Process
Opportunity progression
An opportunity progresses when the next decision has an owner and enough context to be made. Clear stages help distinguish meaningful movement from a record that has merely changed status.
Section 01
Define a stage by the decision it supports
A stage label should explain what has happened and what must happen next. Research complete might mean the business has been assessed against the selection brief. Conversation established might mean a relevant person has engaged on the stated subject. Neither label should imply that financing or an acquisition has been approved.
Write entry and exit requirements in terms of observable information. If two people would place the same record in different stages, inspect the definition. Avoid moving an opportunity forward solely because a meeting occurred or a follow-up message was sent.
Section 02
Prepare a handoff another team can use
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Step 01
Preserve the commercial context
Summarize why the business was selected, what was discussed and which needs or intentions were expressed directly. Keep research assumptions separate from statements made in conversation. Include material uncertainties that could change the receiving team’s view.
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Step 02
Name the receiving decision
State what the next owner is being asked to assess. In borrower origination this may be whether the conversation merits the lender’s own assessment. In buy-side sourcing it may be whether the target and owner context justify further exploration by the client.
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Step 03
Close the feedback loop
Record whether the handoff was accepted, needs clarification or falls outside the brief. Give a specific reason when it is returned. Feed that reason into future qualification so the same gap does not repeatedly consume the receiving team’s attention.
Section 03
Handle stalled work deliberately
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Waiting for information
Identify the missing input, the person responsible for obtaining it and the effect on the next decision. An unresolved question should be visible without someone needing to read an entire history of correspondence.
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Waiting for timing
Separate a relevant relationship with no current next step from an active opportunity. Record the basis for revisiting it and any agreed contact preferences. An indefinite future possibility should not inflate the view of active work.
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Ready to close
Retain the reason for closure and any instructions governing future contact. Closing a record can improve the accuracy of the pipeline and preserve useful knowledge, even when it produces no immediate commercial progression.
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