The Impact of Sales Qualification on Win Rate: What the Newest Data Says

Qualification: the word every sales team knows, but few truly master.

We’ve long suspected what recent research has now confirmed: strong qualification is the linchpin of consistent, high-performance selling. According to EBSTA’s newly released report (in partnership with MySalesCoach), reps who qualify well are 2.5x more likely to win deals.

That number should be a wake-up call.

“It’s great to see this report finally bring data to what has long been a theory. Sales leaders have known for years that qualification is what separates successful reps from everyone else. Now the numbers prove it.”

— Richard Smith, Head of Growth, MySalesCoach

So why is something so critical still so misunderstood?

Backed by EBSTA’s latest Qualification Report, this blog explores why sales qualification isn’t a checkbox — it’s the performance lever your team is missing.

Download the report here:

The Misunderstood Nature of Sales Qualification

Too many reps treat qualification as a one-time, top-of-funnel task.

But as Richard Smith explains:

“They think of qualification as ‘who should we reach out to?’ when they should be asking: ‘Should they actually buy from us?’.

That question needs to be asked continuously, at every stage of the deal.”

Great qualification requires confidence, pipeline health, and a willingness to disqualify.

But it also requires something many reps lack:

• The mindset to seek clarity, not validation

• The skills to ask tough, sometimes uncomfortable questions

• The coaching to know what good sounds like

And that’s exactly where most teams fall short.

The Data Doesn’t Lie: The Impact of Sales Qualification on Win Rate

The EBSTA report goes deeper:

• Reps who score highest on qualification effectiveness are 70% more likely to progress deals past proposal stage

• High performers are 2x more likely to identify “disqualifying factors” early in a deal

• Reps with strong qualification skills average a 23% higher win rate than their peers

These aren’t marginal gains. They show that qualification is not just a tactical checkpoint – it’s a high-leverage lever for pipeline health and conversion.

John Richardson, Director of Coaching at MySalesCoach explains:

“Great qualification isn’t about being picky. It’s about being purposeful with your time, and confident enough to walk away when the fit isn’t there.”

Why Most Reps Struggle with Sales Qualification

According to EBSTA’s findings, the problem isn’t awareness. It’s execution.

Too many reps still:

• View qualification as a top-of-funnel task

• Avoid tough questions that could reveal deal risk

• Operate with “happy ears” instead of seeking clarity

“Strong reps don’t have happy ears. They challenge. They ask hard questions. They’re not afraid to hear that the deal isn’t real.”

Kevin Beales, Founder & CEO, MySalesCoach

This is often a coaching issue. Many reps never receive structured coaching on:

• How to identify real pain

• How to assess fit beyond surface-level interest

• How to say “no” to deals that are misaligned

Why Coaching Is the Key to Better Sales Qualification

MySalesCoach’s State of Sales Coaching Survey 2025 shows that coaching is what drives better qualification.

• Reps receiving regular coaching on discovery and qualification are 30% more likely to hit quota

• AEs with structured coaching programs showed 40% better accuracy in forecasting deal closure

• Reps who had access to external coaching were 2x more confident in identifying bad-fit prospects early

“When reps get great coaching, they’re building skills, behaviours, and mindsets that drive performance. Qualification is a skill. Discovery is a behaviour. Confidence to challenge is a mindset. Coaching is how you build all three.”

Mark Ackers, Co-Founder, MySalesCoach

Sales Qualification Is Not a Stage — It’s a Sales Discipline

One of the biggest myths the EBSTA report debunks is the idea that qualification is a one-and-done milestone.

In reality, qualification is:

• How you decide where to invest time

• How you uncover risk and mitigate deal slippage

• How you earn buyer trust by asking tough questions

“Good qualification is just great risk mitigation. Top reps are constantly scanning for what could go wrong.”

— Bryan Mulry, Sales Coach at MySalesCoach

Top reps don’t just qualify once. They qualify consistently:

• After demo

• Post-proposal

• When new stakeholders enter the deal

“Top reps don’t fear bad news. They seek it out early so they can focus on the right deals.”

— Bryan Mulry

From Theory to Execution: How Great Teams Improve Sales Qualification

Richard Bounds, expert sales coach at MySalesCoach, explains how he often sees two qualification blind spots in sales teams:

“The first blind spot is your Champion—do they drive change, have access to power, and advocate for you when you’re not there?

The Second—business value: how urgent is it really, and what happens if they do nothing?

Top reps answer these confidently. Struggling reps usually can’t.”

— Richard Bounds

Here’s how forward-thinking teams are re-engineering their approach:

• Prioritise coaching conversations that build skills (not just pipeline interrogation)

• Incorporate qualification reviews at every sales stage

• Use frameworks like MEDDPICC as learning tools, not scripts

• Bring in external experts to fast-track rep development

Final Thoughts

If your reps are missing quota, qualification might be the root cause. And if qualification is broken, it’s time to fix it – with coaching.

Steve Myers, expert sales coach at MySalesCoach, shares the best way to approach this:

“You are looking to coach your team around three questions.

Does the prospect have a problem I can fix for them?

Do they care enough about the problem to make all the required investments justifiable?

Are they able and willing to make a decision in a reasonable amount of time and following a reasonable process?

Qualify hard. Close easy.”

— Steve Myers

Want Help Improving Sales Qualification on Your Team?

Join the thousands of sellers and sales teams working with expert coaches inside MySalesCoach, improving sales skills and behaviours through:

• Tactical 1:1 coaching

• Deal Coaching

• Custom learning paths

• Qualification-specific coaching programs

Book a call with our experts to share some ideas around how we can support your team in improving their qualification skills to achieve their revenue goals.