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Appendix B2 — Discovery Question Frameworks

Purpose of This Appendix

This appendix provides structured discovery question frameworks that support Unit 5 — Discovery & Sales Control.

Discovery questions exist to:

  • create clarity
  • surface truth
  • define value
  • reduce decision risk

They do not exist to:

  • interrogate buyers
  • fill airtime
  • impress with expertise
  • rush toward a pitch

SalesOps treats discovery as a diagnostic process, not a conversational performance.

How These Frameworks Should Be Used

Discovery questions:

  • are selected intentionally
  • are sequenced logically
  • adapt to buyer responses
  • evolve as clarity increases

They are frameworks, not scripts.

If discovery does not change the buyer’s understanding of their situation, it failed.

Discovery Must Progress Through Four Layers

SalesOps structures discovery into four layers:

  1. Context
  2. Problem
  3. Impact
  4. Decision

Skipping layers creates shallow understanding and late-stage resistance.

Layer 1 — Context Discovery

Goal: Understand the buyer’s current reality.

Sample prompts:

  • “Can you walk me through how this works today?”
  • “What prompted you to take this conversation?”
  • “What’s already in place around this?”

What SalesOps looks for:

  • baseline conditions
  • existing systems or behaviors
  • ownership and responsibility

Context sets the foundation — not the conclusion.

Layer 2 — Problem Discovery

Goal: Identify what is not working and why it matters.

Sample prompts:

  • “Where does this break down today?”
  • “What’s the most frustrating part of this?”
  • “What happens when this goes wrong?”

SalesOps avoids abstract problems.
Problems must be specific and observable.

Vague problems create weak decisions.

Layer 3 — Impact & Consequence Discovery

Goal: Quantify and personalize the cost of the problem.

Sample prompts:

  • “What does this cost you in time, money, or effort?”
  • “Who feels this pain the most?”
  • “What happens if this stays the same six months from now?”

Impact turns problems into decision drivers.

Without consequence, urgency is manufactured — and unstable.

Layer 4 — Decision & Success Discovery

Goal: Define what winning looks like and how decisions are made.

Sample prompts:

  • “What would success look like for you?”
  • “How would you know this worked?”
  • “What would stop this from moving forward?”
  • “Who needs to be comfortable with this decision?”

SalesOps requires success to be defined before proposals exist.

Stakeholder Discovery (All Layers)

SalesOps embeds stakeholder discovery throughout:

  • “Who else is involved when this comes up?”
  • “Who would challenge this internally?”
  • “Who owns success after implementation?”

Late stakeholder discovery equals late-stage risk.

Constraint Discovery (Non-Adversarial)

SalesOps surfaces constraints without confrontation.

Sample prompts:

  • “What limitations should we be aware of?”
  • “What trade-offs would be unacceptable?”
  • “What has stopped similar initiatives before?”

Constraints clarify realistic paths forward.

B2B vs B2C Discovery Emphasis

In B2B:

  • deeper impact quantification
  • multi-role perspectives
  • process and risk clarity

In B2C:

  • faster emotional clarity
  • simplified success definition
  • friction reduction

Same layers. Different depth.

Common Discovery Failures SalesOps Prevents

SalesOps explicitly designs against:

  • jumping to solutions
  • assuming urgency
  • avoiding hard questions
  • discovering too late
  • letting buyers stay vague

Good discovery feels respectful — not invasive.

What This Appendix Enables

With structured discovery frameworks:

  • value becomes explicit
  • proposals align naturally
  • negotiation becomes rational
  • close becomes expected

Without them:

  • sales pitches prematurely
  • buyers hesitate late
  • margin erodes

 

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