Equation #21 · Chapter 10

Zombie Scorecard Score

Score = (Pain\_Owner \times 5) + (Timeline \times 3) + (Budget\_Code \times 5)

Zombie Scorecard

Score · Ch 10

(Pain Owner ×5) + (Timeline ×3) + (Budget ×5), each 0–5. Is this deal alive, or are you selling to a corpse?

Worked example — The deal that's been closing for five months

Is there a named human who bleeds if nothing changes? Sort of — an ops manager complains. A real by-when with a real consequence? No. A budget code, or even a contact near the money? You have never met anyone in their finance team.

It came out at 23 of 65. Red — it's a corpse.

Send the breakup email. The zombie is almost always the gatekeeper rather than the company: walk away politely, and watch who calls you back with a budget code attached.

Your turn — change one number

Pain Owner — a named human bleeds (0–5)3

Timeline — real by-when, real consequence (0–5)1

Budget Code — contact near the money (0–5)1

Result23/65

Red. Corpse. Send the Breakup Email and move your blood somewhere it circulates.