The discovery phase of a sales call isn't a generic interrogation or a prelude to a demo. Its only goal is to understand the customer's PULL: their specific Project, its Urgency, the other Options they've considered, and the Limitations of those options. Only then can you effectively position your product.

The desire to appear intelligent causes founders to avoid simple questions and instead anticipate needs. This leads to incorrect assumptions. Asking basic, even "stupid," questions like "Why did you take this call?" is the key to understanding the customer's real needs and ultimately closing the deal.

A potential customer can logically agree with your framing of their problem yet have no intent to buy. True demand isn't intellectual agreement; it's a palpable force. You must sense the pressure of them actively pushing against a wall. A customer leaning back and nodding is a red flag.

Sales teams often treat discovery as a prerequisite to their demo, blindly searching for any 'problem' to pitch to. This wastes up to 90% of the call because they aren't listening for the customer's true, top-priority need, leading to sales *despite* the call, not because of it.

Instead of starting with intros and a list of questions, ask the prospect why they accepted the meeting and what they hope to get out of it. This simple question cuts through the noise and gives them an opportunity to state their intent and priorities upfront, revealing their 'pull' from the very beginning.

Founders often rush discovery to save time for a long demo. This is backward. When you precisely understand a customer's 'pull' (their top blocked priority), your pitch becomes hyper-relevant and can be delivered in 90 seconds, making the entire sales process more efficient.

Many sales calls follow a rigid framework of questions without a clear goal. This leads to confusing customer responses ("demand hairball") and a premature, ineffective product demo. The focus is on pushing supply instead of truly understanding the customer's blocked demand.

Buyers often volunteer the exact details of their problem—their project, its urgency, and their frustration with current options. However, traditional sales training teaches founders to ignore these cues, interrupt the customer, and pivot to pitching their solution, thereby missing critical information.

Instead of asking prospects to educate you with generic questions, conduct pre-call research and present a hypothesis on why you're meeting. This shows preparation and elevates the conversation. Even if you're wrong, the prospect will correct you, getting you to the right answer faster.