• Budget. From a budget perspective, because the problem isn’t well understood, the prospective buyer won’t have budgeted for this type of solution, so it’s unreasonable to expect that defined budget criteria may be identified early in the process by marketing or lead development.
• Authority. The emphasis should be on identifying and validating the personas who participate in the buying process and are considered part of the buying center that will influence the opportunity. Marketing, lead development and sales contribute to this process of identification, engagement, verification and qualification.
• Need. Need is largely contingent on a combination of fit (e.g. size, vertical, geography), business process requirements, functionality requirements and market circumstances that impact the seller’s total addressable market. For new concept demand, detecting and validating need isn’t always straightforward. Research behaviors on the part of the prospective buyer’s organization may be observed through various sources (e.g. intent) and help to inform and identify potential opportunities.
• Timeframe. The timeframe is aligned to the prospective buyer and the organization’s ability to mobilize resources around a solution within a defined timeline. Resources can include people, budget and the ability to prioritize both.