Qualification Framework & Checklist
Create a repeatable qualification structure usable by humans, AI, intake teams, sales teams, chat, phone, and SMS, so every inquiry is worked with the same categories of information required to make a sound next-step…
Link
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Link Name
Qualification
Role
framework
Loop Step
Repair
Purpose
Create a repeatable qualification structure usable by humans, AI, intake teams, sales teams, chat, phone, and SMS, so every inquiry is worked with the same categories of information required to make a sound next-step decision — without turning the conversation into an interrogation.
Governing Principle
The framework defines the CATEGORIES of information needed to decide the next step, not a fixed script. It separates REQUIRED questions (always needed to decide) from CONDITIONAL questions (needed only when a prior answer makes them relevant). No business is forced to ask every question.
Information Categories
Need
- Id
- need
- Question
- What problem or request brought the prospect in?
- Why
- You cannot establish fit or next step without knowing what the prospect actually wants.
Fit
- Id
- fit
- Question
- Can the business actually help with this?
- Why
- Separates genuine non-fit from process failure; fit must be established from evidence, not assumed.
Intent
- Id
- intent
- Question
- How serious is the prospect about taking action?
- Why
- Drives priority and response expectation; low-information is not low-intent.
Urgency
- Id
- urgency
- Question
- When does the prospect need help or expect to act?
- Why
- Determines routing speed and follow-up cadence.
Value / Opportunity
- Id
- value
- Question
- What makes this opportunity economically or strategically relevant?
- Why
- Informs prioritization and routing — never the sole basis for qualification.
Decision Readiness
- Id
- decision_readiness
- Question
- What has to happen before the prospect can move forward?
- Why
- Reveals whether the next step is book, nurture, or gather-more-information.
Routing
- Id
- routing
- Question
- Where should this opportunity go next?
- Why
- Turns qualification into an assigned next action rather than a stored note.
Required Vs Conditional
- Required
- A minimal set that must be established for every inquiry to make a sound next-step decision: need, service fit, urgency/timeline, and the intended next action. These are asked (or otherwise established) in every qualification.
- Conditional
- Questions that only apply when a prior answer makes them relevant — e.g. authority/decision-maker when multiple stakeholders exist, budget/value when the service is variable-priced, geography/eligibility when service is location- or eligibility-bound. Conditional questions must never be asked reflexively.
- Rule
- Establish value before asking value-heavy or sensitive questions. Do not front-load qualification with questions that feel like an interrogation before the prospect understands what they get.
Checklist Schema
- Note
- The configurable checklist. Each row is one qualification item the business can enable, disable, or adapt. Businesses map 'crmField' to their own CRM.
Starter Checklist
- Question
- What problem or outcome are you trying to solve?
- Category
- need
- Requirement
- required
- Answer type
- free_text
- Why it matters
- Defines the request and enables a fit judgment.
- Crm field
- need_summary
- Next action
- Continue qualification
- Question
- Is this the type of work/service we provide?
- Category
- fit
- Requirement
- required
- Answer type
- single_select
- Disqualifying answer
- Confirmed out-of-scope service the business does not and will not offer
- Why it matters
- Establishes genuine fit vs non-fit from evidence.
- Crm field
- service_fit
- Routing implication
- Non-fit routes to a respectful decline + referral where possible
- Next action
- Proceed or decline with dignity
- Question
- When are you hoping to get this resolved / start?
- Category
- urgency
- Requirement
- required
- Answer type
- single_select
- Why it matters
- Sets response expectation and follow-up cadence.
- Crm field
- timeline
- Routing implication
- Immediate urgency escalates priority
- Next action
- Set cadence / priority
- Question
- Have you worked with a provider like us before, or is this your first time looking into it?
- Category
- decision_readiness
- Requirement
- conditional
- Condition
- Only when readiness is unclear
- Answer type
- single_select
- Why it matters
- Distinguishes book-now from nurture.
- Crm field
- decision_readiness
- Next action
- Route to booking or nurture
- Question
- Are you the right person to make this decision, or is someone else involved?
- Category
- decision_readiness
- Requirement
- conditional
- Condition
- Only when multiple stakeholders are likely
- Answer type
- single_select
- Why it matters
- Prevents stalled deals; do not ask reflexively.
- Crm field
- authority
- Next action
- Include decision-maker in next step
- Question
- Where are you located / is this within the area we serve?
- Category
- fit
- Requirement
- conditional
- Condition
- Only when service is geography- or eligibility-bound
- Answer type
- free_text
- Disqualifying answer
- Confirmed outside the served area/eligibility the business cannot serve
- Why it matters
- Eligibility fit, only where relevant.
- Crm field
- geo_eligibility
- Next action
- Proceed or refer out
Channel Adaptation
- Note
- Same categories, different delivery. The checklist is channel-agnostic; only phrasing and pacing change (scripts live in RLR-19).
- Phone
- Conversational; establish need and fit fast, ask conditional questions only as they arise.
- Chat sms
- Fewer, shorter questions per message; never send a wall of questions.
- Form
- Ask only required fields on the form; gather conditional detail on first contact.
- Ai intake
- Encode required vs conditional logic so the assistant asks conditionals only when triggered and hands off with all captured fields.
What To Measure
Whether every worked inquiry has the required categories established and stored, and whether conditional questions are being asked only when their condition is met.
How To Interpret
Missing required fields means the framework is not being followed; conditional questions asked on every lead means the process is interrogating and should be tightened.
Action That Follows
Standardize the required set across all responders and channels, wire the checklist fields to CRM, then layer scoring (RLR-18) and scripts (RLR-19) on top.
Owner
Intake/sales manager owns the checklist definition and keeps the required vs conditional split current.
How To Implement
Adopt the starter checklist, cut anything that does not drive a decision, add only business-specific required items, map each row to a CRM field, and brief every responder. Enable conditional logic in forms/AI so nothing is asked reflexively.
How To Test
Run 5-10 live or recent inquiries through the checklist and confirm each required category was established and stored, and that no unnecessary questions were asked.
When To Remeasure
Re-audit with RLR-16 at 14 and 30 days; review the checklist quarterly in the Weekly Operating Review (RLR-38).
How To Know It Improved
RLR-16 shows higher record completeness and narrower responder/channel variance without an increase in questions-per-lead — consistency improved without interrogation.
Data Minimization
Every item must earn its place by driving fit, next action, or routing. Do not add fields to 'have data'. Do not request sensitive information unless it is necessary to provide the service, and never invent industry-specific compliance fields.
Consolidation Note
This framework reuses and improves ShiFt's prior Lead Qualification Checklist and the ICP/qualification guidance surfaced in buyer-facing components; those public explainers remain, and this is the canonical operational checklist behind them.
Delivery Status
content_ready_delivery_pending
How to implement
Install the change exactly as the playbook describes; log it on the Repair Plan.
How to verify
Installing a workflow is implementation, not closure. QA the repair before you trust it.
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