Sales Qualification Gates — What Must Be True Before The Next Stage (Infographic)
Best for: a revenue team aligning on when a deal genuinely advances Avoid when: the reader wants pipeline value or forecast (use a metric board) Answers: the exit criteria for each stage, and what the buyer must have confirmed
infographic sequence-steps-badge-card
theme
colorPrimary #2b66c4
palette
- #2b66c4
- #2f9e44
- #f3a33c
- #d1242f
- #7048e8
- #0f9b9b
- #c16f8a
- #7c5a3d
data
title Deal Qualification Gates
desc A stage only advances when its gate passes
sequences
- label Discovery
desc Business problem and owner confirmed
- label Technical validation
desc Security review scheduled
- label Business case
desc CFO-visible payback model
- label Procurement
desc Legal redlines returned
- label Signature
desc Order form countersignedData Shape
sequences where each item is a gate rather than an activity: the label names the stage, desc states
the condition that must hold to leave it.
Key Options
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
infographic sequence-steps-badge-card |
Badge steps that read as checkpoints |
sequence-steps-simple |
Quieter variant for internal enablement decks |
sequence-filter-mesh-* |
Use when the story is drop-off / conversion, not gate criteria |
Pitfalls
- ❌ Gates phrased as activities ("Do discovery") → ✅ phrase as evidence ("Problem owner confirmed")
- ❌ Gates nobody can verify → ✅ each condition must be observable in the CRM
- ❌ Skipping procurement → ✅ the slowest gate deserves its own step
Alternatives
| Variant | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Funnel with drop-off volumes | conversion-funnel-journey.md |
| Two-option commercial decision | buy-vs-build-comparison.md |
| Customer onboarding after signature | customer-onboarding-journey.md |