# Deal Inspection Scorecard (Skip-Level Edition)

> The scorecard VPs and CROs use to sanity-check a rep's number-one deal before it lands in the board deck: 10 scored criteria, skip-level questions for each, and a clear go/no-go banding.

Free scorecard/rubric for sales leaders. Topic: [Pipeline, Deal Management & Forecasting](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/topic/pipeline-deal-management-forecasting/). Published by PeerLab in the [Sales Enablement Resource Library](https://www.peerlab.ai/library/). Source: https://www.peerlab.ai/library/deal-inspection-scorecard-skip-level/

## How to use it

Run this directly with the rep in a skip-level conversation before any top deal goes into a board deck or exec forecast, scoring live based on their answers rather than the CRM notes: a deal scoring under 10 should be pulled from the headline number, not defended.

## What's inside

- 10 scored criteria covering economic buyer, champion, pain, process, criteria, timeline, budget, multi-threading, next step, and competitive position
- The 0-2 scoring rubric for each criterion
- The skip-level question to ask the rep directly for each criterion
- Red-flag phrases that should auto-cap a score at 0
- The scoring bands: board-ready, at-risk, and do-not-present
- A blank scorecard ready to run on your top deal today

Run this on any deal before it appears in a board deck, QBR headline number, or exec forecast call. Score each criterion 0, 1, or 2. Total out of 20.

## Scoring rubric

| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **0** | Absent, unverified, or a red-flag phrase was used |
| **1** | Partially confirmed: exists, but not independently verified |
| **2** | Confirmed, specific, and independently verifiable |

## The 10 criteria

### 1. Economic Buyer Identified & Engaged
**Skip-level question:** "Who signs the contract, and when did you personally speak with them?"
**Score 2 if:** the rep has had direct, recent contact with the actual signer.
**Score 0 if:** "my champion says they're aligned" is the entire answer.

### 2. Champion Confirmed & Tested
**Skip-level question:** "What has this person actually done to prove they're a champion, not just friendly?"
**Score 2 if:** the champion has taken a real internal action (set up a meeting, pushed a deadline, shared internal info).
**Score 0 if:** "champion" means someone who's simply pleasant on calls.

### 3. Pain Quantified in Business Terms
**Skip-level question:** "What's this problem costing them, in a number the CFO would recognize?"
**Score 2 if:** there's a specific dollar or business-metric figure, sourced from the prospect.
**Score 0 if:** the pain is described only in adjectives ("frustrating," "inefficient").

### 4. Decision Process Mapped
**Skip-level question:** "Walk me through every step between now and signature, with dates."
**Score 2 if:** the rep can name each remaining step (legal, security, procurement, exec approval) with realistic dates.
**Score 0 if:** the answer is "I think it's just paperwork now."

### 5. Decision Criteria Known: and We're Winning on Them
**Skip-level question:** "What are their top 3 criteria, and where do we rank on each?"
**Score 2 if:** the rep can name the criteria specifically and where competitors stack up.
**Score 0 if:** "I think they like us best" is unsupported by specifics.

### 6. Compelling Event / Timeline Verified
**Skip-level question:** "What happens to them if this doesn't close by the date on the forecast: and how do you know that, not assume it?"
**Score 2 if:** there's a real, prospect-stated consequence tied to the date.
**Score 0 if:** the date is one we proposed and they simply didn't object to it.

### 7. Budget Confirmed
**Skip-level question:** "Has the actual budget holder confirmed funds are allocated, not just that the price 'seems fine'?"
**Score 2 if:** confirmed directly by the budget owner.
**Score 0 if:** budget confirmation flows only through the champion.

### 8. Multi-thread Depth
**Skip-level question:** "Beyond the champion, who else on their side have you spoken with directly?"
**Score 2 if:** 2+ additional stakeholders with logged, direct contact.
**Score 0 if:** the deal is single-threaded.

### 9. Next Step Calendared with Mutual Close Plan
**Skip-level question:** "Is the next step on both calendars, with both sides having agreed to it, or just on ours?"
**Score 2 if:** a mutual close plan exists and the prospect has actively engaged with it.
**Score 0 if:** the "next step" is "I'll follow up."

### 10. Competitive Position Known
**Skip-level question:** "Who else are they evaluating, and why are we ahead, specifically?"
**Score 2 if:** the rep names the competitor and the specific reason we're winning.
**Score 0 if:** "I don't think there's real competition" is unverified.

## Red-flag phrases that auto-cap a criterion at 0

- "I'm pretty sure..."
- "My champion says..." (on anything that should be confirmed by the economic buyer directly)
- "It's basically done"
- "They didn't say no"

## Scoring bands

| Total Score | Verdict |
|---|---|
| **16-20** | Board-ready: present with confidence |
| **10-15** | At-risk: needs specific work on the criteria scored 0 or 1 before it goes up the chain |
| **Below 10** | Do not present: this is a hope, not a deal; send it back to the rep with the specific gaps |

## Blank scorecard

| # | Criterion | Score (0-2) | Evidence / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economic Buyer Identified & Engaged | | |
| 2 | Champion Confirmed & Tested | | |
| 3 | Pain Quantified in Business Terms | | |
| 4 | Decision Process Mapped | | |
| 5 | Decision Criteria Known & We're Winning | | |
| 6 | Compelling Event / Timeline Verified | | |
| 7 | Budget Confirmed | | |
| 8 | Multi-thread Depth | | |
| 9 | Next Step Calendared, Mutual Close Plan | | |
| 10 | Competitive Position Known | | |
| | **Total** | **/20** | |