The qualification engine. When to advance, pivot, or walk.
Every pipeline has the same disease: deals that should have been disqualified three months ago sitting at 60% probability because nobody had the framework to say "this isn't going to close." That's not a forecasting problem. That's a qualification problem.
This schema replaces gut-feel qualification with conditional logic. If the prospect meets condition X, then action Y. If they don't, action Z. No ambiguity. No "let's keep it warm and see." Either the conditions are met to advance, or they're not. And if they're not, you know exactly what needs to change before they are.
The best reps aren't the ones who close everything. They're the ones who know what to walk away from early, so they can invest time in the deals that actually close.
Each stage has hard requirements. Meet them or don't advance.
Prospecting → Discovery
| Condition | Required? | If No |
|---|---|---|
| Prospect matches Tier 1 or Tier 2 ICP criteria | Yes | Move to Tier 3 evaluation or disqualify |
| Decision-maker identified (title + name) | Yes | Research further. Cannot advance without DM. |
| Prospect has insurance billing (not 80%+ private pay) | Yes | Hard disqualify. No RCM need |
| Census ≥ 20 patients or growth trajectory confirmed | Yes | Too small. Park and revisit in 6 months. |
| No failed Kipu implementation in last 18 months | Yes | Hard disqualify. Relationship remediation needed first. |
All conditions must be met. One "No" blocks advancement.
Discovery → Solution Presentation
| Condition | Required? | If No |
|---|---|---|
| Specific revenue cycle pain point articulated by prospect | Yes | Re-run discovery. Educate with benchmarks. If still no pain after 2nd call, disqualify. |
| Current billing process mapped (in-house, outsourced, hybrid) | Yes | Cannot build solution narrative without this. Schedule follow-up. |
| Clinical documentation readiness assessed (green/yellow/red) | Yes | If red: recommend EMR remediation. Pause RCM pursuit. |
| EMR identified + integration pathway clear | Yes | Schedule technical validation call with IT stakeholder. |
| Budget conversation initiated (not resolved, initiated) | Preferred | Can advance, but flag as risk. Must resolve by S3. |
4 of 5 required. Budget can carry to next stage but must be addressed.
Solution Presentation → Proposal
| Condition | Required? | If No |
|---|---|---|
| Demo/presentation delivered to decision-maker (not just evaluator) | Yes | Must get DM in the room. Reschedule. |
| Prospect confirms solution addresses their stated pain point | Yes | Misalignment. Re-discovery or pivot approach. |
| Technical feasibility confirmed (IT sign-off or no IT blocker) | Yes | Schedule technical deep-dive. Cannot propose without this. |
| Budget range discussed and within feasibility | Yes | If budget doesn't exist: ROI business case needed. Extends timeline 30-60 days. |
| Implementation timeline discussed | Preferred | Can advance, but proposal should include timeline options. |
| Competitive alternatives identified | Preferred | Assume competition exists. Position proactively. |
First 4 required. Last 2 preferred but not blocking.
Proposal → Contract / Close
| Condition | Required? | If No |
|---|---|---|
| Proposal reviewed by decision-maker | Yes | Confirm DM has seen it. Not just forwarded. Reviewed. |
| Verbal or written intent to proceed | Yes | If "still evaluating" after 2 weeks: re-engage with new information or urgency trigger. |
| Legal/compliance review initiated | Yes | For hospital/state: expect 30-60 day legal review. Plan accordingly. |
| Implementation start date tentatively agreed | Preferred | Commitment without timeline = soft commitment. Push for date. |
| BAA and security documentation exchanged | Yes | Cannot close without BAA. Send proactively. |
All required conditions must be met. No exceptions for contract stage.
Not every deal follows the same sales process. The archetype determines the methodology.
When: Existing Kipu customer + Tier 1 ICP + event-driven trigger
Timeline: 30-45 days
Process: Single discovery → tailored demo → proposal → close
Key condition: Decision-maker accessible within first 2 touches
Skip extended discovery. The EMR relationship is established. Focus on revenue gap.
When: New logo OR existing Kipu + Tier 2 ICP
Timeline: 60-90 days
Process: Discovery → technical validation → demo with DM → proposal → negotiation → close
Key condition: Technical validation required before DM presentation
Full cycle. No shortcuts on discovery or technical validation.
When: Hospital-owned OR multi-site with committee decision process
Timeline: 90-180 days
Process: Multi-stakeholder discovery → IT deep-dive → clinical champion alignment → committee presentation → proposal → legal → close
Key condition: Internal champion identified and actively advocating
Patience required. Map the committee. Find your champion. Arm them with data.
When: State/county OR RFP-driven process
Timeline: 180-365 days
Process: RFP response → evaluation → reference checks → site visits → award → contracting
Key condition: Procurement timeline and evaluation criteria known upfront
You're running their process, not yours. Know the rules. Play within them.
The rules. No exceptions.
IF prospect is existing Kipu EMR customer AND has ≥50 census AND uses third-party biller
→ THEN Express Track. High probability. Prioritize immediately.
IF prospect is PE-backed AND mentions board pressure on margins AND current denial rate >12%
→ THEN Fast-track demo. Lead with denial reduction ROI. Get CFO/COO in the room.
IF prospect is nonprofit AND grant renewal within 6 months AND reporting gaps exist
→ THEN Position around grant compliance. Urgency is built-in. Align demo to grant reporting workflow.
IF clinical documentation assessment = red AND clinician turnover >30%
→ THEN Pause RCM pursuit. Recommend EMR remediation engagement. Set 6-month re-evaluation.
IF decision-maker not identified after 3 discovery attempts AND no internal champion
→ THEN Deprioritize. Move to nurture sequence. Revisit quarterly with new trigger data.
IF hospital-owned AND IT has rejected similar solutions in last 12 months
→ THEN Requires clinical champion who can build internal business case. Do not pursue without one.
IF prospect is >80% private pay OR census <20 with no growth plan OR active bankruptcy
→ THEN Hard disqualify. No exceptions. Do not invest further resources.
IF prospect requested proposal AND decision-maker has not attended any meeting AND budget not confirmed
→ THEN Do not send proposal. Require DM meeting and budget conversation first. Proposals without DM engagement are shelf-ware.
When sales ends and implementation begins. Clean handoffs prevent failed deployments.
• Signed contract with defined scope
• BAA executed
• Implementation start date confirmed
• Clinical champion identified by name
• IT contact identified (if integration required)
• Current billing process documented
• Payer mix data provided
• Discovery notes (all calls)
• Clinical documentation assessment results
• Technical validation summary
• Prospect's stated goals and success metrics
• Known risks and mitigation plans
• Competitive context (what else they evaluated)
• Key stakeholder map with roles
• Handing off without clinical champion confirmed
• No documentation of prospect's stated success metrics
• Sales overpromised on timeline or features
• IT stakeholder not engaged pre-handoff
• Payer mix data missing or estimated
• "The rep will tell you." Document everything in writing
Every handoff failure was preventable. Document or it didn't happen.
Run this monthly on every deal in pipeline. Scores below 60 get a hard look.
| Criteria | Points | Scoring Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Decision-maker engaged | 20 | 20 = met with DM. 10 = DM identified but not met. 0 = unknown. |
| Pain point confirmed | 20 | 20 = prospect articulated specific pain. 10 = implied. 0 = none. |
| Budget pathway clear | 15 | 15 = budget confirmed. 10 = ROI case accepted. 5 = "exploring." 0 = no discussion. |
| Clinical readiness | 15 | 15 = green assessment. 10 = yellow. 0 = red or unassessed. |
| Timeline defined | 10 | 10 = specific date range. 5 = "this quarter." 0 = undefined. |
| Technical validation | 10 | 10 = IT approved or Kipu existing. 5 = in progress. 0 = not started. |
| Champion identified | 10 | 10 = named champion actively advocating. 5 = friendly contact. 0 = none. |
Healthy. Push to close.
At risk. Identify and address gaps this week.
Critical. Disqualify or develop recovery plan within 48 hours.