What makes a definition usable
Each criterion must be observable and recordable. 'Interested in our services' is not observable. 'Requested pricing for a service we sell, in a market we serve, with a stated decision window' is.
| Component | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Fit | Are they the kind of customer we serve? |
| Need | Do they have a problem our offer addresses? |
| Timing | Is there a decision window or a forcing event? |
| Access | Are we talking to someone who can decide, or who named the decider? |
Why scoring often fails
Behavioural scores — page views, email opens, downloads — measure engagement with marketing rather than commercial readiness. They are useful for prioritisation inside marketing and weak as a qualification gate on their own. Where a score is used, it should sit alongside explicit fit criteria, not replace them.
Keeping the definition current
Qualification criteria are a live agreement, not a policy. Markets shift, offers change, and a definition that goes unreviewed for a year quietly becomes two remembered versions. Review monthly for the first quarter after writing it, then quarterly, and date every version so both teams can see which one is current.
The joint definition process is in the marketing-to-sales handoff playbook.
Muhammad Sameed Abid
Muhammad Sameed Abid is a business operations, automation and growth systems professional with 9+ years across operations management, workflow and CRM automation, marketing operations and customer success. He is currently Head of Customer Success at GHA Marketing and writes here about the operating layer underneath growth.