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Lesson 3 of 6 · 20 min

Discovery Questions for Busy US Buyers

Find the problem and the decision process in a short call.

In this lesson1. Respect the clock2. Questions that work3. Summarise and agree next steps4. Worked example: a past offshore concern5. Common discovery mistakes

Respect the clock

Confirm the time available at the start: we have fifteen minutes, is that still good? Then ask focused questions. Busy buyers appreciate a seller who keeps time and summarises well.

Questions that work

Ask about the current process, the challenge, its impact and what a good outcome looks like. Ask who else is involved and how they usually evaluate vendors. For international vendors, ask whether they have worked with offshore teams before and what went well or badly.

  • How do you handle this today?
  • What is the impact when it goes wrong?
  • What would good look like in six months?
  • Who else would weigh in?
  • Have you worked with an offshore team before?

Summarise and agree next steps

Close with a one-minute summary in the buyer's words and agree the next step, such as a demo with a solutions lead. Send a short recap email within the hour.

Worked example: a past offshore concern

A US operations head says a previous offshore vendor missed deadlines. The seller asks what would make her confident this time. She mentions weekly demos and a named project manager in her time zone. The seller notes it for the account executive, who addresses it directly in the proposal.

Common discovery mistakes

Running over time loses trust quickly with busy buyers.

  • Not confirming time at the start
  • Pitching before understanding
  • Ignoring past vendor experiences
  • No recap email
Key takeaways
  • Confirm the time available and keep to it.
  • Ask about process, impact, outcome and decision makers.
  • Explore past offshore experiences.
  • Recap in writing within the hour.
Try it

Write a fifteen minute discovery plan for a US company looking to outsource app development, including timing for each part.

Check your understanding

1. What should you confirm at the start of a call?

2. Why ask about past offshore experiences?

3. When should the recap email be sent?

← PreviousUS Sales Call and Email Etiquette for Indian SellersNext lesson →Handling Sales Objections Calmly: Price, Timing and Trust
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Practise this lesson

Templates from our playbooks

Copy ready templates with when to use each one and why it works.

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