Discovery call kit

When this is useful

You are about to run this process and need one reusable working document.

What the workbook covers

Preparation

Conversation prompts

Decision record

Mutual next action

Recap

Use with real evidence

Download the full Markdown resource, replace placeholders with your situation and retain sources beside claims. Keep unanswered questions visible rather than filling them with plausible guesses.

Put it to work

1. Read the full worksheet and define the decision it supports.
2. Fill the relevant tables using dated observations and explicit assumptions.
3. Review the output with its owner and record the next decision.

Limits and tradeoffs

The worksheet structures work; it does not supply missing customer evidence or guarantee a business result. Adapt examples and assign a responsible owner.

Worksheet preview

# SaaS discovery call guide and decision record

Use this to prepare an openly commercial conversation. Adapt the prompts to the buyer's answers. The example is fictional.

## Preparation

- Call owner and date:
- Buyer context and source:
- Confirmed facts:
- Assumptions to check:
- Purpose and buyer's question:
- Product requirements that determine fit:

## Conversation prompts

1. What would make this discussion useful for you?
2. Walk me through the last occurrence of the problem.
3. What did each person or system do?
4. What were the consequences?
5. Why consider changing the process now?
6. What happens if the current process continues?
7. Which environment or capability requirements are essential?
8. Who would participate in evaluating and approving a change?
9. What would need to happen after a successful evaluation?
10. Which remaining question should we answer next?

## Decision record

| Field | Confirmed fact | Unknown or interpretation | Evidence or follow-up owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workflow and current alternative | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Problem and consequence | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Priority and trigger | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Compatibility requirements | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Users and evaluation participants | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Purchase or review route | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |
| Offer terms discussed | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |

## Mutual next action

- Buyer question to answer:
- Recommended action: demo, compatibility check, scoped evaluation, resource, or stop:
- Buyer contribution:
- Our contribution:
- Owner on each side:
- Agreed date or review condition:
- Evidence that will inform the decision:
- Reason to stop, if applicable:

Fictional next action: the buyer supplies a sanitized description of a webhook-to-ticket workflow; the seller demonstrates a supported sample; both assess whether the output provides the required investigation context. Inputs, access, and capability must be confirmed rather than assumed.

## Recap

- Our understanding, corrected by the buyer:
- Relevant requirements and limits:
- Unresolved questions:
- Promised work:
- Agreed next action:
- Receiving owner if responsibility changes:

Do not convert interest into an assumed purchase commitment. Keep relevant context while excluding unnecessary personal information.


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Original resource by Jon Bishop. CC BY 4.0. Illustrative examples are not customer results.