Resources
Ask This, Not That
Small changes to the questions your reps ask, and large changes to what they find out. Every pair below maps to a specific reason deals stall.
The question decides the answer you get
Most discovery questions are reasonable. They're also answerable without the buyer thinking very hard — which means the rep leaves with an answer and no new information.
A better question does two things at once: it tells you whether the deal is real, and it makes the buyer think about something they hadn't.
The four components
Organized the way we score a deal
Organized by the four parts of the D.E.A.L. Progress System™ — the same structure RevUp uses to score whether a deal belongs in your forecast.
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Develop the Business Case for Change
A goal is a preference. A quantified problem is a budget.
- Not: “What are your goals this year?” → Ask: “What is this costing you right now — in dollars, hours, or deals lost?”
- Not: “Are you happy with your current process?” → Ask: “What have you already tried to fix this, and what happened?”
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Engage the Buying Committee
The first question gets a yes that isn't true. The second gets you names and criteria.
- Not: “Are you the decision maker?” → Ask: “Who else has to agree before this moves forward, and what will each of them need to see?”
- Not: “Can you take this to your team?” → Ask: “What's the best way for me to be in the room when you do?”
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Align Your Solution to the Business Case
A demo shows features. This makes the buyer describe the outcome in their own words — which is the thing you then sell back to them.
- Not: “Would you like to see a demo?” → Ask: “If this problem were solved, what would be different for your team in ninety days?”
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Lock in the Proper Timeline
A hoped-for decision date is a guess. A backwards-built plan is a commitment with steps you can hold.
- Not: “When are you hoping to decide?” → Ask: “Working backwards from the date you need this live, what has to happen and by when?”
- Not: “Is there any urgency on your end?” → Ask: “What happens if this slips two quarters?”
The full set
[SLOT — count] question pairs across all four components, with the deal risk each one addresses. Built for reps to use before a call and managers to use in a deal review.
- info@revup-sales.com