you know who all the decision makers and influencers are?

Question 10 of 13

Related reading: Qualify to disqualify →

Have you agreed a mutual action plan (MAP) with your champion — a shared, written timeline of steps on both sides needed to reach a decision?

⚠️ No MAP (mutual action plan) means no shared commitment to close. A champion who won't agree to a joint plan with owners and dates on both sides is not truly championing you. Maximum outcome: Too Early.

Question 11 of 13

Do you have written confirmation of your champion's commitment to the MAP (mutual action plan) — have they confirmed the agreed steps in writing, not just verbally?

Question 12 of 13

Have you quantified the business impact — is there a clear ROI or value calculation that justifies the investment?

Question 13 of 13

Has the business case been formally presented to the buying committee — not just your champion?

Once you've answered all 13 questions, get your score and next actions.

Please answer all 13 questions before submitting.

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Pillar breakdown

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