Many of us are in the throes of territory and account planning, working to figure out how we will meet and exceed our targets in 2017. All of us should remember that the best way to improve our hit rate is to go after the right opportunities from the beginning. That's just one reason qualifying is such an important step in any sales and account management effort.

As you review and compare your opportunities, be sure to consider a wide range of qualification criteria, such as:


General criteria: solution fit (do we have what they need?), size of the opportunity (is it big enough for us to care?), customer budget availability and urgency, competitive presence, logistics of selling and servicing...
IMPAX-related criteria: availability of information, business fit, strength of coach network, strength of gatekeepers, alignment with people of influence, access to decision makers...


As you consider RFPs and other procurement-led opportunities, keep this old adage in mind: "RFPs are written by someone for someone". This can serve as a reminder that if we have received an unexpected RFP, our odds of winning it are typically really low. As you consider this type of opportunity, ask yourself these questions:


Did we write or influence the bid specs?
Does someone there want us to win?
Are we an incumbent?
Are we positioned well against the competition?
Can we present our response to the decision maker?


Qualification is not an exact science, and the condition of our pipeline will impact our choices. If our pipeline is robust, we will naturally be more discerning. If our pipeline is weak, almost anything looks good. Considering a wider range of criteria can give us a more realistic view of our odds of success.

Set yourself up for success early this year by identifying and pursuing the right opportunities. Click here to see the IMPAX Blog for more on this important topic.