The Core Concept
The goal of discovery is not to confirm that the customer has a problem. It is to find the one problem they are WILLING to solve now.
Most discovery is "Surface Level." The customer says they want X, the rep shows X. But 3 months later, the deal dies because X wasn't actually a priority.
The "Disinfectant" is a series of questions designed to uncover the *cost of inaction* and the *political will* to change.
The Trap: The "Yes" Men
Reps love hearing "Yes." But in discovery, "Yes" is often a polite way of saying "I'm not going to fight for this."
You need to look for the "No" or the "Maybe later." Only then do you know what you are actually fighting against.
The Shift: The "Disinfectant" Questions
- "If you change nothing today, what is the specific cost to the business in 12 months?"
- "Whose bonus is tied to fixing this specific metric?"
- "What has failed in the past when you tried to solve this?"
Implementation
Discard deals where the "Cost of Inaction" is lower than the "Cost of Change." Disinfect your pipeline by removing the "Nice to Haves" early.