How to run a deal inspection
A deal inspection is not a status update; it is a stress test. The manager's job is to find the gaps the rep is glossing over.
Inspect the evidence, not the enthusiasm. Optimism is not a qualification criterion.
Short answer
Run a deal inspection by testing the deal against objective qualification criteria rather than accepting the rep's optimistic narrative: is there a real champion, access to the economic buyer, a compelling event, a mapped path to signature, and a scheduled next step? Inspection replaces "it looks good" with evidence, which is what makes a forecast trustworthy.
Step by step
Test the champion
Is there a real champion with power who is actively selling internally, or just a friendly contact? Ask what the champion has done, not whether they like you.
Verify economic buyer access
Has the rep reached the person who controls budget? A deal with no economic buyer access is not forecast-ready no matter how good it looks.
Confirm the compelling event
Is there a real, dated reason to decide, or an arbitrary close date? No compelling event means the date will likely slip.
Check the path to signature
Is there a mapped close plan covering procurement, legal, and security? Unknown steps are future slips.
Require a next step
Every live deal needs a scheduled next action with the buyer. A deal with no next step is drifting, whatever the rep says.
Inspect evidence, not narrative
The core discipline of deal inspection is replacing the rep's story with evidence. "The buyer loves us" is a narrative; "the economic buyer approved the business case on Tuesday" is evidence. A manager who inspects evidence surfaces the gaps that cause slips and losses, which the happy narrative hides.
How Ardovo runs this
Ardovo turns this from a slide no one opens into how the work actually happens. The stages, exit criteria, and plays live in the deal object, and Rook flags any deal that skips a step, drafts the next artifact, and keeps the data honest, so deals are inspected against qualification, not narrative gets followed instead of forgotten.
Frequently asked questions
What is a deal inspection?
A stress test of a deal against objective qualification criteria: a real champion, access to the economic buyer, a compelling event, a mapped path to signature, and a scheduled next step. Unlike a status update, it tests evidence rather than accepting the rep's optimistic narrative, which is what makes forecasts trustworthy.
How is a deal inspection different from a deal review?
A deal inspection is the rigorous, evidence-testing part of a deal review. The review may cover strategy and next steps, but the inspection specifically probes whether the qualification is real, replacing "it looks good" with verifiable facts about the champion, economic buyer, compelling event, and path to signature.
What should a manager look for when inspecting a deal?
Evidence, not enthusiasm. Test whether the champion has real power and is actively selling, whether the rep has reached the economic buyer, whether there is a genuine compelling event, whether the path to signature is mapped, and whether there is a scheduled next step. Gaps in these predict slips and losses.