The Inspection Cadence
Core Premise: Pipeline reviews are where predictability is built or destroyed. Most are theater. Effective reviews follow a specific protocol. The Three-Question Framework transforms inspection from narrative to diagnosis.
The Theater Problem
The typical pipeline review follows a familiar script. The manager asks: "Tell me about your deals." The rep talks for 45 minutes.
Nothing useful has happened.
This is pipeline theater. It feels like management. It produces no change.
What Inspection Should Accomplish
- Validate Evidence - Verify that evidence claimed actually exists.
- Identify Risk - Assess what signals indicate health or decay.
- Remove Blockers - Determine what resources could help.
- Update Forecast - Determine if forecast category is accurate.
The Three-Question Framework
Question 1: What changed?
Since the last review, what has changed in this deal?
- Buyer took an action
- Buyer did not take expected action
- New information emerged
- Nothing changed
"Nothing changed" is a critical answer. A deal that has not changed is stalling.
Question 2: What is the next buyer action?
Not the next rep action. The next buyer action.
"Unknown" is a critical answer. If the rep does not know what the buyer will do next, the deal is drifting.
Question 3: What is blocking that action?
The blocker reveals where intervention may be needed.
The Pipeline Review Protocol
Preparation (Before the Meeting)
The rep prepares written updates. The manager reviews before the meeting.
Prioritization (Start of Meeting)
- At-risk deals
- High-value deals
- New deals
- Deals where something changed
Inspection (Bulk of Meeting)
Run the Three-Question Framework. Limit deal discussion to 3-5 minutes.
Actions (End of Meeting)
Document deals needing intervention, forecast changes, and follow-ups.
Cadence
Weekly reviews for reps with significant pipeline. Twice-weekly for end-of-quarter.
Common Inspection Failures
Narrative Dominance: Rep talks for 20 minutes about one deal.
Manager Monologue: Manager shares war stories instead of asking questions.
Happy Path Focus: Discussion centers on deals going well.
No Documentation: Actions are identified but nothing is written down.
No Follow-Up: Same issues appear week after week.
Manager as Diagnostician
The shift: from manager-as-advisor to manager-as-diagnostician.
Diagnosis precedes prescription. Advice without diagnosis is guessing.
Case Study: The Review Transformation
A Remotir client ($30M ARR, 8 managers, 45 reps) had inconsistent review practices. Forecast accuracy varied from 65% to 92% by team.
Correlation was clear: structured reviews produced accurate forecasts.
After standardizing on the Three-Question Framework: - Forecast accuracy improved from 76% to 89% average - Variance across managers decreased from 27 points to 8 points - Time spent in reviews decreased 20%
The cadence is the system.