How to Diagnose

This blueprint breaks diagnosis into a clear progression that mirrors how buyers think and decide. It guides sellers through preparing for the conversation, opening with clarity using ACE, and probing situation and pain with contextual questions before moving to impact, critical events, and decision process. By emphasizing summarization, empathy, and third-party storytelling, the blueprint helps sellers validate understanding, build trust, and earn the right to prescribe—resulting in higher-quality deals and fewer late-stage surprises.

Best For

• Sales leaders and account executives looking to improve qualification and discovery quality

• CROs and revenue leaders seeking more predictable pipeline and win rates

• SDR and AE teams transitioning from pitch-first to diagnosis-led selling

• GTM enablement teams standardizing discovery and diagnosis execution

• Founders and early sales leaders building repeatable sales conversations

• Organizations experiencing stalled or poorly qualified deals

Key Takeaways

• Diagnosis must precede prescription to maintain credibility and buyer trust.

• Contextual questions accelerate understanding without overwhelming buyers.

• Summarizing and empathizing confirms alignment before moving forward.

• Impact and urgency are stronger when articulated by the buyer, not the seller.

• Establishing a critical event clarifies priority and next steps.

• Clean diagnosis leads to clearer decisions and faster deal progression.