🦾 The $400,000 Discovery Mistake Every Sales Rep Makes

Hey Insider,

"Just send me a quote."

That's what Uber kept asking me for six weeks. I kept refusing. Why?

Because I'd learned the hard way that rushing past proper discovery is the fastest way to lose a deal - or worse, waste months chasing a deal that never existed.

The Costly Lesson

Let me tell you about the $400,000 deal that wasn't.

The prospect had given us a budget number. The meetings were going well. We were deep into a months-long process. Everything looked perfect on paper.

Until it wasn't.

Because we hadn't gone deep enough in discovery, we missed something crucial: that "$400,000 budget" was just a guess.

It wasn't approved. It wouldn't even be considered for another four months.

Think You're Different?

• "But they told me their budget..."

• "They're ready to buy..."

• "I don't want to waste their time..."

I've heard all these justifications. I used to make them myself.

The Real Problem

Here's what most sales reps do in discovery:

1. Listen for the first problem

2. Jump to show how their product solves it

3. Rush to get to the next meeting

Here's what elite sellers do:

1. Understand why the prospect will buy

2. Uncover unknown challenges

3. Help quantify the true magnitude of the problem

The Framework That Changed Everything

After that $400,000 lesson, I developed a different approach. Here's what I learned matters most:

1. The Magnitude Question "So if you don't fix this, what will happen?" If there's no clear answer, there's no real priority.

2. The Impact Layers

   • Business impact

   • Department impact

   • Personal impact

   • Political impact

3. The Unconsidered Needs Don't just solve the obvious problem. Help them see the challenges they haven't considered yet.

The Uber Story

Remember that Uber deal I mentioned? The one where I refused to quote for six weeks?

That deal ended up representing 50% of my client's total margin for the year. Why? Because we spent those six weeks understanding:

• The real business outcome that mattered

• The full scope of the problem

• The true value of the solution

The Warning Signs You're Rushing Discovery

[✓] You're talking more than listening

[✓] You're solving the first problem you hear

[✓] You're quoting before understanding impact

[✓] You're focused on features over outcomes

[✓] You're rushing to the next meeting

Sales Fit Challenge 💪💼

This week, I challenge you to:

1. Audit Your Last Three Deals

   • Did you know the true budget authority?

   • Could you name the unconsidered needs?

   • Did you understand the political landscape?

2. Transform Your Discovery

   • No quoting without impact understanding

   • No next steps without clear priorities

   • No assumptions about budgets or authority

3. Ask the Hard Questions

   • "What happens if you do nothing?"

   • "How did you arrive at that budget?"

   • "Who else needs to be convinced?"

The Bottom Line

Elite sellers aren't trying to get to the next meeting. They're trying to understand why the prospect will buy - or why they won't.

Remember: The goal isn't to rush through discovery. It's to make discovery so valuable that the prospect sees you as essential to their success.

What's your next discovery call worth? Are you willing to risk it by rushing?