What is a qualified opportunity?

A qualified opportunity is a prospect who has the problem you solve, the budget to pay for it, the authority to make a decision, and a timeline that makes sense. Deals missing any of these often stall or go dark. Qualifying early saves wasted time.

What win rate should I expect?

For qualified opportunities in B2B SaaS, 25-40% is healthy. Below 25% usually means your qualification is too loose or your sales process has holes. Above 40% might mean you're being too conservative and leaving deals on the table.

How many deals do I need before I understand my motion?

You need 10+ closed deals to see patterns. With fewer than 10, you're still in discovery mode. At 10+, you should be able to describe why deals close, where they stall, and what the typical timeline looks like.

What do I do when deals stall?

First, diagnose why. Is it a missing stakeholder, an unclear ROI, budget timing, or just low priority? Then have a direct conversation: 'It seems like this has stalled. What would need to change for this to move forward?' Sometimes the answer is 'nothing'—and that's useful information.

Sales Motion

How do deals actually happen?

Your sales motion is how deals actually happen—from first contact to signed contract. Founders who understand their sales motion can predict revenue. Those who don't are perpetually surprised by which deals close and which disappear.

Answer 5 diagnostic questions to see where you stand.

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What this measures

How many deals have you personally closed?
Of the prospects who seem serious, what percentage actually close?
This is your win rate on qualified opportunities.
Can you tell the difference between a real opportunity and a tire-kicker?
What happens when a deal stalls?
How do you decide if a prospect is worth your time?
This is your qualification process.

What to do about it

If this area is broken

Map your last 5 deals. What happened at each stage? Where do deals die?

If this area needs work

Define your sales stages. Track where deals stall.

How this connects

Depends on

Problems here often trace back to gaps in:

Affects

Fixing this can unlock progress in:

Frequently asked questions about sales motion

What is a qualified opportunity?: A qualified opportunity is a prospect who has the problem you solve, the budget to pay for it, the authority to make a decision, and a timeline that makes sense. Deals missing any of these often stall or go dark. Qualifying early saves wasted time.
What win rate should I expect?: For qualified opportunities in B2B SaaS, 25-40% is healthy. Below 25% usually means your qualification is too loose or your sales process has holes. Above 40% might mean you're being too conservative and leaving deals on the table.
How many deals do I need before I understand my motion?: You need 10+ closed deals to see patterns. With fewer than 10, you're still in discovery mode. At 10+, you should be able to describe why deals close, where they stall, and what the typical timeline looks like.
What do I do when deals stall?: First, diagnose why. Is it a missing stakeholder, an unclear ROI, budget timing, or just low priority? Then have a direct conversation: 'It seems like this has stalled. What would need to change for this to move forward?' Sometimes the answer is 'nothing'—and that's useful information.

Find out where you stand Or take the full diagnostic