Run discovery calls that uncover decision criteria

Structure initial discovery call to uncover decision criteria, budget, timeline, urgency

SaaS AEs and consultants converting cold→warm leads who need repeatable structure to uncover six essentials before demo/pitch.

• · prospect research (company + LinkedIn signals)
• · call context (inbound/outbound/referral)

• · call transcript with six essentials documented: timeline, urgency, decision-maker, evaluation criteria, budget, competitive situation

• · 30-minute call scheduled
• · prospect is decision-maker or gatekeeper to one

• · feature dumping in demo slot (should be 6 min max)
• · no decision-maker confirmation (discovers too late)
• · missing budget ask
• · failing to recap heard pain before demoing
• · ambiguous next steps (no calendar invite sent live)

• · minute-by-minute allocation (2 min intro + 18 min discovery + 6 min demo + 4 min close)
• · worked example with actual dialogue (VP Sales hiring use case)
• · trap list with common failure patterns
• · recap-before-demo principle
• · calendar invite live on call rule