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— Margaret Shen, Head of GTM at Modal
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Last week, I wrote about a simple shift.
Discovery no longer starts on the call.
It starts before it.
That idea resonated, but it also triggered pushback.
Not because people disagreed.
Because most teams have no idea how to operationalize it.
Early discovery sounds good in theory.
In practice, it breaks habits, exposes weak deals, and removes comfortable excuses.
This week, I want to make it practical.
The core problem
Most sellers treat discovery as a conversation skill.
That’s the mistake.
Discovery is an operating system.
If it only exists in someone’s head or happens live on a call, it will never scale.
It will never be consistent.
And it will always depend on individual talent.
Operationalizing discovery means moving it out of the moment and into the process.
Step 1: Separate learning from validation
This is the first mental shift.
Learning should happen before the call
Validation should happen during the call
Most sellers try to do both at once.
That’s why some discovery calls feel rushed, shallow, or unfocused.
Before the meeting, you should already have:
A hypothesis about the buyer’s problem
A guess at what matters most to them
A view on whether this deal is even worth pursuing
If you need the call to understand the account, you’re already reactive.
Step 2: Build a pre-call discovery checklist
This does not need to be fancy.
It needs to be consistent.
Before every first call, answer these questions in writing:
Why might this buyer be talking to us right now?
What pressure could exist internally?
What problem would make inaction risky?
What would a “bad fit” look like here?
If you can’t answer these at a basic level, you are not ready for discovery.
You are just showing up to ask questions.
This step alone improves call quality more than any new script.
Step 3: Force a point of view before the call
This is where most sellers resist.
Early discovery requires commitment.
Before the meeting, write down:
Your best guess at their primary problem
One assumption you expect to validate or invalidate
One reason this deal might stall later
You are not trying to be right.
You are trying to be intentional.
Showing up with no opinion feels safe.
It is not effective.
Step 4: Use the call to confirm, not explore
When discovery is operationalized, the call changes shape.
Instead of:
“Tell me about your process”
“What are your biggest challenges?”
You move to:
“Based on what I saw, it looks like X. Is that fair?”
“Where does this break down today?”
“What happens if this stays the same?”
This does two things:
It respects the buyer’s time
It positions you as someone who understands their world
Good discovery feels less like an interview and more like alignment.
Step 5: Capture discovery outside the call
If discovery only lives in call notes, it disappears.
Operational discovery requires artifacts.
After the call, you should be able to clearly document:
What problem is real vs assumed
What matters vs what is noise
What must be true for this deal to close
If your CRM can’t answer those questions at a glance, discovery isn’t operational.
It’s anecdotal.
Why most teams fail at this
Early discovery exposes reality faster.
It reveals:
Weak ICPs
Poor deal qualification
Sellers hiding behind “great conversations”
That’s uncomfortable.
So teams default back to live discovery and vague notes.
It feels productive.
It isn’t.
The real benefit
When discovery is operationalized:
Calls are shorter and sharper
Deals disqualify faster
Forecasts improve
Coaching gets easier
Most importantly, sellers stop guessing.
They show up prepared.
They lead conversations.
They control the frame.
Final thought
Discovery doesn’t fail.
It just tells the truth earlier than most people are ready for.
If you’re willing to build the system around it, the payoff compounds fast.
The Pre-Call Discovery Operating Kit
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