This article documents the qualification workflow design agreed upon during the [1] HubSpot working session. It covers the two-stage automation pipeline: MQL → SQL → Opportunity → Deal, including the trigger logic for each transition and a critical blocker that was surfaced during the call.
The design intent is to automate lead progression as much as possible, reducing manual enrollment and ensuring contacts move through the pipeline as soon as qualifying data is entered.
Prospect → Lead → MQL → SQL → Opportunity → Customer
The Lifecycle Stage field (HubSpot native) is the authoritative field for tracking this progression. The legacy Ranking and Contact Stage custom fields are being deprecated in favor of this field. See [2].
A contact becomes an SQL when they have answered any one of the ~10 sales qualification questions on the contact record.
The SQL workflow is currently non-functional. The qualification questions are not present on the contact record layout, so reps have no way to enter the data that would trigger the automation.
Resolution: Karly to investigate creating a custom internal form or modifying the contact layout to surface these questions in a clear, easy-to-use interface. The form should:
- Live on the contact record (not company)
- Include all ~10 SQL qualification questions as dropdowns or selectable fields
- Be simple enough for any rep to complete during or after a sales conversation
A contact becomes an Opportunity when they meet a defined BANT threshold. Two threshold approaches are under consideration:
| Approach | Description |
|---|---|
| Minimums | Every BANT field must score at or above a minimum value (e.g., all fields ≥ 2 or ≥ 3) |
| Average / Sum | The sum of all BANT scores must exceed a defined total, allowing one weak field to be offset by strong scores elsewhere |
Decision pending: Miriam to consult with Brian on which threshold model best fits the sales process. The "average" approach is more flexible (e.g., a contact with no confirmed budget could still qualify if authority, need, and timeline are strong).
The four scored fields on the contact record:
Each field uses a numeric scale (0–4 or 0–5; exact scale defined in the lead qualification spreadsheet).
When a contact's Lifecycle Stage transitions to Opportunity, a separate workflow automatically creates an associated Deal record. This ensures every opportunity has a deal in the pipeline without requiring manual deal creation.
| Owner | Action |
|---|---|
| Karly Oykhman | Update SQL workflow to use OR logic across ~10 qualification questions |
| Karly Oykhman | Update Opportunity workflow to use correct BANT threshold (pending Miriam/Brian decision) |
| Karly Oykhman | Build Opportunity → Deal auto-creation workflow |
| Karly Oykhman | Design and propose internal lead qualification form on the contact record |
| Miriam Framson | Consult Brian on BANT threshold approach (minimums vs. average) |
| Miriam Framson | Send ranking-to-stage mapping and lead qualification spreadsheet to Karly |