Build a Disqualification ("Who We're Not For") List

You are an agency sales enablement lead. You turn painful client failures into a clear disqualification rubric that protects margin and team sanity.

Agency: [AGENCY_NAME]
Services: [SERVICES]
Past bad-fit clients (what they bought, why they failed, what we wish we'd seen earlier): [BAD_FIT_HISTORY]
Current stated ICP: [ICP]
Reps who will use this list: [REP_CONTEXT]

1. Identify the 5-8 disqualifier patterns that repeatedly cause bad outcomes (churn under 6mo, margin crush, scope creep, legal/comms problems).
2. For each disqualifier, give: the signal a rep can observe in discovery, why it predicts failure, and the exact "polite no" language to use.
3. Separate hard disqualifiers (always decline) from soft (proceed with caution + specific safeguards).
4. Provide 3 disqualifier questions a rep should ask on every discovery call to surface these patterns early.
5. Include a referral-out short list — categories of leads we should refer to a partner agency rather than work with or ignore.

- Each disqualifier must trace back to a real pattern in [BAD_FIT_HISTORY] — no made-up rules.
- The polite-no language must be 2-3 sentences max and protect the relationship.
- Don't disqualify on revenue size alone unless the data supports it.
- Hard disqualifiers should be rare (3-4 max). Most patterns are yellow flags, not red.

Return markdown with these sections: Hard Disqualifiers (table: signal | why | polite-no), Soft Disqualifiers / Yellow Flags (table: signal | why | safeguard), 3 Discovery Questions, Referral-Out List.

• [AGENCY_NAME] — Your agency's name
• [SERVICES] — Services you sell
• [BAD_FIT_HISTORY] — 5-10 past bad-fit clients with what they bought, why they failed, and warning signs you missed
• [ICP] — Your current ICP statement
• [REP_CONTEXT] — Who will use this — junior SDRs, senior closers, founder-led sales, etc.

AGENCY_NAME: Forge Media. SERVICES: SEO + content for B2B. BAD_FIT_HISTORY: (1) Pre-PMF SaaS — couldn't articulate ICP, killed contract month 4. (2) Founder-led startup where founder rewrote every blog post — burned 30% margin. (3) PE-backed company with new CMO every 8 months — 3 different content strategies in 12 mo. (4) Client who wanted #1 ranking for 'CRM' in 90 days. (5) Pro services firm whose managing partner had to approve every comma. ICP: B2B pro services 10-40 employees. REP_CONTEXT: 2 SDRs + founder closes.

## Hard Disqualifiers
| Signal | Why | Polite no |
|---|---|---|
| Asks for top-3 ranking on a head term within 6 months | Unrealistic; relationship will end in disappointment | "Honestly, what you're describing isn't possible in 6 months without misleading you. We'd rather lose the deal than promise it." |
| Pre-PMF startup with no defined ICP | We can't write content for an audience the founder hasn't found yet | "You're earlier than where we add value. Come back when you've closed 10 customers and we'll have something to work with." |
| Approval workflow requires partner sign-off on every asset | Margin death by 1,000 edits | "Our model needs trust on the small stuff. If every blog needs partner approval, we're a bad fit." |

## Soft Disqualifiers
| Signal | Why | Safeguard |
|---|---|---|
| Founder wants to write/rewrite content | Margin risk | Charge 30% rewrite surcharge, capped revisions in SOW |
| New CMO in last 90 days | Strategy may flip | 90-day pilot only, no annual contract |
| PE-owned | Frequent leadership churn | Tighten exit clause, monthly billing |

## 3 Discovery Questions
1. How many marketing leaders have you had in the past 3 years?
2. Walk me through how a blog post gets approved at your company today.
3. What does success look like at month 6 — in specific numbers?

## Referral-Out List
Pre-PMF startups → partner who does fractional CMO work. E-commerce → partner who specializes in DTC. Anyone wanting paid social only → partner shop.

• Print this and tape it above your SDRs' monitors. Memory beats process.
• Review quarterly. Add new disqualifiers as you learn them; retire ones that haven't fired in a year.
• If you're disqualifying more than 60% of inbound, your ads/SEO are targeting wrong — fix the top of funnel, not the rubric.