Keep the offer response and buying intent separate
Synthetic rule: a declined offer closes that offer only. The opportunity closes as lost when there is explicit evidence that the buying decision ended. Q-107 is declined because the scope is too broad; the customer asks for a smaller alternative. Mark the quote declined and the opportunity in scope discussion. Replacing “declined” with “accepted” to keep the pipeline open would lose the actual response.
| Customer statement | Quote state | Opportunity state | Next evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decline this scope; send smaller plan | Declined | Scope discussion | Alternative request attached |
| Project cancelled; no alternative sought | Declined | Lost under fixture rule | Cancellation statement |
| No answer yet | Awaiting response | Existing stage retained | Next contact action |
Close the right record
- Record the exact response
- Classify offer decision
- Check whether buying intent ended
- Set separate statuses
Ambiguous “not now” is parked for clarification, not automatically treated as lost forever.
Q-107 is declined and Q-108 is drafted. Should Q-107 become pending again?
Show the worked answer
No. Q-107 remains declined. Link the alternative Q-108 to the open opportunity and keep its own draft state.
The stage policy is fictional. No loss rate, sales result or commercial entitlement is claimed.