prd-v08-marketing-ops-handoff

# Marketing-Ops Handoff (Lead Lifecycle + Sales Routing)

Position in workflow: v0.8 Monitoring Setup → **v0.8 Marketing-Ops Handoff** → v0.9 Launch Channels (ORB), v0.9 Cold Outreach

## Execution Mode

Default is **standard**. See [`.claude/rules/08-skill-execution-modes.md`](../../rules/08-skill-execution-modes.md) for selection logic.

| Mode | What this skill produces |
|------|--------------------------|
| **quick** | 3-stage lifecycle (Anonymous → Lead → Customer); single handoff rule; SLA per stage |
| **standard** | Full 5-stage lifecycle (Anonymous → MQL → SQL → Opportunity → Customer); entry/exit criteria; handoff payload spec; SLAs |
| **deep** | Full lifecycle + per-segment routing (by ICP / region / size); scoring model; rejection-loop rules; SLA monitoring + escalation |

## What This Does

Defines the **lifecycle stages** a lead passes through from first touch to customer (or churn), plus the **handoff rules** at each transition. Without this, marketing-captured leads get dropped, double-worked, or never followed up. With this, you have an auditable definition of who owns what at each moment.

This skill applies primarily to B2B and prosumer products with a human-touch sales motion (founder-led sales, BDR/SDR teams, customer-success-led expansion). Pure self-serve products use a simpler version: lifecycle = Anonymous → Trial → Paid, with no human handoff.

## How It Works

1. **Pick the lifecycle shape** — Match the product:
   - **Self-serve**: Anonymous → Signup → Activated → Paid → Expanded
   - **Sales-assisted**: Anonymous → MQL → SQL → Opportunity → Customer
   - **Hybrid (PLG + Sales)**: Anonymous → Signup → Activated → Paid → SQL → Opportunity → Expansion
2. **Define entry criteria per stage** — What event/behavior moves a lead into this stage? Examples:
   - MQL: filled out a high-intent form, downloaded gated content, hit usage threshold
   - SQL: explicit "talk to sales" or scoring threshold reached
   - Opportunity: discovery call held, budget + authority confirmed
3. **Define exit criteria per stage** — Two paths out: progress (to next stage) and disqualify (back to nurture or out). Disqualification rules matter as much as progression.
4. **Map ownership** — Who owns the lead at each stage:
   - Anonymous: marketing automation
   - MQL: BDR/SDR
   - SQL: AE / founder
   - Opportunity: AE / founder
   - Customer: CS / founder
5. **Define handoff payload** — When a lead moves between owners, what context goes with them? At minimum:
   - Source (which GTM-* channel produced this lead)
   - Touchpoint history (what they've engaged with)
   - Best-fit signals (firmographic match, behavioral fit)
   - Disqualifiers (anything that ruled out an earlier stage)
   - Open questions (what the next owner should clarify)
6. **Set SLAs per stage** — How fast must the new owner respond after handoff? MQL → BDR typically <1 business hour for high-signal, <1 business day for low-signal. SQL → AE typically <30 minutes.
7. **Plan rejection routing** — When SQL → AE handoff is rejected ("not a fit"), where does the lead go? Back to nurture, disqualified, requeued? Without this rule, leads die in limbo.

## Example

B2B SaaS, $200/month entry price, sales-assisted motion.

| Stage | Entry criteria | Exit criteria | Owner | SLA |
|-------|----------------|---------------|-------|-----|
| Anonymous | Any first touch | Filled form OR signed up | Marketing | n/a |
| MQL | Filled high-intent form (demo request, pricing page) | BDR qualifies in OR disqualifies | BDR | 1 business hour |
| SQL | BDR confirms fit + intent | AE accepts OR rejects | BDR → AE | 30 min |
| Opportunity | AE held discovery, budget + authority confirmed | Closed-won OR closed-lost | AE | 24 hr per touch |
| Customer | Closed-won contract signed | Churn OR expand | CS | Onboarding kickoff <1 business day |

Handoff payload at MQL → SQL (BDR → AE):
- Source: GTM-002 (Product Hunt) + retargeting
- Touchpoints: 3 blog posts, demo video, pricing page (3×)
- Best-fit signals: 50-person SaaS (matches PER-001), VP Eng signed up
- Disqualifiers: none
- Open questions: confirm budget owner; confirm timeline

Rejection routing at SQL → AE rejection ("too small"): lead returns to MQL queue with "small-team" tag; BDR can re-engage in 90 days if size signal changes.

## What You Get Back

- **BR-MOPS-\* lifecycle rule entries** — One per stage with entry/exit/owner/SLA
- **GTM-MOPS-\* handoff flow entries** — One per transition (MQL→SQL, SQL→OPP, etc.) with payload spec
- **Rejection-routing rules** — Disqualifier-aware routing back to nurture
- **SLA monitoring plan** — Hooks into MON-DRIFT-* for SLA drift watching

## When to Use It

| Trigger | Mode |
|---------|------|
| B2B / sales-assisted product, pre-launch | standard |
| Hybrid PLG + Sales motion | deep |
| Pure self-serve consumer product | **skip** — overkill |
| Adding human sales to existing self-serve | standard |
| Sales velocity issues (leads dying in queue) | deep (rebuild with SLAs) |
| Pre-Series A audit (investor wants to see process) | deep |

## Consumes

- **PER-\* best-fit characteristics** (sharpened by v0.9 Positioning when available) — Defines what fit-signal scoring looks like
- **GTM-\* channel mix** (from v0.9 Launch Channels ORB, when available) — Lead sources feed into Anonymous stage
- **GTM-\* offer card** (from v0.9 Offer Construction) — Determines what "qualified" means (price tier sets bar)
- **BR-PRICING-\*** (from v0.3 + v0.9) — Sets stage thresholds (above $X/year → SQL; below → self-serve)
- **KPI-\* baseline targets** — Stage conversion targets feed into KPI- entries

> When this skill runs before v0.9, channel and offer references use placeholders that get reconciled when v0.9 finalizes.

## Produces

- **BR-MOPS-\* entries** (lifecycle stage rules) in `SoT/SoT.BUSINESS_RULES.md`
- **GTM-MOPS-\* entries** (handoff flow specs) — One per stage transition
- **CFD-\* gaps surfaced** — When stage criteria can't be cleanly defined, log as