Use the customer decision rather than silence
Synthetic policy: explicit cancellation or selection of an alternative closes an opportunity as lost. A named dependency with a review trigger can place it on hold. Silence leaves it awaiting follow-up. O-122 waits for a branch decision; O-123 chose another plan; O-124 has not replied. A hold requires an owner and trigger, so it cannot serve as permanent storage for unattended leads.
| Opportunity | Customer evidence | State | Review or closure record |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-122 | Wait for branch decision | On hold | Jo reviews when branch decision arrives |
| O-123 | Selected another plan | Lost | Retain decision and stated reason |
| O-124 | No reply | Awaiting follow-up | Lee schedules next contact |
Give a hold a testable exit
- Record customer intent evidence
- Classify cancelled, dependent or unknown
- Set closure or hold trigger
- Assign next decision owner
A vague “later” without a dependency or review arrangement is unresolved intent, not a fully specified hold.
O-122’s branch is approved. Does the opportunity become won?
Show the worked answer
No. The hold trigger is satisfied, so resume the appropriate sales stage and check current scope and quote validity. Customer acceptance is still needed.
No automatic loss timer or vendor feature is assumed. These authored states separate unresolved intent from a supported buying outcome.