--- name: discovery-call-playbook description: Conduct structured discovery calls that uncover prospect pain points, quantify business impact, identify stakeholders, map decision processes, and qualify deals using MEDDIC, BANT, SPIN, and CHAMP frameworks. Use when preparing for discovery calls, writing discovery questions, running qualification frameworks, mapping buying committees, or improving discovery call effectiveness. Triggers on phrases like "discovery call", "discovery questions", "BANT", "MEDDIC", "SPIN", "qualification call", "needs analysis", "buyer mapping", "decision process mapping", "economic buyer identification", "discovery call script". --- # Discovery Call Playbook Run structured discovery conversations that qualify deals, uncover buying signals, quantify business impact, and build the foundation for a successful sale. ## Pre-Call Preparation ``` PRE-CALL RESEARCH CHECKLIST (15–20 minutes) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Company Intelligence: → Company size: Employee count, revenue range, funding stage (if startup) → Industry: Primary vertical, sub-vertical, regulatory environment → Technology stack: What tools they use (BuiltWith, LinkedIn, company careers page) → Recent news: Funding, acquisitions, leadership changes, product launches, expansions → Competitors: Who are their competitors? (helps understand market pressure) → Customers: Who are their customers? (helps understand their challenges) Tools: LinkedIn, Crunchbase, BuiltWith, company website, Google search Prospect Intelligence: → Role and responsibilities: What does this person do day-to-day? → Career history: How long in role? Previous companies? (identifies potential pain points) → LinkedIn activity: Recent posts, comments, shared content (conversation starters) → Direct reports / team size: Helps understand scope and authority → Manager: Who reports to? (potential economic buyer or blocker) → Peer group: Who are their colleagues? (potential champions or influencers) Intent Data (if available): → Website activity: Pages visited, content downloaded, frequency → Technology usage: Recently adopted tools, tools being evaluated → Buying signals: Bombora intent score, 6sense intent indicators → Engagement history: Previous emails opened, calls made, meetings attended Call Objective Setting: → Primary goal (ONE): - Understand their current [process/challenge] - Identify quantified business impact - Map decision process and stakeholders - Qualify deal (MEDDIC/BANT) → Success criteria: - Prospect describes current state and pain - Prospect quantifies impact ($, time, risk) - Prospect names 2+ stakeholders involved - Prospect shares timeline and budget context → Questions to prepare: 8–12 tailored questions based on research (Not generic questions — specific to their industry and situation) CALL STRUCTURE: Duration: 30–45 minutes (standard), 60 minutes (enterprise) → Opening (3–5 minutes): Introductions, agenda, context confirmation → Discovery (20–30 minutes): Structured questioning using chosen framework → Summary (5 minutes): Recap findings, confirm understanding → Next steps (3–5 minutes): Propose and confirm next action ``` ## Discovery Frameworks ``` FRAMEWORK 1 — MEDDIC (Enterprise, Complex Deals) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ M — METRICS (Quantify the business impact): Purpose: Make the problem tangible and financially justified Questions: → "What metrics are you tracking around [area]?" → "What does [metric] look like today vs. where you want it?" → "What's the financial impact of the current gap?" → "How do you currently measure [KPI]?" → "What would improved [metric] mean for the business?" Target findings: → Current baseline: [number] → Target: [number] → Gap impact: $___ per year / ___ hours per week / ___% risk Example: Rep: "How many hours per week does your team spend on manual reporting?" Prospect: "Probably 15–20 hours across the team." Rep: "And what could the team do with those 15–20 hours if it were automated?" Prospect: "We could focus on strategy instead of data entry — that's where the real value is." → Metric captured: 15–20 hours/week = ~$50K/year in productivity opportunity E — ECONOMIC BUYER (Identify who controls the budget): Purpose: Ensure you engage the person who signs the check Questions: → "Who else would be involved in a decision like this?" → "What does the approval process typically look like at [Company]?" → "Who has the final say on budget for [category]?" → "Have you worked with [person's title] on similar purchases?" → "Would [economic buyer] need to see anything specific before approving?" Target findings: → Economic buyer name and title: [Name, CFO/VP/Dir] → Economic buyer's key priorities: [Revenue growth, cost reduction, etc.] → Your access to economic buyer: [Direct, through champion, not yet] → Meeting with economic buyer: [Scheduled, planned, not yet] Red flag: Prospect cannot name economic buyer → champion may lack authority D — DECISION CRITERIA (Understand evaluation standards): Purpose: Know how to position and what "good enough" looks like Questions: → "What criteria will you use to evaluate solutions?" → "What's a 'must-have' vs. 'nice-to-have'?" → "How have you evaluated similar solutions in the past?" → "What would make this a hard 'no'?" → "Is there a scoring matrix or RFP process?" Target findings: → Must-have criteria: [3–5 items] → Nice-to-have criteria: [2–3 items] → Deal breakers: [1–2 items] → Our fit: [Map our solution to each criterion] Example: Prospect: "Must have: API integration, SSO, SOC 2 compliance. Nice to have: Mobile app, multi-language support." → Note: If you can't meet a must-have, disqualify early D — DECISION PROCESS (Map the path from "yes" to signature): Purpose: Know the timeline, steps, and people involved Questions: → "Walk me through your typical procurement process." → "What happens between 'we like this' and 'we've signed'?" → "Who needs to approve at each step?" → "How long does each step typically take?" → "Is there a standard contract or MSA we should review?" Target findings: → Step 1: Evaluation/selection ([who], [timeline]) → Step 2: Security/legal review ([who], [timeline]) → Step 3: Procurement/negotiation ([who], [timeline]) → Step 4: Signature ([who], [timeline]) → Total expected timeline: [X weeks/months] Example: Prospect: "We'd need demos (2 weeks), legal review (3 weeks), procurement negotiation (2 weeks), then CFO sign-off (1 week)." → Total timeline: 8 weeks from demo to signature I — IMPACT (Deepen urgency and business case): Purpose: Make the cost of inaction clearer than the cost of action Questions: → "What happens if you don't solve this in the next 6 months?" → "How does [problem] affect other parts of the business?" → "What's the cost of the status quo?" → "If you solved this perfectly, what would change?" → "How does this tie to your [quarterly/annual] goals?" Target findings: → Cost of inaction: $___/year or ___ hours/month → Downstream impact: [effects on other departments, revenue, retention] → Strategic alignment: [connects to company goal] Example: Rep: "If reporting stays manual, what's the risk of errors impacting decisions?" Prospect: "Last quarter we had a data error that cost us a $200K deal." → Impact quantified: $200K lost revenue risk from manual process errors C — CHAMPION (Identify and strengthen your internal advocate): Purpose: Find the person who will sell your solution internally Questions: → "How personally invested are you in solving this?" → "What would success on this project mean for you personally?" → "How will you advocate for this internally?" → "What do you need from me to help you build the case?" → "Who else is frustrated by this problem?" Target findings: → Champion name and role: [Name, Title] → Champion's motivation: [Career advancement, team efficiency, etc.] → Champion's influence: [High/Medium/Low with economic buyer] → Champion equipped: [Yes/No — if No, plan to provide tools] Red flag: Champion says "I don't know who decides" → weak champion MEDDIC DEAL HEALTH SCORECARD: ┌─────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┬──────┐ │ MEDDIC Element │ Evidence Captured │ Score│ ├─────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────┼──────┤ │ Metrics │ $___ quantified impact │ 1–5 │ │ Economic Buyer │ Named, titled, [meeting status] │ 1–5 │ │ Decision Criter │ [X] must-haves identified │ 1–5 │ │ Decision Process│ [X] steps mapped, timeline known │ 1–5 │ │ Impact │ Cost of inaction: $___/year │ 1–5 │ │ Champion │ Named, motivated, [influence level]│ 1–5 │ └─────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────┴──────┘ → Score ≥ 25/30: Strong deal — proceed to proposal/demo → Score 15–24: At risk — schedule follow-up discovery → Score < 15: Weak — disqualify or enter nurture ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ FRAMEWORK 2 — BANT (Transactional, Fast-Moving Deals) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ B — BUDGET: → "What's the budget allocated for this initiative?" → "Have you approved funding for this project?" → "What's your price range for a solution like this?" → "Is budget already allocated, or would this be a new request?" Qualifying signals: Specific dollar range, approved budget, budget cycle timeline Red flags: "No budget yet", "We'll figure out budget later", "Price is the main concern" A — AUTHORITY: → "Are you the decision-maker, or is someone else involved?" → "What does the approval process look like?" → "Who else needs to sign off on this?" Qualifying signals: Named decision-maker, clear process, access to authority Red flags: "I'm just gathering info", "I need to check with my boss", no authority identified N — NEED: → "What's the primary challenge you're trying to solve?" → "What's driving this initiative right now?" → "What happens if you don't address this?" Qualifying signals: Specific pain, quantified impact, clear priority Red flags: Vague interest, "just exploring", no urgency, no defined problem T — TIMING: → "What's your timeline for implementing a solution?" → "What's driving the timeline?" → "When do you need this solved by?" Qualifying signals: Specific date, external driver (regulatory, competitive, strategic) Red flags: "No rush", "someday next year", "when we have time" BANT QUALIFICATION DECISION: → All 4 elements confirmed: Qualified — proceed to demo/proposal → 3 of 4 confirmed: Partially qualified — address missing element, then proceed → 2 or fewer confirmed: Not qualified — nurture or disqualify ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ FRAMEWORK 3 — SPIN (Consultative, Problem-Solution Selling) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ S — SITUATION Questions (understand current state): → "How are you currently handling [process]?" → "What tools do you use for [function]?" → "Walk me through your typical [workflow]." Purpose: Build context, not the core value — keep these brief P — PROBLEM Questions (uncover pain and frustration): → "What challenges do you face with [current process]?" → "Where do things break down in [workflow]?" → "What's frustrating about your current approach?" → "How often does [problem] occur?" Purpose: Get prospect to articulate their own pain I — IMPACT Questions (amplify consequences of pain): → "How does [problem] affect your team's productivity?" → "What's the revenue impact of [problem]?" → "How does this affect customer satisfaction?" → "What's the downstream effect on [other department]?" Purpose: Make the pain urgent and expensive N — NEED-PAYOFF Questions (position solution as answer): → "If you could solve [problem], what would that mean for the business?" → "How would [improved outcome] help you achieve [goal]?" → "What would it be worth to eliminate [problem] entirely?" → "If you could save [X hours/dollars], how would you redeploy those resources?" Purpose: Get prospect to articulate the value of solving the problem SPIN QUESTION BANK (50+ Questions by Category): Situation (10): 1. How is your team currently handling [process]? 2. What tools are you using for [function]? 3. How long has your team been using [current solution]? 4. How many people are involved in [process]? 5. What's your typical [workflow] look like? 6. How do you currently [measure/report] [metric]? 7. What's your team structure for [function]? 8. How does [process] integrate with [other system]? 9. What's the volume of [transactions/data/users]? 10. How has [process] changed in the last year? Problem (15): 1. What's the biggest challenge with [current process]? 2. Where do things typically break down? 3. How often do you encounter [specific problem]? 4. What frustrates your team most about [current solution]? 5. Are there areas where [process] feels inefficient? 6. Do you have visibility into [metric/data]? 7. How do you handle [edge case/exception]? 8. What happens when [specific scenario]? 9. Are there compliance or security concerns? 10. How do you manage [scaling/growth] with current setup? 11. What limitations have you hit with [current solution]? 12. How much manual work is involved in [process]? 13. Are there bottlenecks in [workflow]? 14. How do you handle [reporting/analytics]? 15. What's the error rate in [process]? Impact (15): 1. How does [problem] affect your revenue? 2. What's the cost of [problem] per month/year? 3. How does [problem] impact customer satisfaction? 4. What's the effect on your team's morale/productivity? 5. How does this affect your ability to [strategic goal]? 6. What opportunities are you missing because of [problem]? 7. How does [problem] affect [other department]? 8. What's the risk if [problem] continues? 9. How does [problem] affect your competitive position? 10. What would [solved problem] enable you to do? 11. How much time does [problem] consume weekly? 12. What's the impact on [KPI you track]? 13. How does [problem] affect decision-making? 14. Are there compliance risks from [problem]? 15. What's the total cost of ownership for [current solution]? Need-Payoff (10): 1. If you could solve [problem], what would that mean? 2. How would [improved outcome] help achieve [goal]? 3. What would it be worth to eliminate [problem]? 4. If you could save [X], how would you use those resources? 5. How would [solution] impact your team's efficiency? 6. What would [improved metric] mean for the business? 7. How would solving this help you [strategic objective]? 8. What would success look like 6 months from now? 9. If [problem] was solved today, what's the first thing you'd do? 10. How would your team react if [process] was automated? ``` ## Discovery Call Script ``` DISCOVERY CALL SCRIPT (30–45 minutes) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ OPENING (3–5 minutes): "Hi [Name], great to connect. Thanks for making time today. For those I haven't met, I'm [Name] from [Company]." "Before we dive in — I want to make this productive for you. Here's what I'd like to cover: 1. Understand your current [process/challenge] and what's driving this initiative 2. Learn about the impact and what success looks like for you 3. Discuss how we might help based on what you share 4. Agree on next steps if it makes sense I'll ask a bunch of questions — please feel free to jump in with questions anytime. Does that work?" DISCOVERY — CURRENT STATE (8–10 minutes): "Let's start with how things work today. → How is your team currently handling [process]? → What tools are you using for [function]? → How long has the team been using [current approach]?" [Listen actively, take notes, ask follow-ups] "Interesting — and how many people are involved in that process? What's the typical volume you're dealing with?" DISCOVERY — PAIN AND IMPACT (10–15 minutes): "I hear you — and where does that process tend to break down? → What's the biggest challenge your team faces with [process]? → How often does [specific problem] happen? → What's the impact on [team/productivity/revenue]?" [Quantify impact — this is the most critical part] "And what's that costing the team? In terms of time, money, or risk? → You mentioned [X hours/week] — that's roughly [Y hours/month, Z hours/year]. → At [salary rate], that's approximately $[cost] per year in lost productivity." DISCOVERY — DECISION PROCESS (5–8 minutes): "Help me understand how decisions like this work at [Company]. → Who else would be involved in evaluating a solution? → What does the typical process look like from evaluation to implementation? → What's the timeline you're working with? → What criteria will you use to evaluate options?" DISCOVERY — STAKEHOLDER MAPPING (3–5 minutes): "Besides yourself, who else should be involved in this conversation? → Is there a technical person who'd evaluate the solution? → Who ultimately approves the budget? → Are there end users whose feedback matters?" SUMMARY (3–5 minutes): "Let me make sure I captured everything correctly: → Your team is dealing with [pain 1] and [pain 2] → The impact is [quantified: $X cost, Y hours/week, Z% risk] → You're looking for a solution that [must-have criteria] → The decision involves [stakeholders] and the timeline is [X weeks/months] → Key next step would be [next action] Did I miss anything or get anything wrong?" NEXT STEPS (3–5 minutes): "Based on what you've shared, I think [Product] can help with [specific outcomes]. The next step would be [specific action]: → [Demo] — show you how we address [pain points] → [Technical deep-dive] — walk through integration and architecture → [Executive briefing] — connect with [economic buyer] to discuss business case I'll send a calendar invite for [date/time]. Does that work for everyone? Before I go — is there anything else you'd like to discuss or any questions for me?" [Send calendar invite BEFORE ending the call] ``` ## Post-Discovery Scoring & Actions ``` POST-DISCOVERY DEAL ASSESSMENT ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Deal Health Scorecard: ┌─────────────────────────┬────────┬────────────────────┬──────┐ │ Criteria │ Status │ Evidence │ Score│ ├─────────────────────────┼────────┼────────────────────┼──────┤ │ Quantified pain/impact │ Found │ $___ / ___ hrs │ 1–5 │ │ Budget identified │ Found │ $___ range │ 1–5 │ │ Economic buyer named │ Found │ [Name, Title] │ 1–5 │ │ Decision process mapped │ Found │ [X] steps, [X] wks │ 1–5 │ │ Champion identified │ Found │ [Name, motivation] │ 1–5 │ │ Timeline defined │ Found │ [Date/Quarter] │ 1–5 │ │ Must-have criteria │ Found │ [X] criteria │ 1–5 │ │ Competitor mentioned │ Found │ [Competitor name] │ N/A │ └─────────────────────────┴────────┴────────────────────┴──────┘ Total: ___ / 35 → Score ≥ 30: Qualified — schedule demo, create opportunity in CRM → Score 20–29: Partially qualified — follow-up discovery to fill gaps → Score < 20: Not qualified — enter nurture track or disqualify Next Action Decision Tree: → MEDDIC score ≥ 25 AND budget/timeline confirmed: → Schedule product demo (within 5 business days) → Create opportunity in CRM (Stage: Demo/Presentation) → Assign deal owner and forecast date → MEDDIC score 15–24 OR missing key element: → Schedule follow-up discovery call (within 7 business days) → Focus on missing MEDDIC elements → Do NOT create CRM opportunity yet (not qualified) → MEDDIC score < 15: → Enter nurture sequence (email drip, content, check-ins) → Re-engage in 60–90 days → Do NOT invest rep time beyond nurture → Prospect not interested / no need: → Polite disqualification: "Totally understand — feel free to reach out when [trigger]" → Archive in CRM (Status: Disqualified — No Need) → Free up rep time for qualified opportunities ``` ## Integration Points - **Salesforce / HubSpot CRM**: Discovery notes capture, deal stage progression, opportunity creation, task scheduling — $45–$3,600/month - **Gong / Chorus / Conversable**: Discovery call recording, transcription, question coverage tracking, auto-tagging of MEDDIC elements — $30–$60/user/month - **Clari / Salesforce Einstein**: Deal risk scoring based on discovery completeness, pipeline analytics, forecast accuracy — $20–$50/user/month - **ZoomInfo / LinkedIn Sales Navigator**: Prospect research, org chart mapping, stakeholder identification — $800–$1,900/month - **6sense / Bombora**: Intent data — buying signals, account engagement scores, trigger alerts — $10,000–$100,000/year - **Notion / Confluence**: Discovery note templates, playbook documentation, knowledge base — $8–$15/user/month ## Edge Cases - **Enterprise deals** ($100K+, 6+ month cycles): → Multiple discovery calls: One per stakeholder type (technical, business, executive) → Each call focused on specific MEDDIC elements for that stakeholder → Call 1: Business champion — Metrics, Impact, Champion → Call 2: Technical evaluator — Decision Criteria, integration requirements → Call 3: Economic buyer — Budget, Decision Process, strategic alignment → Total discovery time: 2–4 weeks across multiple calls - **Champion is only contact** (no access to broader committee): → Arm champion with internal selling tools: Business case template, ROI calculator, competitive analysis → Ask champion: "Who are 2–3 people I should connect with?" → Offer: "I can prepare materials that help you present this internally" → Red flag: Champion cannot name any other stakeholders after 2 discovery calls → likely dead deal - **Prospect ghosting** (stops responding after discovery): → Follow-up cadence: Day 3 (value-add email), Day 7 (check-in call), Day 14 (breakup email) → If no response after 3 touches: Enter 60-day nurture sequence → Re-engagement: New trigger-based outreach in 60/120/180 days → Root cause analysis: Was discovery too long? Did we not establish value? Was timeline unclear? - **Multi-location/global buying committee**: → Identify primary decision process (usually HQ or largest market) → Understand regional variations in procurement and approval → Schedule discovery calls across time zones (rotate, don't always burden one region) → Document regional stakeholders separately in buying committee map → Compliance: Local data residency, GDPR, local regulations may affect decision - **Discovery call runs over time**: → Keep to 30–45 minutes (respect prospect's time) → If discovery is incomplete: "I can see there's more to uncover — let me schedule a follow-up so we don't run over. Can we set up 30 more minutes for [specific topic]?" → Never: Push past agreed time without explicit prospect permission → Best practice: Set timer, check time at 35-minute mark, begin wrap-up at 40 minutes - **Prospect asks for pricing during discovery**: → Response: "I want to make sure I understand your needs fully so I can give you an accurate range. Can we spend 10 more minutes on [topic], and then I'll share pricing that's tailored to your situation?" → If prospect insists: Share broad range ($X–$Y depending on scope) with context → Never: Give exact pricing before understanding needs (loses negotiation leverage) → Best practice: Prepare 3 pricing tiers to reference if pressed (Basic, Pro, Enterprise)