Protocol ID: SAL-03Category: Deal Qualification

The Diagnosis
Protocol.

The Executive Verdict

"Stop selling. Start diagnosing. The Professional views Discovery as a medical exam where they must determine if the 'patient' is sick enough to require surgery. If you prescribe the pill before checking the vitals, you are committing malpractice."

  • Doctor Frame: You are the prize.
  • Pain Funnel: Find the bleeding neck.
  • Disqualify: Kill bad deals fast.

2. The Economic Reality (False Positives)

A "False Positive" is a prospect who smiles, nods, sees a demo, and then ghosts. They steal your Time.

MetricBad Discovery (Pitcher)Good Discovery (Doctor)
Talk Ratio80% Seller / 20% Buyer20% Seller / 80% Buyer
Primary GoalBook a DemoFind the Pain
Pipeline BloatHigh (Ghosts)Low (High Intent)

3. The Psychology (The Strip Line)

The Beggar Frame (Push)

"Thank you so much for your time. I'd love to show you what we built. We are better than Competitor X because..."

Result: They run away.

The Doctor Frame (Pull)

"Let's see if we can help. Honestly, Competitor X is great for small teams. Why not just go with them?"

Result: They argue FOR you ("Well, X doesn't have the API...").

4. The Algorithm (5-Step Script)

1

The Upfront Contract (0-3 mins)

Goal: Remove the pressure. Give them permission to say "No".

"The goal is simple: I want to learn how you handle [Process], and see if we match. By the end, we'll either move to a demo or decide it's not a fit. I'll point you elsewhere if that's the case. Does that sound fair?"
2

The Context (3-7 mins)

Goal: Fact-finding via the "Menu of Pain".

"Usually when I talk to [Role]s at [Stage], they wrestle with [Problem A] or [Problem B]. Is that relevant to you, or is your world totally different?"
3

The Pain Funnel (7-20 mins)

Goal: Emotional Excavation.

  • L1 Surface: "We have a lead gen problem." -> "Tell me more."
  • L2 Business: "We'll miss revenue targets." -> "So what happens if you miss?"
  • L3 Personal: "I might have to lay off 2 SDRs." -> STOP. You found the bleeding neck.
4

Budget & Authority (20-25 mins)

"Usually companies budget $10k-15k to fix a problem of this magnitude. Is that a conversation you're comfortable having?"
5

The Prescription (25-30 mins)

Goal: Set the Next Step. Do NOT give the demo yet.

"Based on what you said about [The Layoff Risk], we can help. Let's schedule 45 mins for Tuesday. I'll build a custom sandbox showing exactly how we solve that."

5. The "Anti-Questions" (BANT is Dead)

The Old Way (BANT)

  • "Do you have a budget?" (Rude)
  • "Are you the decision maker?" (Insulting)
  • "Do you need a CRM?" (Logical)

The New Way (Diagnose)

  • "How are you currently funding this?" (Consultative)
  • "Who else cares about this problem?" (Strategic)
  • "What happens if you do nothing?" (Emotional)

7. The Tech Stack

  • AI Note Taker (Fathom/Grain): Eye contact builds trust. Let AI take notes. Always announce it: "I have my AI on so I don't miss anything."
  • CRM Fields (HubSpot): Enforce the protocol. Required fields before Demo Stage: Pain Point, Impact, Champion, Blocker.

9. The Connection

How's your "Bedside Manner"?

The Exeluma "Discovery Audit" analyzes your call recordings to check your Talk-to-Listen Ratio and flag "Pitching" habits.