---
title: Building Your Qualification Funnel
summary: Design assessment questions, scoring logic, and a complete funnel that segments leads by readiness, budget, and fit.
est_minutes: 20
sort: 3
---

#### LESSON 1: Designing Questions That Segment by Readiness, Budget, and Fit

You cannot build an effective qualification funnel until you know exactly what you are qualifying for.

Most businesses make the mistake of building their assessment first and then figuring out what to do with the leads later. That is backward.

You start with the end. You define what a qualified lead looks like for your specific offer. Then you design questions that reveal whether a prospect meets those criteria.

Let's break down the three qualification dimensions every assessment must measure.

**Qualification Dimension 1: Readiness**

Readiness means the prospect is aware they have a problem and is actively looking for a solution. Not passively interested. Actively looking.

Here is why readiness matters.

A prospect who does not know they have a problem will not buy from you no matter how good your offer is. They are in the awareness stage. They need education, not a sales conversation.

A prospect who knows they have a problem but is not actively looking for a solution is in the consideration stage. They will buy eventually, but not now. They need nurturing, not a pitch.

A prospect who knows they have a problem and is actively researching solutions is in the decision stage. They are ready to buy. They just need to choose the right provider.

Your assessment must identify which stage each prospect is in so you can route them appropriately.

**How to Measure Readiness**

Readiness questions reveal urgency, timeline, and problem awareness.

**Example Readiness Question 1:**

*"How urgently do you need to solve your lead generation challenges?"*

- A) Not urgent — we are exploring options but have no immediate timeline
- B) Somewhat urgent — we would like to improve within the next 6 months
- C) Urgent — we need a solution within the next 90 days
- D) Critical — we need help immediately, this is a top priority right now

What this reveals:

- Answer A = Not ready, nurture track
- Answer B = Consideration stage, medium-term nurture
- Answer C = Ready, sales track
- Answer D = Highly qualified, priority follow-up

**Example Readiness Question 2:**

*"Have you allocated budget to solve this problem?"*

- A) No — we have not discussed budget yet
- B) We are exploring what this might cost
- C) We have a general budget range in mind
- D) Yes — we have allocated specific budget and are ready to invest

What this reveals:

- Answers A-B = Early stage, not ready to buy
- Answer C = Warming up, needs education on value
- Answer D = Budget secured, ready to move

**Example Readiness Question 3:**

*"What have you already tried to solve this problem?"*

- A) Nothing yet — we are just starting to think about this
- B) We have tried a few things on our own but nothing worked
- C) We have worked with another provider but were not satisfied
- D) We have tried multiple solutions and are now looking for the right long-term partner

What this reveals:

- Answer A = Very early stage
- Answer B = Aware but inexperienced
- Answer C = Burned before, needs trust building
- Answer D = Sophisticated buyer, knows what they want

Your assessment should include at least two readiness questions. More if your sales cycle is long and timing is critical.

**Qualification Dimension 2: Budget**

Budget qualification is simple. Can they afford your offer?

Most businesses are uncomfortable asking about budget directly. They think it is too aggressive or too salesy. That is a mistake.

If a prospect cannot afford your offer, qualifying them is a waste of everyone's time. You want to know budget capacity as early as possible so you can route them to the right offer or politely disqualify them.

Here is how to ask about budget without being awkward.

**How to Measure Budget**

Budget questions can be direct or indirect depending on your industry and offer.

**Direct Budget Question:**

*"What is your monthly budget for lead generation?"*

- A) Under $1,000 per month
- B) $1,000 to $3,000 per month
- C) $3,000 to $10,000 per month
- D) Over $10,000 per month

This is perfectly acceptable in B2B contexts where budget discussions are normal. If your offer is $5,000 per month and someone selects Answer A or B, they are disqualified. Route them to a lower-tier offer or a DIY resource.

**Indirect Budget Question (if direct feels too aggressive):**

*"What is your current annual revenue?"*

- A) Under $500K
- B) $500K to $2M
- C) $2M to $10M
- D) Over $10M

Revenue is a proxy for budget capacity. A business doing $200K per year cannot afford a $50K service engagement. A business doing $5M per year can.

Use revenue ranges that align with your offer pricing. If you know a business needs to be doing at least $1M in revenue to afford your offer, anyone below that threshold is disqualified.

**Another Indirect Budget Approach:**

*"How much are you currently spending per month on [the problem your offer solves]?"*

- A) Nothing — we are not investing in this area yet
- B) Under $500 per month
- C) $500 to $2,000 per month
- D) Over $2,000 per month

Current spend indicates willingness to invest. If they are already spending money on the problem, they understand it has value. If they are spending nothing, you have to educate them on why it is worth investing in before they will buy.

Your assessment should include at least one budget qualification question. This is non-negotiable. You must know if they can afford your offer.

**Qualification Dimension 3: Fit**

Fit means this prospect is a good match for your offer. Not just ready and able to pay, but actually suited for what you provide.

Fit criteria vary by business, but common fit dimensions include:

- Industry or niche
- Business size
- Problem type
- Current tool stack or systems
- Team structure
- Technical capability
- Decision-making authority

**How to Measure Fit**

Fit questions reveal whether your offer is relevant to their specific situation.

**Example Fit Question 1 (Industry):**

*"What industry is your business in?"*

- A) E-commerce
- B) SaaS / Software
- C) Professional Services
- D) Other: [text field]

If your offer is specifically built for SaaS companies and someone selects E-commerce, they might not be a fit. You can either route them to a different offer or let them know your specialization and give them the option to continue or exit.

**Example Fit Question 2 (Problem Type):**

*"What is your primary lead generation challenge right now?"*

- A) We do not have enough traffic
- B) We have traffic but low conversion rates
- C) We generate leads but they are low quality
- D) We have leads but our follow-up process is broken

Each answer represents a different problem. If your offer solves Problem C (lead quality) but someone selects Problem A (traffic volume), they are not a fit. Route them to appropriate resources or partners.

**Example Fit Question 3 (Authority):**

*"What is your role in the decision-making process for this type of investment?"*

- A) I am researching options but someone else will make the final decision
- B) I will make a recommendation to leadership
- C) I am part of a buying committee that decides together
- D) I have full authority to make this decision

If your sales process requires talking to the decision-maker and someone selects Answer A or B, you need to either disqualify them or ask for an introduction to the actual decision-maker.

Your assessment should include at least two fit questions that identify whether this prospect matches your ideal customer profile.

**Putting It All Together: The Qualification Matrix**

Your assessment should measure all three dimensions: readiness, budget, and fit.

A prospect who scores high on readiness but low on budget is not qualified.

A prospect who scores high on budget but low on fit is not qualified.

A prospect who scores high on fit but low on readiness is not qualified yet.

You need all three.

Here is how to structure your assessment to measure all three:

- **Questions 1-3:** Operational questions (from Module 2 templates) that diagnose the problem and reveal gaps
- **Questions 4-5:** Readiness questions (urgency, timeline, what they have tried)
- **Questions 6-7:** Budget questions (direct budget or proxy like revenue/current spend)
- **Questions 8-10:** Fit questions (industry, problem type, authority)
- **Questions 11-12:** Additional operational questions that complete the diagnostic picture

This structure ensures you are diagnosing their situation while simultaneously qualifying them on all three dimensions.

**Scoring for Qualification**

Your scoring system must account for all three qualification dimensions, not just operational maturity.

Here is how to weight your scoring:

- **Operational Maturity (60% of total score):** Questions 1-3 and 11-12 measure how sophisticated their current systems are. This determines which offer tier they need (foundational build vs optimization vs advanced).
- **Readiness (20% of total score):** Questions 4-5 measure how ready they are to buy now. High readiness increases total score and moves them into priority follow-up.
- **Budget + Fit (20% of total score):** Questions 6-10 measure whether they can afford your offer and whether they are a good match. Low budget or poor fit should lower their total score even if operational maturity is high.

This weighting ensures that your final score reflects true qualification, not just operational sophistication.

**Disqualification Rules**

Some answers should disqualify a prospect immediately regardless of their total score.

Set hard disqualification rules for:

- **Budget Below Minimum:** If budget is below the minimum required to afford your lowest-tier offer, disqualify. Route to DIY resources or partners.
- **No Decision-Making Authority:** If they are a researcher with no influence on the buying decision, disqualify or ask for decision-maker contact info.
- **Wrong Industry or Problem Type:** If they are outside your area of expertise or have a problem you do not solve, disqualify and refer to appropriate resources.

Disqualification is not failure. It is efficiency. You want to spend your time on qualified prospects, not people who will never buy.

#### LESSON 2: Building Scoring Logic and Result Segmentation

You have designed your questions. Now you need to build scoring logic that creates meaningful segments.

Here is the fundamental principle: your segments must map to different offers or different messaging.

If everyone gets the same offer regardless of their score, segmentation is pointless. Different scores must lead to different paths.

**Defining Your Segments**

Most qualification funnels need 3 to 4 segments.

**3-Segment Model (Simple):**

- **Low Score (0-40):** Not qualified or not ready. Route to educational content and long-term nurture.
- **Mid Score (41-75):** Qualified and ready. Route to primary offer with standard follow-up sequence.
- **High Score (76-100):** Highly qualified or already advanced. Route to premium offer or refer out if they do not need help.

**4-Segment Model (Recommended):**

- **Segment 1 (0-30):** Not qualified. Major gaps + low readiness or budget. Route to free resources and disqualify from sales follow-up.
- **Segment 2 (31-60):** Moderately qualified. Significant gaps + moderate readiness/budget. Route to foundational offer tier.
- **Segment 3 (61-85):** Highly qualified. Some gaps + high readiness/budget. Route to optimization offer tier.
- **Segment 4 (86-100):** Already advanced. Minimal gaps + high sophistication. Route to advanced/premium tier or refer out.

**5-Segment Model (Complex):**

Use this only if you have 5+ distinct offers or pricing tiers. More segments = more complexity. Only add segments if they map to meaningfully different paths.

**Setting Score Thresholds**

Your score thresholds should create distribution, not clustering.

If 70% of your prospects score between 50-70, your assessment is not differentiating effectively. You want spread across all segments.

**Target Distribution:**

- Segment 1: 15-25% of prospects (the "not ready" group)
- Segment 2: 30-40% of prospects (your primary target market)
- Segment 3: 25-35% of prospects (your high-value prospects)
- Segment 4: 10-15% of prospects (already advanced or refer-out group)

If your actual distribution after launch is significantly different, adjust either your questions, your point values, or your thresholds.

**Building Segment-Specific Results**

Each segment needs a unique result page. Not just a different score. A completely different diagnosis.

Here is the structure every result page must include:

**Component 1: Score and Percentile**

"You scored [X] out of 100, placing you in the [percentile] of businesses in [industry]."

Be specific. "You scored 54 out of 100, placing you in the 38th percentile" is more credible than "You scored 54 out of 100."

**Component 2: Segment Label**

Give each segment a descriptive label, not a judgmental one.

Bad labels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert (judgmental)

Good labels: Foundation Builder, System Optimizer, Advanced Operator, Elite Performer (descriptive)

**Component 3: What This Score Means**

2-3 sentences explaining their operational state based on their score.

Example for Segment 2 (31-60 points):

"Your score indicates you have basic lead generation systems in place but significant gaps remain. You are likely generating some leads but conversion rates are lower than they should be and you are missing opportunities due to inconsistent follow-up and lack of systematic qualification."

**Component 4: Specific Gaps Based on Their Answers**

Reference their actual answers. Not generic gaps. Their specific gaps.

"Based on your responses:

- You indicated you follow up with leads within 24-48 hours, but industry data shows leads contacted within 5 minutes are 21x more likely to convert
- You are not currently using lead scoring, which means you cannot prioritize high-value prospects
- You do not have automated nurture sequences, so leads who are not ready to buy immediately go cold"

**Component 5: Estimated Cost of These Gaps**

Quantify what these gaps are costing them in lost revenue.

"Based on typical conversion rates in your industry and the lead volume you indicated, these gaps are likely costing you between $12,000 and $20,000 per month in lost revenue."

Use ranges, not exact numbers. Ranges feel more credible because they account for variability.

**Component 6: What to Fix First**

Prioritize their gaps. Do not list everything. List the top 2-3 priorities.

"Here is what to address first:

1. Implement lead scoring to prioritize your highest-value prospects
2. Build automated follow-up sequences for leads who are not ready to buy immediately
3. Reduce your response time to under 5 minutes for new leads"

**Component 7: Next Step (The Offer)**

Present your offer as the logical solution to the gaps you just revealed.

For Segment 2: "We specialize in building these exact systems for businesses at your stage. Our System Optimization Program addresses all three of these gaps in 60-90 days."

[BOOK A STRATEGY CALL]

For Segment 1 (disqualified): "Based on your assessment, you are in the early stages of building lead generation infrastructure. We recommend starting with our free Foundations Course to build baseline knowledge before investing in implementation support."

[ACCESS FREE COURSE]

For Segment 4 (already advanced): "You are operating at a high level. Your opportunities are in minor optimization, not foundational fixes. If you want to explore advanced strategies, here is the next step. If not, keep doing what you are doing."

[OPTIONAL: EXPLORE ADVANCED ADVISORY] or [SHARE THIS ASSESSMENT]

**Result Page Design Principles**

Every result page should:

- Be honest, even if it disqualifies the prospect
- Reference their specific answers to create undeniability
- Quantify the cost of inaction to create urgency
- Present the offer as a solution, not a pitch
- Give high scorers an exit if they do not need help

Dishonest or manipulative results destroy trust. If someone scores 85 and you tell them they are failing, they will not believe you. Be accurate.

#### LESSON 3: Mapping Traffic to Assessment to Offer

You have your questions. You have your scoring. You have your segmented results.

Now you need to map the complete funnel from the moment a prospect first encounters your assessment to the moment they convert to a customer.

**Funnel Stage 1: Traffic Sources**

Where will prospects encounter your assessment?

List every traffic source you plan to use in the next 90 days. Be specific.

Paid Traffic:

- Google Ads: specific keywords
- Facebook/Instagram Ads: specific audiences
- LinkedIn Ads: specific targeting

Organic Traffic:

- SEO: specific keywords your landing page will target
- Content Marketing: blog posts, YouTube videos that will link to assessment
- Social Media: organic posts on which platforms

Referral Traffic:

- Partnership referrals: which partners
- Affiliate referrals: which affiliates
- Past client referrals: referral program structure

Other:

- Email list: announcement to existing subscribers
- Speaking/Podcast: appearances where you will mention assessment
- In-person: events where you will promote assessment

Write this down. You need to know exactly where your traffic is coming from so you can track which sources produce the highest quality leads.

**Funnel Stage 2: Assessment Landing Page**

The landing page has one job: get the prospect to start your assessment.

It does not explain your entire offer. It does not tell your origin story. It does not list all your credentials. It gets them to click "Start Assessment."

Landing Page Structure:

Above the fold:

- Headline (diagnostic promise)
- Subheadline (time to complete + what they will learn)
- CTA button ("Get Your Score" / "Take the Assessment" / "Find Out Where You Stand")

Below the fold:

- What you will discover section (3-5 bullet points)
- Social proof (number of people who have taken it, testimonials if available)
- How it works (3 simple steps)
- CTA button (repeat)

Optional sections:

- FAQ (if needed to handle objections)
- Trust indicators (credentials, logos, certifications)

What NOT to include:

- Long explanations of your methodology
- Detailed descriptions of your offers
- Your full bio
- Anything that distracts from the primary goal: start the assessment

**Funnel Stage 3: The Assessment Experience**

What happens when someone clicks "Start Assessment"?

Map the exact experience:

Step 1: Email capture

When do you ask for email? Before they start or before they see results?

Recommendation: Ask for email before showing results. This ensures you capture the lead even if they do not click through to your offer.

Step 2: Question flow

12 questions presented one at a time or all on one page?

Recommendation: One question per page with progress indicator. Completion rates are higher when prospects can see progress.

Step 3: Scoring calculation

Happens in real-time as they answer or at the end?

Recommendation: Calculate at the end when they click "Get My Results."

Step 4: Result display

Results shown on-screen immediately or sent via email?

Recommendation: Both. Show results on-screen immediately (instant gratification) and send detailed results via email (creates follow-up opportunity).

**Funnel Stage 4: Result Segmentation**

Prospect completes assessment. Score is calculated. They are routed to the appropriate segment result page.

- **Segment 1 (0-30):** Sees Result Page 1, disqualified or routed to free resources
- **Segment 2 (31-60):** Sees Result Page 2, routed to foundational offer + Follow-up Sequence A
- **Segment 3 (61-85):** Sees Result Page 3, routed to optimization offer + Follow-up Sequence B
- **Segment 4 (86-100):** Sees Result Page 4, routed to advanced offer or referral request + Follow-up Sequence C

Each result page has a different CTA that leads to a different next step.

**Funnel Stage 5: Follow-Up Sequences**

Prospect sees their result. They may or may not click the CTA immediately.

Either way, they enter an automated email sequence tailored to their segment.

Sequence Structure by Segment:

Segment 1 (Disqualified):

- Email 1: Access to free resources
- Email 2-4: Educational content drip
- Email 5: Re-assessment invitation (retake when ready)

Segment 2 (Foundational Offer):

- Email 1: Deep dive on their biggest gap
- Email 2: Case study of similar business that fixed same gap
- Email 3: How your foundational offer works
- Email 4: Investment and expected ROI
- Email 5: Objection handling
- Email 6: Booking/purchase CTA with urgency

Segment 3 (Optimization Offer):

- Email 1: Optimization opportunity breakdown
- Email 2: ROI data from optimization clients
- Email 3: How your optimization offer works
- Email 4: Booking/purchase CTA

Segment 4 (Advanced/Refer Out):

- Email 1: Advanced resources or referral request
- Email 2: Optional high-touch advisory offer
- Email 3: Referral incentive details

Sequences vary in length based on segment. Lower scores need more education (longer sequences). Higher scores need less convincing (shorter sequences).

**Funnel Stage 6: Conversion Mechanisms**

How does a prospect move from "interested" to "customer"?

Define your conversion mechanism for each segment:

Segment 2 and 3 Options:

- **Option A:** Direct purchase (self-service checkout for productized offers under $2K)
- **Option B:** Application + call (for services $2K-$10K)
- **Option C:** Strategy call + proposal (for services $10K+)

Segment 4:

- Referral submission or optional advisory consultation

Map exactly what happens when someone clicks your CTA. Do not leave this vague.

**Funnel Stage 7: Post-Conversion**

What happens after someone becomes a customer?

Onboarding sequence: Welcome emails, access instructions, next steps

Delivery: How and when do they receive what they purchased?

Ascension: What is the next offer after this one? (Upsell path)

Even though this is "post-conversion," map it now. Your assessment funnel should be part of a larger customer journey, not a dead end.

**Complete Funnel Map Template**

Use this template to document your complete qualification funnel.

Traffic Sources:

- Source 1: specific channel/keyword/audience
- Source 2: specific channel/keyword/audience
- Source 3: specific channel/keyword/audience

Landing Page:

- URL: your landing page URL
- Headline: your diagnostic promise
- CTA: button text

Assessment:

- Platform: ScoreApp / Typeform / Other
- Questions: 12 total
- Email capture: Before results
- Time to complete: 8-10 minutes

Segmentation, Segment 1 (0-30 points):

- Result: segment label
- Diagnosis: what this score means
- Next Step: free resource / disqualify
- Follow-Up: X emails over Y days
- Conversion: N/A (disqualified)

Segmentation, Segment 2 (31-60 points):

- Result: segment label
- Diagnosis: what this score means
- Next Step: foundational offer CTA
- Follow-Up: X emails over Y days
- Conversion: strategy call / direct purchase / application

Segmentation, Segment 3 (61-85 points):

- Result: segment label
- Diagnosis: what this score means
- Next Step: optimization offer CTA
- Follow-Up: X emails over Y days
- Conversion: strategy call / direct purchase / application

Segmentation, Segment 4 (86-100 points):

- Result: segment label
- Diagnosis: what this score means
- Next Step: advanced offer / referral request
- Follow-Up: X emails over Y days
- Conversion: optional advisory / referral program

Post-Conversion:

- Onboarding: email sequence / access delivery
- Fulfillment: how service/product is delivered
- Ascension: next offer in customer journey

Fill this out completely before moving to Module 4.
