Prospects often describe wants (e.g., "a more efficient system"), which are not true problems. Asking about the motivation behind their desire forces them to articulate the underlying pain that actually drives a purchase decision.

A common error is breaking down the "PULL" framework (Project, Urgency, Looking, Lacking) into sequential questions. This often surfaces projects with adequate solutions. Instead, ask a single question that covers all elements, like "What are you trying to solve right now that you're hoping someone could help with?"

Many founders mistakenly use discovery calls to qualify leads or set up a pitch. The true objective is to determine if a customer has "pull"—an urgent, unsolved problem they're actively trying to fix. This reframes the entire goal from selling to understanding deep customer motivation.

Instead of asking a long list of generic questions, identify the single trigger event or struggle common to your best customers. The entire discovery process then becomes asking prospects if they have that specific "pull." If not, they are disqualified, saving immense time and preventing wasted demos.

Standard discovery questions about 'pain points' are too broad. Instead, focus on concrete 'projects on their to-do list.' This reveals their immediate priorities, existing attempts, and the specific 'pull' that will drive a purchase, allowing you to align your solution perfectly.

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.

It's possible to make sales without understanding why a customer is truly buying. To find the real 'pull,' challenge their interest by asking why their current solution isn't good enough. This forces them to articulate the core limitation they face, revealing the actual motivation.

To test for genuine 'pull,' a founder should challenge a prospect's need rather than sell to it. By asking questions like, 'Why can't you just do this with your existing options?' you force the prospect to articulate why their problem is urgent and unsolvable. This 'leaning back' approach makes high-intent buyers sell you on their problem.

Don't confuse customer enthusiasm or agreement with genuine buying intent ('pull'). Real pull is when the customer proactively initiates the next step in the sales process. Words like "this would solve our pain points" are not actions and often create false positives in the pipeline.