ORIGIN Onboarding Tests

Act 05, How we sell Section 04 of 13

Not every lead deserves a proposal. BUSD is how ORIGIN decides, the same way every time, whether a lead is worth our time and the client's.

4Tests before any proposal

3Outcomes, all of them good

HonestWhat the fearless answer is

Meet the four tests

Part 1

The four tests

To qualify a lead means to check that it is real before we invest in it. At ORIGIN it is called BUSD, after its four tests.

LetterThe testWhat we need to knowA way to ask

BBudgetIs money set aside for this, or can it be?"Is there a budget for this initiative, or is building the case part of what you need?"

UUrgencyDoes it have to happen soon, and why?"What happens if this is not solved in the next six months?"

SSolution fitIs this something ORIGIN is built to solve?"What would success look like for you a year from now?"

DDecision makerAre we speaking to the person who decides, or to someone who can bring us to them?"Who else needs to be part of this decision?"

BUSD starts in the first real conversation, the discovery call. It is not an interrogation. The four answers come out of a good conversation about the client's business.

After a first call, you still do not know who decides. What do you do?

A question for the next call, not a guess.

In practice

After any first conversation with a possible client, write four lines: B, U, S and D, each with what you learned. An empty line is a question for the next call, not a reason to guess.

Remember

Budget, Urgency, Solution fit, Decision maker. Four tests before any proposal.

Part 2

Why we qualify

Saying no to a lead feels wrong when you want to win. A disciplined no protects five things at once, so you can say it without fear.

It protectsHow

The OS TeamOur experts scope and write proposals. Every hour spent on a lead that was never real is an hour taken from a paying client.

The Cashflow TeamA wrong fit costs money before it is lost, and costs more if it is won: disputes, delays and invoices that go unpaid.

The Growth Team's will to winA pipeline of real opportunities keeps a team sharp. Chasing leads that cannot close drains belief.

ORIGIN's positionWe do not sell everything to everyone. Each wrong client we take makes us look more like the agencies we are not.

The clientQualifying sets honest expectations from the first call. It stops us overselling, and it stops them buying something they are not ready for.

Signs that a lead is not ours

The budget is far below the scope they describe.

Nobody with authority is in the conversation, and nobody will introduce us.

They do not know what they want the organisation to become.

They are comparing us with freelancers on price.

They ask for a proposal "for everything" and will "decide later".

Three outcomes, all of them good

AdvanceThe lead passes all four tests, and a proposal is built.

NurtureIt passes some. Not yet: stay in touch, and return when something changes.

ReleaseIt passes none. Not an ORIGIN deal: say so kindly and without delay, and wish them well.

A possible client wants a full rebrand and a platform. The budget would cover a logo. What is the fearless answer?

Honest from the first call.

In practice

The fearless answer is honest: "For that budget we can do this one piece properly. Shall we start there?" A price is never yours to give.

Remember

A lead we release costs us nothing. A wrong client costs us for a year.

Your part

Before you move on

Three questions before you move on. Type your answer, send it, then check it.

Your answers stay on this device.

1Name the four tests of BUSD.

The answerBudget, Urgency, Solution fit, Decision maker.

2A lead passes some of the four tests. What do you do?

The answerNurture. Stay in touch, and return when something changes.

3Name one sign that a lead is not ours.

The answerThe budget is far below the scope.

Answer all three and this section is yours.

Say it without fear.

Next: the discovery call.