Lead Qualification Criteria Template

Stop wasting partner time on tire-kickers. This template gives you a scoring framework to separate real opportunities from time-wasters in under 60 seconds.

Use this when your intake coordinator fields an inbound inquiry, when a partner meets a prospect at a conference, or when marketing hands you a "warm lead" that's actually ice-cold.

1. Print this page and keep it next to your CRM

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2. Fill in the bracketed fields with your firm's specific thresholds.
3. Score every new lead within 24 hours of first contact.
4. Route qualified leads to partners. Archive disqualified leads immediately.

Scoring takes 90 seconds. It will save you 4+ hours per week in dead-end discovery calls.

Signal 1: Revenue Threshold Met

What to ask: "What was your firm's revenue last year?"

Qualifying criteria:

• Law firms: Annual revenue ≥ [INSERT: e.g., $3M for solo/small, $10M+ for mid-market]
• Accounting firms: Annual revenue ≥ [INSERT: e.g., $5M]
• Consulting practices: Annual revenue ≥ [INSERT: e.g., $2M]

Where to find it: LinkedIn company page, Hoovers, ZoomInfo, or ask directly in the first email.

Example: "Prospect is a 12-attorney litigation boutique with $8M in annual revenue."

Signal 2: Decision Authority Confirmed

What to ask: "Who else needs to sign off on this decision?"

Qualifying criteria:

• Contact is managing partner, practice group leader, COO, or CFO
• Contact can approve expenditures ≥ [INSERT: e.g., $25K] without committee review
• Contact schedules the demo/discovery call themselves (not delegated to admin)

Red flag: If they say "I need to run this by the executive committee," ask when that committee meets next. If it's more than 30 days out, deprioritize.

Example: "Prospect is the COO and has direct budget authority for all operational software purchases under $50K."

Signal 3: Specific Pain Point Articulated

What to ask: "What happens if you don't solve this in the next 90 days?"

Qualifying criteria:

• Prospect names a concrete problem: "We lost 3 lateral hires last quarter because our onboarding takes 6 weeks"
• Prospect quantifies the cost: "We're spending $40K/year on a tool we don't use"
• Prospect describes a failed attempt: "We tried [competitor] and it didn't integrate with our practice management system"

Disqualifying answer: "We're just exploring options" or "We want to stay ahead of the curve."

Example: "Prospect said their current time-tracking system requires 15 manual steps per entry, and associates are under-reporting billable hours by an estimated 20%."

Signal 4: Timeline Under 90 Days

What to ask: "When do you need this live?"

Qualifying criteria:

• Prospect has a hard deadline: fiscal year-end, compliance audit, merger close date
• Prospect has already allocated budget for this fiscal year
• Prospect can start implementation within 60 days of contract signature

Disqualifying answer: "We're planning for next year" or "We're in the research phase."

Example: "Prospect needs the system operational before their ISO audit in Q1, which is 75 days away."

Signal 5: Ideal Customer Profile Match

What to ask: "What practice areas generate most of your revenue?"

Qualifying criteria:

• Industry: [INSERT: e.g., law firms specializing in litigation, corporate, or IP]
• Firm size: [INSERT: e.g., 10-100 attorneys, 5-50 CPAs]
• Geography: [INSERT: e.g., U.S.-based, single office or multi-office]
• Tech stack: Uses [INSERT: e.g., Clio, NetDocuments, QuickBooks] (indicates compatibility)

Example: "Prospect is a 35-attorney IP litigation firm in California using Clio for practice management."

Disqualifier 1: Revenue Below Minimum Threshold

Hard stop if:

• Annual revenue < [INSERT: e.g., $1M for law, $2M for accounting]
• Prospect says "We're bootstrapped" or "We're watching every dollar"
• Prospect asks for a discount before seeing a demo

Example: "Prospect is a solo practitioner with $400K in annual revenue."

Disqualifier 2: No Budget Allocated

What to ask: "Have you set aside budget for this, or does it need to be approved?"

Hard stop if:

• Prospect says "We'll need to find budget"
• Prospect asks "What's the cheapest option?"
• Prospect wants a proposal before discussing scope

Example: "Prospect said they 'might have budget in Q3 if collections improve.'"

Disqualifier 3: Gatekeeper, Not Decision-Maker

Hard stop if:

• Contact is office manager, legal assistant, or junior associate
• Contact says "I'm gathering information for the partners"
• Contact cannot schedule a call with the actual decision-maker within 10 business days

Example: "Prospect is a paralegal who was 'asked to look into options.'"

Disqualifier 4: No Defined Problem

What to ask: "What's broken right now?"

Hard stop if:

• Prospect says "We're just curious about AI"
• Prospect cannot name a specific workflow that's failing
• Prospect is "exploring" with no urgency

Example: "Prospect said they're 'interested in innovation' but couldn't identify a single process problem."

Disqualifier 5: Timeline Beyond 6 Months

Hard stop if:

• Prospect says "We're planning for 2026"
• Prospect is waiting for a committee that meets quarterly
• Prospect wants to "stay in touch" but has no near-term action

Example: "Prospect said they'll revisit this after their annual partner retreat in 9 months."

Qualified Lead (Route to Partner Immediately):

• Score: +3 or higher
• Criteria: At least 3 qualifying signals, zero disqualifying signals
• Action: Schedule discovery call within 5 business days

Disqualified Lead (Archive):

• Score: -2 or lower
• Criteria: 2+ disqualifying signals present
• Action: Send polite "not a fit" email, add to nurture list for annual check-in

Uncertain Lead (Needs More Information):

• Score: 0 to +2
• Criteria: 2-3 qualifying signals, 1 disqualifying signal
• Action: Send one follow-up email with a specific question to clarify. If no response in 7 days, archive.

Lead Name: [PROSPECT FIRM NAME]
Contact: [NAME, TITLE]
Date Scored: [DATE]

Qualifying Signals (+1 each):

• [ ] Revenue threshold met: [YES/NO]
• [ ] Decision authority confirmed: [YES/NO]
• [ ] Specific pain point articulated: [YES/NO]
• [ ] Timeline under 90 days: [YES/NO]
• [ ] Ideal customer profile match: [YES/NO]

Disqualifying Signals (-2 each):

• [ ] Revenue below minimum: [YES/NO]
• [ ] No budget allocated: [YES/NO]
• [ ] Gatekeeper, not decision-maker: [YES/NO]
• [ ] No defined problem: [YES/NO]
• [ ] Timeline beyond 6 months: [YES/NO]

Total Score: [CALCULATE]

Disposition: [QUALIFIED / DISQUALIFIED / UNCERTAIN]

Next Action: [SPECIFIC NEXT STEP WITH DATE]

Run this scoring system for 30 days, then review:

• What percentage of "qualified" leads converted to discovery calls? (Target: 60%+)
• What percentage of "disqualified" leads later re-engaged? (Should be <5%)
• Are partners overriding your scores? (If yes, adjust thresholds)

Adjust your revenue thresholds, timeline windows, and ICP criteria based on actual conversion data. This is a living document, not a set-it-and-forget-it checklist.