Territory & evidence / 2 MIN READ
An account-prioritization exercise for your sales interview
Rank three fictional accounts, check the arithmetic and explain which new information would change your decision.
An account ranking is useful when its inputs and reasoning are visible. This original exercise asks which two discovery conversations to prioritize. It does not estimate revenue or describe actual hospitals, customers or products.
The fictional inputs
Scores run from 1 to 5. Higher fit, access and timing are favorable; a higher support burden indicates more work. These are teaching values, not measured market data.
| Account | Fit | Access | Timing | Support burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aster | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Birch | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Cedar | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
Aster has a relevant question and a contact, but timing is unclear. Birch appears suitable from public information but has no confirmed contact. Cedar has a current discovery invitation and a smaller apparent opportunity.
Calculate an illustrative priority
Use 2 × fit + access + timing − support burden. The weighting is an editorial choice for the exercise, not an industry standard.
- Aster: 8 + 4 + 2 − 2 = 12.
- Birch: 10 + 1 + 1 − 4 = 8.
- Cedar: 6 + 5 + 4 − 2 = 13.
Under those inputs and that rule, Cedar and Aster are the first discovery priorities. Birch's apparent fit does not remove the need to establish access and relevant information.
Change one fact
Suppose the fictional customer confirms that Aster now has a current initiative, justifying a timing score of 5. Aster's result becomes 15, moving it ahead of Cedar. If the improved timing is merely your guess, the change is not justified.
The ranking concerns the order of discovery. It does not mean Aster will buy or generate more revenue.
Challenge the scoring method
If support capacity is constrained, double the burden penalty. The results become Aster 10, Birch 4 and Cedar 11. The order stays the same, but the distance between accounts changes.
A non-numerical decision table can also be valid. For example, accounts without confirmed needs remain in research. That may be clearer than a composite score when inputs are uncertain.
Write a three-sentence recommendation: the first conversations, the reason and the information that could change the order. The Territory Workshop supplies editable blank and completed versions plus presentation challenges.