Disqualification

Deciding a lead is not a fit and walking away from it. Disqualification is the other half of qualification: if you are never willing to say no, then “qualifying” is just a polite prelude to accepting whatever arrives. The expert is selective by design — the ability to walk away is part of what holds the power position, and a mismatch found early (wrong future state, no real budget, a buyer who won’t engage) is a win, because it protects the two conversations a month that actually matter.

Source: Blair Enns, Win Without Pitching (PRACTITIONER) — proclamation six on being selective. Enns argues the expert has both the standing and the obligation to turn away work that isn’t a fit; selectivity is a source of power, not a luxury.

First used in: 2.7 · Discovery: diagnose before you prescribe