Discovery call quality scorecard

12 yes/no questions covering pain, criteria, decision, and next steps. Built on BANT, MEDDIC, and SPIN frameworks — score your last discovery call against the bar that separates qualified opportunities from polite conversations.

  • Pain identification
    1.

    The prospect named a specific business pain in their own words (not yours).

    MEDDIC: pain you named is a hypothesis; pain they named is a buying signal.

  • Pain identification
    2.

    I left the call with a number — revenue lost, hours wasted, deals delayed — attached to that pain.

    A pain without a number is not budgeted. Quantification is the qualification.

  • Pain identification
    3.

    I know who, by title, owns this pain on the prospect side.

    Champion identification — the human accountable for the pain getting solved.

  • Decision criteria
    4.

    The prospect listed at least 3 evaluation criteria they will use to compare options.

    MEDDIC: decision criteria. If you don't know what they're scoring you on, you're guessing.

  • Decision criteria
    5.

    I know specifically which competitors or alternative approaches they are evaluating.

    Including "do nothing" — sometimes the loudest competitor.

  • Decision criteria
    6.

    I know which of the criteria matters most, and why.

    Criteria are rarely equal-weight. The top one usually decides the deal.

  • Decision process
    7.

    I can name every person who needs to approve this purchase, by title.

    MEDDIC: decision process. SaaS deals fail in legal, security, and finance — not on the IC call.

  • Decision process
    8.

    There is a specific date when a decision must be made, with a real driver behind it.

    A timeline without a driver is a wish. Probe for the event or quarter the deal is gating.

  • Decision process
    9.

    I know whether budget exists and where in the org it sits.

    MEDDIC: budget. Net-new spend takes 2× longer than reallocation from an existing line item.

  • Next steps
    10.

    We agreed on a specific next step on a specific date — not "we'll circle back".

    SPIN: commitment. Vague next steps are a 60% indicator the deal will slip.

  • Next steps
    11.

    The next step involves at least one new stakeholder I have not yet met.

    Single-thread is the default. Multi-thread is the win.

  • Next steps
    12.

    I sent a written summary of the call within 4 hours, with the agreed next step on top.

    Recap discipline beats memory. The follow-up email is the artifact the prospect forwards.