Four Phases. Twenty Criteria. The First One You Fail Is Where the Work Starts.

How to score

• Mark Yes or No for each criterion. Don’t overthink it. If you’re unsure, mark No, uncertainty is a finding.
• Each phase has five criteria. A company needs at least four Yes responses in a phase to be considered through it. Don’t skip phases, they build on each other.
• Score the phases in order. The first phase where a company scores below four is where the work starts.

01 Stabilization: stop the bleeding, create clarity

• Leadership operates from one shared set of revenue metrics and definitions.
• Every deal stage has documented criteria, no "hope" forecasting.
• ICP and buyer personas are defined and used by both sales and marketing.
• CRM data is trusted enough to drive decisions without manual cleanup.
• Roles, ownership, and KPIs are unambiguous across the revenue org.

02 Foundation: build the base, standardize execution

• A documented sales process exists and reps follow it instead of improvising.
• Top performer behaviors have been captured and made teachable.
• Handoffs between marketing, sales, and CS have clear criteria, no dropped opportunities.
• Onboarding and ramp programs exist and reduce time-to-productivity.
• Tech stack is rationalized: tools earn adoption, reps actually use what’s deployed.

03 Repeatability: drive consistency, prove it performs

• Forecast methodology has stage-level rigor and produces predictable commit numbers.
• Coaching frameworks are structured: managers develop reps systematically, not reactively.
• QBR and review cadences run on schedule with clear insight and aligned priorities.
• Pipeline analytics surface deal risk early instead of after deals stall.
• Compensation and incentives reinforce the desired growth model.

04 Scalability: grow without breaking, scale with control

• Market entry playbooks exist for each segment: expansion launches on a proven model.
• Customer success drives expansion revenue, not just retention.
• Leadership depth exists beyond the top layer: growth isn’t constrained by a few individuals.
• Multi-segment GTM models run with the right motion and economics for each market.
• Resource allocation follows performance data, not internal politics.

Reading the score

Stabilization below four: the basics aren’t in place. Hiring more people or buying more tools will amplify chaos, not fix it.

Foundation below four: the team is improvising. Performance depends on individuals, not on a system.

Repeatability below four: top reps carry the number. Performance can’t be reproduced.

Scalability below four: the current motion works but won’t survive expansion into new segments, geographies, or motions.