Sales Qualified Opportunity (SQO)(SQO)
Quick definition
An SQL that has been further qualified and officially converted into an active opportunity in your pipeline.
Detailed explanation
A Sales Qualified Opportunity is the next stage after SQL - it's a deal that officially sits in your pipeline and is being tracked to close. While an SQL means someone is interested and qualified on BANT, it only becomes an SQO when concrete next steps are agreed upon (such as a demo, proposal, or POC), there's a clear decision process, and you're confident this is a real opportunity that can be won. The distinction is important: not every SQL should automatically enter your pipeline. By adding an SQO stage, you filter out "kicking the tires" prospects and keep your pipeline clean with only real opportunities. This provides more accurate forecasting and better pipeline management.
Synonyms
Examples
SQL → SQO journey: Prospect responds to outreach (SQL), after discovery call it becomes clear they have budget, authority, clear pain point, and Q2 timeline. You book a demo for next week and they commit to an evaluation process → SQO
A company had 80% of their SQLs automatically as opportunities, but win rate was only 15%. By adding an SQO gate (verified BANT + scheduled next step), volume drops 40%, but win rate rises to 30% → same closed deals with cleaner pipeline
When to use this?
Use SQO as an intermediate stage between SQL and Opportunity to improve your pipeline quality. Define clear criteria for what SQO is (for example: BANT verified + demo scheduled + budget confirmed). This prevents your pipeline from being filled with "maybe someday" deals.
Match-day approach
Match-day helps you build a rigorous qualification process with clear gates between MQL → SQL → SQO → Opportunity. We implement scorecards in your CRM that objectively measure each stage, and train your team in tough qualification - the ability to say "no" to deals you won't win anyway. This results in a healthier pipeline, accurate forecasts, and reps who spend their time on winnable deals. We review your SQO conversion weekly and identify why some SQLs don't convert.
Related terms
Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)(SQL)
A prospect who has been qualified by sales and is ready for an active sales process.
BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline)(BANT)
A qualification framework that determines whether a prospect has Budget, Authority, Need, and Timeline to make a purchase.
Learn more
Wil je weten hoe je sales qualified opportunity (sqo) effectief inzet in jouw organisatie? Neem contact op met Match-day.
Neem Contact Op