Discovery call deck

What it's for

A discovery call is the one sales meeting where the buyer should do most of the talking. The deck is there to set the frame, give the buyer something to react to and make it easy to agree a next step.

Keep it short. A few minutes of slides at the start, most of the call on questions, and a few minutes at the end to agree what happens next.

When to use it

• A first call with a new prospect.
• An early call with a new contact inside an account you already know.
• Any meeting where you know too little to pitch yet.

A recommended structure

8 slides, one idea each. Adjust the depth to the meeting in front of you.

1. 01
   TitleThe buyer's name and the reason for the call.
2. 02
   Why we're talkingOne sentence on what prompted the meeting.
3. 03
   What we think we knowTwo or three assumptions about their situation, for them to correct.
4. 04
   Problems we often seeCommon problems for teams like theirs; ask which sound familiar.
5. 05
   Questions we'd like to askFour or five open questions about how things work today.
6. 06
   How teams like yours approach itA brief outline of the approach, without a feature tour.
7. 07
   Who we are, brieflyWhat you do in a sentence and the kind of teams you work with.
8. 08
   A suggested next stepOne proposed action, such as a demo built around what they told you.

Mistakes to avoid

• Presenting the full sales deck. If you're on slides for more than a few minutes, the deck has too much in it.
• Showing pricing and case studies too early. Both land better once the buyer has confirmed which problems matter.
• Filling silences with features. When the buyer pauses, ask a follow-up question instead.
• Not writing down the buyer's words. The phrases they use become the headlines of your next deck.

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