Size and Terms Thresholds
The first tier of criteria is mechanical. These are known before anyone forms an opinion about the deal.
- Contract value above a stated threshold, set from your own deal size distribution rather than copied from another company - Discount beyond the approved band - Nonstandard legal, security, or payment terms - Multi-year commitments, custom SLAs, or anything requiring a product commitment - Strategic logos where a reference matters more than the contract value
Set the value threshold from your own distribution rather than copying a number. A $100,000 bar in a business with a $30,000 average deal size catches almost nothing worth reviewing.
Risk Signals That Trigger a Review at Any Size
The second tier catches deals that look fine on the report and are not.
ORM's data identifies a rep changing the close date as the strongest slippage signal available. Once a deal slips from one quarter into the next it becomes less likely to close, even when it stays in commit. Two close-date changes should pull a deal into review regardless of its value.
The other signal is absence. ORM treats the lack of any signal as the earliest warning: no stage change, no close-date change, no amount change, no replies from the buyer. ORM counts a change to stage, close date, or amount as meaningful activity, and applies a twelve-month rule for most customers to identify opportunities that have gone dormant. Ninety days of silence on a deal carrying an in-quarter close date is a contradiction that deserves a conversation.
A third signal sits in the amount field. The gap it exposes is real: a pipeline carrying an $80,000 average deal size against $40,000 on closed-won deals means the amount field is not describing what will land. When a specific deal's amount sits far above what similar deals have historically closed for, review the number before it reaches the forecast. See deal slippage and weighted pipeline for the wider pattern.
Who Joins at Each Tier
| Trigger | Attendees | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Size threshold | Rep manager solutions lead | Close plan with dates |
| Nonstandard terms | Deal desk legal finance | Approved structure or revision |
| Risk signal | Rep and manager | Category change or recovery plan |
| Strategic account | Executive sponsor plus account team | Executive engagement plan |
Keeping the List Short
Cap the number of reviews per week and make the criteria compete for those slots. A calendar full of reviews turns each one into a status update, which defeats the purpose. Raise the thresholds when the list runs over, and check them once a quarter against actual win rate by deal band so the bar keeps matching the business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which deals should get a formal deal review?
Deals above a stated value threshold, deals requesting nonstandard terms or discounts beyond the approved band, and deals showing risk signals such as repeated close-date changes or extended inactivity. Everything else stays in the pipeline review.
What deal size should trigger a review?
Set the threshold from your own deal size distribution so that only your largest opportunities clear it. A fixed dollar figure copied from another company will either flood the calendar or catch nothing, because the right number depends on your own deal size distribution.
Should risk signals trigger a review regardless of deal size?
Yes. A mid-sized deal that has moved its close date twice or gone quiet for a quarter is a forecast problem no matter what it is worth. Size-only criteria miss the deals that quietly slip.
How do you keep the escalation list from growing out of control?
Cap the number of reviews per week and let the criteria compete for those slots. If the list is consistently over the cap, the thresholds are too loose and should be raised.
Put these metrics to work
ORM builds custom revenue forecast models that turn concepts like deal review escalation criteria into prescriptive action for your team.
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