You will be able to end discovery with a next step that moves the buyer toward a decision.
The meeting has gone well. You found the problem, the buyer put a number on it, and you know who else is involved. Then, with three minutes left, you say, "Great, I'll send something through and we can take it from there." The buyer agrees. Two weeks later, after the summary, a follow-up and another follow-up, you are still trying to get a date in the calendar.
"Take it from there" is not a next step. Sales foundations lesson 5.3, Ask for a next step every time, made the case for always asking. This lesson is about what the next step should be at the end of discovery, who needs to be in it, and how to lock it in before you leave the room.
At the end of discovery, the usual next step is a meeting to present options, with every decision maker present.
That second half matters most. If the person who approves the spend, the economic buyer from lesson 5.2, MEDDIC for bigger and slower deals, is not in the room when you present, your contact has to present for you. They will do it less well, with less detail, and without being able to answer questions. Your decision map from lesson 5.4, Map who decides and how, tells you who should be there.
Hafiz asks Rachel directly: "When I come back with options, it would help to have Kelvin there, and probably someone from finance, so they hear it first-hand and can ask their own questions. Could we set it up that way?" Rachel agrees to ask Kelvin. Hafiz offers two time slots that suit him, so she has something concrete to take to her director.
In personal sales the same applies. Wei Ling asks Marcus and Jia Hui whether anyone else should hear the plan before they decide, and they invite Jia Hui's mother to the next meeting.
Confirm what you will bring and what you need from the buyer before then. A next step has two halves, and both sides should know theirs.
Your half is usually the options or proposal, and anything specific the buyer asked to see. Their half is often information you still need: a copy of their current contract, payroll figures for the last three months, a list of staff on shifts, details of existing insurance policies. Ask for it now, while the meeting is still on, and agree when they will send it.
"So before next Thursday, I'll put together two options based on what we discussed today. Could you send me last month's overtime summary by Monday, so I can make sure the figures fit your shifts?"
Asking for something from the buyer has a useful side effect. A buyer who sends the overtime summary on Monday is still engaged. A buyer who does not has told you something before you spend time on a proposal.
If the buyer cannot commit to a next step, ask what is in the way.
Sometimes the answer is practical: "I need to check Kelvin's calendar." Then agree when they will check and when you will hear back. Sometimes it is something bigger: "Honestly, I'm not sure we're ready to change yet." That is a concern you need to hear now, not in two weeks after three unanswered follow-ups.
Ask it plainly and without pressure. "It sounds like something's making it hard to pin down a time. What's in the way?" Then wait, using the silence from lesson 6.2, Use silence instead of filling it. The answer may take you back into discovery, which is fine. It may also tell you the deal is not ready, and lesson 7.2, Disqualify early and say so kindly, covers what to do then.
Put the next step in the calendar during the meeting, not by email afterwards.
Scheduling by email after the meeting is where momentum dies. Each message takes a day or two to answer, someone's calendar changes, and a week passes before you have a date. In the meeting, both of you have your calendars to hand and the conversation is fresh.
"Shall we put it in now? Would Thursday the 14th at three work, or is the following Monday better?" Offer two specific options. Send the invitation while you are still together, or straight after, and include everyone who should attend. If someone who needs to be there is not in the meeting, send the invitation to your contact to forward, or ask them for an email address.
You can plan the end of a discovery meeting almost word for word. It usually has four moves: a short summary of what you heard, a proposal for the next step and who should be there, what each side will bring, and the calendar invitation.
Hafiz's closing for his next meeting runs like this. A quick summary of the problem and the cost. "The next step I'd suggest is that I come back with two options, and we go through them with Kelvin and someone from finance." "Before then, could you send me the overtime summary?" "Let's find a time now."
Think of the next discovery meeting in your calendar and who would need to attend a meeting to present options before you start the activity below.
Write the closing two minutes of your next discovery meeting, including how you will ask for the next step and who needs to attend.
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