Score each statement from what the prospect actually said, not from what you hope is true. If you are inferring, that is a 1. If you never asked, that is a 0 — and a 0 is useful information, because it tells you exactly what the next conversation is for.
Saves to this browser. One prospect at a time — use Clear before scoring the next.
Prospect
Kill switches
These override the score entirely. A high score with any of these ticked is not a strong opportunity — it is a dangerous one. Disqualifying the wrong prospect is a revenue-generating activity, because it protects the capacity you need for the right one.
The Four Categories
Every prospect lands in one of these. The skill is being willing to place them honestly — particularly when the conversation was enjoyable and you would like it to be the first one.
Strong Opportunity
54–72, no kill switchMeaningful value · clear workflow · sponsor exists · data is usable · outcome is measurable · risk is manageable.
Propose the Agentic AI Opportunity Brief™, then paid discovery. Resist the urge to design. Naming a platform here is the fastest way to become a vendor.
Promising but Unready
36–53Strong value · weak documentation · fragmented data · unclear ownership · adoption barriers.
This becomes a foundational-readiness engagement. Do not dismiss it, and do not pretend it is ready. A scale-up frequently needs process standardisation before it needs automation — automating an inconsistent process only industrialises the inconsistency.
Curious but Unqualified
16–35General fascination · no priority · no urgency · no owner · no budget · no measurable outcome.
The most expensive category, because it is the most pleasant. These conversations feel productive and consume months. Stay in touch cheaply; invest nothing.
Dangerous
Any kill switchCatastrophic downside · unrealistic expectations · no stakeholder access · refusal to baseline · demands for guaranteed accuracy · scope beyond capability.
Decline, or radically narrow the scope and bring in someone who owns that risk. The fee never covers what a failed high-consequence deployment costs you in reputation.
On objections
An objection is often not resistance — it may be the prospect testing whether you understand risk and complexity. "Our data isn't ready" and "AI is too risky" are frequently the most encouraging things you will hear all week, because they come from someone who has thought about it.