Questions that test the close date
- What has the buyer done in the last two weeks that moves this toward signature? - Who confirmed this date, and did they say it or did we infer it? - What has to happen between now and then, and who owns each step? - Has this close date moved before, and what changed the last time?
That last question matters more than most managers treat it. ORM identifies a rep changing the close date as the strongest deal slippage signal in the data, and a deal that slips from one quarter into the next becomes less likely to close even when it remains in commit. Two pushes on the same opportunity is a pattern rather than a coincidence.
Questions that test the amount
- What is this number based on, and has the buyer seen it? - Which parts of the scope are confirmed and which are assumed? - What did comparable accounts in this segment actually sign for? - What discount or term concession is already in play?
Pipeline amounts drift upward from what deals actually close at. ORM describes the gap this way: a pipeline averaging $80,000 per open deal against closed-won deals averaging $40,000. A forecast built on unvalidated amounts misses even when every deal closes, which is one reason realized win rate and realized deal size should be read together rather than separately. The probability logic behind that gap is covered in weighted pipeline.
Questions that test the buying process
- Who signs after the champion says yes, and have we met them? - What does their approval process require that we have not started? - What happens inside their business if they do nothing this quarter? - Who else is in the evaluation, and on what criteria are we behind?
What a bad answer sounds like
A bad answer describes seller activity. We sent the proposal, we had a great call, they love the product. None of those are buyer commitments. The earliest risk signal in ORM's data is the absence of a signal, meaning no stage change, no amount change, no notes, and no reply to outreach. When a rep cannot name a buyer action from the last two weeks, the deal does not belong in commit regardless of how the call feels.
Ask the same core questions every week. The value comes from the pattern across reviews, not from any single answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions should a manager ask in a deal review?
Questions that test the three fields the forecast depends on. What has the buyer done to confirm the close date, what evidence supports the amount, and who signs after the champion says yes. Anything that can be answered with rep opinion alone is not a test.
What is the single best question in a deal review?
What has the buyer done in the last two weeks. Rep activity is easy to produce and proves nothing. Buyer-side actions like a security review, a redlined contract, or a scheduled procurement step are the evidence a close date rests on.
How do you spot a deal that will slip?
Look for close date changes and for silence. ORM identifies a rep moving the close date as the strongest slippage signal, and a deal that slips from one quarter to the next is less likely to close even while it sits in commit. The earliest warning is the absence of any signal, meaning no stage change, no amount change, and no buyer reply.
Should deal review questions be the same for every deal?
The core set should be, because consistency is what makes answers comparable across reps and quarters. Add segment-specific questions on top, such as procurement and security steps for enterprise deals, but never drop the questions that test the date and the amount.
Put these metrics to work
ORM builds custom revenue forecast models that turn concepts like deal review questions into prescriptive action for your team.
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