Short answer
QNC is the set of three forecast KPIs in B2B Tech SalesOS. Q is your qualified funnel: opportunities that have cleared all five MANT-C factors, which should be at least 4–5× your target. N is your negotiation funnel, at least 2× your target. C is commit, at least 1.25× your target. Track them for every seller, review them twice a week, and you’ll see a weak quarter weeks before it shows up in revenue.
Why three numbers are enough
Many sales teams track 10, 12 or even 14 funnel stages. The result is a dashboard nobody reads and a forecast nobody trusts.
I keep it deliberately simple. Between “lead” and “closed”, what matters most is how much of the funnel is genuinely qualified, how much has reached negotiation, and what the seller is prepared to commit. Those three numbers, tracked consistently, tell you almost everything you need to know.
The three KPIs
| KPI | What it measures | Coverage target (X = sales target) |
|---|---|---|
| Q: Qualified funnel | Opportunities that pass all five MANT-C factors | At least 4–5× X |
| N: Negotiation funnel | Opportunities at the negotiation stage | At least 2× X |
| C: Commit | Deals committed to close this period | At least 1.25× X |
Q: the qualified funnel
An opportunity counts in Q only if it has cleared all five qualification factors in MANT-C:
- Money: is there a budget, or a clear way to fund it?
- Authority: do you know who decides, and are you talking to them or to someone who influences them?
- Need: is there a real business problem, with an impact the customer cares about?
- Timing: is there a reason to decide in a defined period?
- Competition: who else is in the deal, including the option to do nothing?
An opportunity that hasn’t cleared all five doesn’t count, however exciting it feels.
N: the negotiation funnel
Opportunities where the customer has accepted the solution in principle and you’re discussing commercial terms. Reaching negotiation is a strong signal, but it isn’t a close. Customers still pause, re-scope or go back to a competitor at this stage.
C: commit
Deals the seller commits to closing this period. A commit must rest on customer evidence: an agreed decision date, a confirmed budget, an approval in progress. Not on hope, and not on pressure from the manager.
A worked example
Say a seller’s quarterly target is ₹1 crore.
| KPI | Target coverage | Needed | Seller has | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q | 4–5× | ₹4–5 crore | ₹3.2 crore | Below: the quarter is at risk |
| N | 2× | ₹2 crore | ₹2.1 crore | On track |
| C | 1.25× | ₹1.25 crore | ₹0.9 crore | Below |
This tells the manager two things at once. This quarter depends on converting what’s already in negotiation, and the seller needs to build qualified pipeline now, or next quarter will be worse.
(The figures above are an illustration, not client data.)
Why the coverage targets are so high
Opportunities fall out at every stage: budgets move, decision-makers change, customers choose to wait. Coverage targets build that reality into the plan.
They also expose an uncomfortable truth. When I’ve filtered a team’s “qualified” funnel through MANT-C, often only a fraction survived. In one client team, it was 30–35 of every 100. A Q number calculated on unfiltered opportunities is meaningless.
How to use QNC in reviews
- Twice a week: check C and the evidence behind each commit deal.
- Weekly: check Q against target for each seller. If it’s below 4×, the conversation is about pipeline building, not closing.
- Mid-quarter: reset. Which commit deals have slipped? What has entered negotiation?
- Quarter-end: compare the forecast with the result. A data-based forecast shouldn’t be more than about 10–12% away from the number called.
Ask about evidence, not confidence. “What has the customer agreed to?” beats “Are you sure?”
Common mistakes
- Counting unqualified deals in Q, so it looks healthy when it isn’t.
- Moving deals to commit under pressure, without customer evidence.
- Reviewing QNC only at quarter-end.
- Using the same coverage targets regardless of history. Adjust them once you know your own conversion rates.
- Tracking QNC for the team only. Track it per seller; the team number hides individual risk.
Frequently asked questions
What does QNC stand for?
Qualified funnel, Negotiation funnel and Commit: the three forecast KPIs in B2B Tech SalesOS.
What pipeline coverage do I need?
As a starting point, a qualified funnel of at least 4–5× your target, negotiation at least 2× and commit at least 1.25×. Refine these once you know your own conversion rates.
What is MANT-C?
A qualification framework covering Money, Authority, Need, Timing and Competition, including the option to do nothing.
How is QNC different from a normal sales pipeline report?
It counts only opportunities that meet clear rules, and compares each stage with the target, so it shows risk early instead of just showing volume.
Want QNC running in your team?
Read the full forecasting guide, or talk to us about setting it up.
