What is deal inspection?

Deal inspection is checking a deal against evidence before you count it in your forecast. It asks what the customer has actually said and done, not how the rep feels about it.

How often should I inspect deals?

Inspect every deal in commit before each forecast call, and any deal whose close date or amount changed since the last one.

Why does "don't know" count against the deal?

If nobody can point to the email or call where the customer confirmed something, it has not been confirmed. An unknown is a gap to close, the same as a no.

Where should the answers come from?

From the email threads and call recordings on the deal. If the answer depends on the rep's recollection, treat it as unknown until you have seen the message.

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Deal inspection checklist

Twelve questions to ask about any deal before it goes in your commit. Answer them from the emails and calls on the deal, not from memory. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

Deal name

Buyer engagement

Has the customer replied in the last 7 days?

Is more than one person on the customer side active in the emails or calls?

Has the person who signs or owns the budget joined a call or an email thread?

Decision process

Has the customer told you, in their own words, how the decision gets made?

Do you know what else they are considering, including doing nothing?

Have legal, security or procurement started their steps?

Commercials

Has the customer seen pricing?

Did they respond to the pricing?

Has budget been confirmed by someone who controls it?

Timing

Does the customer own a next step with a date on it?

Did the close date come from the customer, not from us?

Has the close date held for the last 30 days?

How to use it in a pipeline review

Run it on every deal in commit, starting with the largest.
Ask for the email or the call behind each yes. If nobody can find it, change the answer to "don't know".
Turn each gap into an action with an owner and a date.
Move any deal that scores under 7 out of commit until the gaps are closed.

The scoring bands are our suggestion. Adjust them to how your team sells.

Frequently asked questions

What is deal inspection?: Deal inspection is checking a deal against evidence before you count it in your forecast. It asks what the customer has actually said and done, not how the rep feels about it.
How often should I inspect deals?: Inspect every deal in commit before each forecast call, and any deal whose close date or amount changed since the last one.
Why does "don't know" count against the deal?: If nobody can point to the email or call where the customer confirmed something, it has not been confirmed. An unknown is a gap to close, the same as a no.
Where should the answers come from?: From the email threads and call recordings on the deal. If the answer depends on the rep's recollection, treat it as unknown until you have seen the message.

Let Noodle run the inspection for you

Answering these questions by hand takes twenty minutes a deal. Noodle reads every email and call on every deal and answers them for you, with a link to the message behind each answer.

See a sample forecast