Forward Motion

The “Forward Motion” criterion measures how effectively a sales representative progresses the conversation toward a tangible next step—such as scheduling a follow-up meeting, obtaining a commitment, or even closing the deal. By evaluating this aspect, teams gain insights into the representative’s skill in guiding prospects through the sales pipeline.

Who Benefits:

• Project Managers & Team Leads: Identify if representatives consistently move prospects forward, informing targeted coaching to improve conversion rates.
• Sales & CX Teams: Ensure each interaction ends with a next action, maintaining momentum and reducing stalled opportunities.
• Business Managers & Strategists: Recognize patterns in advancing deals, refining sales strategies and resource allocation.
• Compliance Officers: Confirm representatives follow proper protocols for securing commitments, ensuring no premature or non-compliant promises.

Value Proposition:

• Momentum & Progress: Highlighting how calls transition toward meaningful next steps fosters efficiency and stronger sales results.
• Continuous Improvement: By identifying common roadblocks, teams can refine scripts, training, or follow-up processes.
• Actionable Insights: Machine-readable JSON output integrates into dashboards, enabling trend analysis and strategic adjustments.

Data Dictionary

Objective:

Evaluate how effectively the representative moves the conversation forward. Assess whether follow-up actions are established, commitments are secured, or the conversation concludes with a clear next step. Return a structured JSON output with a numeric score, summary, and optional feedback.

Required JSON Schema:

{
  "criteria": [
    {
      "name": "Forward Motion",
      "score": <number>,
      "summary": "<string>",
      "feedback": {
        // optional improvement suggestions
      }
    }
  ]
}

Data Dictionary:

If Criterion Not Applicable or No Data:
If no forward motion actions were relevant or possible (e.g., purely informational call), you may assign a lower score or indicate no applicable data. If no criteria apply at all, return an empty criteria array.

Determining Score & Thresholds

Confidence and Scoring:

• Checklists & Priorities:
  Define checklist items focusing on how well the call is driven toward a next action.

  Example:

  JSON

  {
    "id": "Forward_Motion",
    "name": "Forward Motion",
    "type": "managed",
    "checklist": [
      { "text": "Did the representative propose a clear next step (e.g., meeting)?", "priority": "high" },
      { "text": "Did the representative secure a commitment or agreement?", "priority": "high" },
      { "text": "Did the representative address obstacles to progressing further?", "priority": "medium" },
      { "text": "Did the representative confirm mutual understanding of next actions?", "priority": "medium" }
    ]
  }

• Priority Weights (example):

  • High = 3
  • Medium = 2

• Scoring Method:

  1. Assign partial scores (0.0-1.0) to each checklist item based on transcript evidence.
  2. Compute weighted average using priorityWeights.
  3. Convert the weighted average (0.0-1.0) into a 0.0 to 100.0 scale.
  4. Return final score with a summary and optional feedback.

Iterative Improvement & Calibration:

• Initial Testing: Check sample calls to ensure the scoring reflects true forward motion effectiveness.
• Refine Priorities: Adjust weighting if certain forward motion indicators prove more critical.
• Add/Remove Checklist Items: Update the criterion definition as new tactics or methods emerge.
• Stakeholder Feedback: Incorporate sales leadership insights to ensure criteria align with desired sales outcomes.

Prompt Construction & Instructions

Role Specification & Reiteration:

• Present the system as a “highly experienced assistant” evaluating the “Forward Motion” criterion.
• Reiterate the scoring methods, priority weights, and formatting rules.

No Hallucination:

• Only score based on transcript evidence. If uncertain about a next step, assign a moderate or low partial score.

Strict Formatting:

• Return only JSON.
• If no improvement needed, feedback can be empty or omitted.

Prompt for Implementation

System Message (Role: System):
"You are a highly experienced assistant evaluating the 'Forward Motion' criterion. You have:

• A transcript
• A known criterion ('Forward_Motion') with defined checklist and priorities.
• Instructions with scoringMethod and priorityWeights.

Your task:

1. Assign partial scores (0.0-1.0) to each checklist item based on how well the conversation moved toward a next step.
2. Compute weighted average using priorityWeights.
3. Convert to 0.0-100.0 scale and return score.
4. Provide a summary and optional feedback.
5. Return only JSON, no extra commentary.

Instructions & Variables (example):

{
  "instructions": {
    "scoringMethod": "weighted_average",
    "priorityWeights": {
      "high": 3,
      "medium": 2
    }
  },
  "criterion": {
    "id": "Forward_Motion",
    "name": "Forward Motion",
    "type": "managed",
    "checklist": [
      { "text": "Propose a next step?", "priority": "high" },
      { "text": "Secure a commitment or agreement?", "priority": "high" },
      { "text": "Address obstacles to progression?", "priority": "medium" },
      { "text": "Confirm understanding of next actions?", "priority": "medium" }
    ]
  }
}

User Message (Role: User):
"Analyze the following transcript and apply the 'Forward Motion' criterion:

[TRANSCRIPT_JSON][TRANSCRIPT_JSON]"

Expected Output Format:

{
  "criteria": [
    {
      "name": "Forward Motion",
      "score": <number>,
      "summary": "<string>",
      "feedback": {
        // optional suggestions
      }
    }
  ]
}