The North · Sales Knowledge Center

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Discovery Framework

A structured approach to your first conversation with any prospect. Follow this and you will never leave a call without knowing whether to proceed — and with what.

A "discovery call" is the first real conversation you have with a prospect after initial contact. The goal is NOT to pitch. The goal is to diagnose. You're a doctor, not a salesperson. Your job in this call is to understand their operational situation deeply enough that your recommendation feels obvious — to both of you. This page gives you the exact framework.
1. Before the Call
2. Call Opening (first 5 minutes)

Don't pitch. Don't introduce The North at length. Ask questions first. Your opening should be one sentence and one question.

"Thanks for making time. Before I tell you anything about how we work, I'd love to understand what's going on in the business — what made you take this call today?"

Then listen. Don't interrupt. Write down everything they say.

3. Core Discovery Questions (in order)

Business context (pick 2–3)

  • "Walk me through your revenue model — how does the business actually make money?"
  • "How big is the team? Who owns marketing, sales, and operations?"
  • "What's growth looked like over the last 12 months? What are you targeting for the next 12?"
  • "What does your current tech stack look like — what tools are you running?"

Pain identification (pick 2–3)

  • "What's the biggest operational thing slowing you down right now?"
  • "If I asked you where revenue is leaking in your funnel, what would you say?"
  • "What are the things that are working well — and what's breaking under the weight of growth?"
  • "If you could fix one thing in the next 90 days, what would it be?"

Data and visibility (pick 1–2)

  • "How are you currently measuring what's working in marketing? Can you tell which channels drive actual revenue?"
  • "If your board asked for CAC by channel today, could you produce that confidently?"
  • "Do you know your conversion rate from lead to close? From visit to lead?"

Team and ownership (pick 1–2)

  • "Who owns the tech stack and systems today — is there an ops or RevOps person?"
  • "When something breaks in your process, who fixes it? Is it one person?"
  • "Is there someone internally who could own the output of this engagement, or would you need someone?"

Budget and readiness (ask near the end)

  • "Have you done engagements like this before? What was the experience like?"
  • "Do you have a budget allocated for this, or are we still figuring that out?"
  • "What does a decision like this look like for you — who else is involved?"
4. Red Flags Checklist

If you notice any of these, slow down and qualify harder before moving forward.

5. Call Close

End every discovery call with three things:

  1. Summarize what you heard: "Here's what I'm taking away from this conversation — [3 pain points in their words]."
  2. Set expectations: "Based on what you've shared, here's what I think the right starting point is and why."
  3. Concrete next step: "Let's set a time for me to put together a specific recommendation. Would [day] work?"

Do NOT send a proposal without another call to walk through it. A proposal sent cold is a proposal that dies in an inbox.

6. Post-Call Checklist
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