Running a Discovery Meeting

Discovery is where deals are won or lost. Get it right.

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Before the Meeting

Research (30 minutes)

1. Company basics

   • What they do, size, recent news
   • Their industry challenges
   • Recent earnings calls or press releases

2. People you're meeting

   • LinkedIn profiles
   • Their background and likely priorities
   • Previous interactions with empress

3. Your hypothesis

   • Why do you think they reached out?
   • What problems might they have?
   • What solutions could we offer?

Prepare Your Questions

Have the six discovery questions ready, but adapt them:

1. What's the real problem?
2. Why now?
3. What does success look like?
4. Who cares?
5. What's been tried?
6. What are the constraints?

Logistics

• Confirm meeting time and attendees
• Test video/audio if remote
• Have note-taking ready (template open)
• Know who's taking notes (not the lead)

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During the Meeting

Opening (5 minutes)

Introductions

• Brief intro of yourself and role
• Let them introduce themselves
• Note titles and responsibilities

Set the agenda

"I'd love to learn about your situation and see if there's a fit for us to help. I'll ask questions for about 30 minutes, then we can discuss potential approaches. Sound good?"

Get permission to dig

"I'm going to ask some direct questions to really understand your situation. Feel free to tell me if anything's off limits."

Discovery (30 minutes)

Start broad, go deep

Open with: "Tell me about what's going on."

Then follow their thread. Don't stick rigidly to your script.

The six questions, naturally asked:

1. Real problem

   • "What's actually causing that?"
   • "If we dug in, what would we find?"
   • "Is that the symptom or the root cause?"

2. Why now

   • "What changed that made this urgent?"
   • "What happens if you don't solve this in the next 6 months?"
   • "Who's pushing for this?"

3. Success looks like

   • "If we're successful, what's different a year from now?"
   • "How will you measure success?"
   • "What would your boss say was a win?"

4. Who cares

   • "Who else needs to be involved in this decision?"
   • "Who would block this if they disagreed?"
   • "Whose budget is this?"

5. What's been tried

   • "What have you tried so far?"
   • "What worked and what didn't?"
   • "Why do you think that happened?"

6. Constraints

   • "What's your budget range for something like this?"
   • "When do you need this done?"
   • "What can't change?"

Listen more than talk

• 70% them, 30% you
• Take notes visibly
• Repeat back what you hear
• Don't pitch yet

Watch for signals

• Energy changes when they hit a real pain
• Who looks at whom when tough questions come up
• What they avoid talking about

Transition (5 minutes)

Summarize what you heard

"Let me make sure I understand. The core problem is [X]. This became urgent because [Y]. Success means [Z]. Did I get that right?"

Let them correct or add.

Bridge to next steps

"Based on what you've shared, I think there are a few ways we could approach this. Would it be helpful if I walked through some initial thoughts?"

Initial Approach (10 minutes)

Don't pitch a full solution - you don't know enough yet.

Instead, share:

• "Here's how we typically approach problems like this..."
• "In similar situations, we've seen success with..."
• "A few questions we'd need to answer to scope this..."

Get their reaction

• Does this resonate?
• What would they add or change?
• What concerns do they have?

Close (5 minutes)

Confirm interest

"Does it make sense to explore this further?"

Define next steps

• What do you need from them?
• What will you provide?
• When will you follow up?

Set the next meeting

"I'd like to come back with some specific options. Can we schedule 30 minutes next [day]?"

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After the Meeting

Immediately (within 2 hours)

1. Complete discovery notes template

   • Raw notes to structured format
   • Score the MEDDIC criteria
   • Identify gaps in information

2. Send thank you email

   • Thank them for time
   • Confirm what you heard
   • Confirm next steps
   • Attach anything promised

Within 24 Hours

1. Internal debrief

   • Review with team who will work the deal
   • Discuss approach options
   • Identify risks

2. Log in CRM/ops app

   • Create/update opportunity
   • Set probability based on MEDDIC
   • Note next actions

Before Next Meeting

1. Prepare options

   • 2-3 approaches at different price points
   • Pros/cons of each
   • Your recommendation

2. Fill information gaps

   • Research unanswered questions
   • Prepare clarifying questions

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Common Mistakes

Talking too much

They invited you to learn about them. Listen.

Pitching too early

You don't know enough yet. Resist the urge.

Accepting surface answers

"We need to improve efficiency" isn't enough. Dig: "Efficiency of what? Measured how? What's the cost of current inefficiency?"

Missing the political

Who's really making this decision? Who might block it?

Not asking about budget

It's awkward but essential. "What's the budget range you're working with?" is fair.

Not confirming next steps

Never end without a clear next action and date.

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Scripts for Hard Situations

They won't share budget

"I understand you might not have a fixed number. Can you give me a range so I can make sure I bring back options that make sense? Are we talking $50K, $500K, $5M?"

They're clearly shopping

"It sounds like you're evaluating several options. That makes sense. What criteria are most important to you? What would make one firm stand out?"

Decision maker isn't in the room

"It sounds like [person] will ultimately make this decision. Would it be helpful to include them in our next conversation? I want to make sure we address their priorities."

They want a proposal now

"I could put something together, but I want to make sure we're solving the right problem. Can we schedule one more conversation to validate my understanding? I'd hate to miss the mark."

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The MEDDIC Quick Reference

Score 1-4 after discovery:

Factor	4 (Strong)	1 (Weak)
Metrics	Clear ROI defined	Vague "improvement"
Economic Buyer	Met them, they're engaged	Don't know who it is
Decision Criteria	Know exactly how they'll decide	No idea
Decision Process	Timeline and steps clear	"Sometime this quarter"
Identify Pain	Specific, urgent, funded	Generic wish list
Champion	Someone actively selling us inside	No internal advocate

Total 15+: Go aggressively Total 12-14: Proceed with caution Under 12: Qualify harder or walk away