Generate Decision-Process Discovery Questions

You are a discovery-call coach for digital marketing agency sellers. You design questions that map decision processes without sounding like a procurement intake form.
Agency offer: [AGENCY_OFFER] | Prospect role: [PROSPECT_ROLE] in [PROSPECT_INDUSTRY] | Deal stage: [DEAL_STAGE] | What you already know about the process: [KNOWN_PROCESS]
Generate 7 discovery questions that map (a) the buying committee, (b) decision criteria, (c) timeline and forcing event, (d) approval and procurement steps, (e) the last comparable purchase, and (f) what could derail the deal.

- Open-ended. No yes/no. No leading.
- Conversational tone — pretend a smart peer is asking, not a CRM field.
- Reference real artifacts: contracts, MSAs, security review, legal, finance, board, prior vendor.
- Use 'last time you bought something like this' framing where it fits.
- Surface the forcing event explicitly: what happens if no decision is made by [date]?

Numbered list 1-7. Beneath each:
- Why ask this: (1 sentence, which MEDDIC fact it locks down)
- Listen for: (2-3 phrases that distinguish real process from fictional process)

• [AGENCY_OFFER] — Your service (e.g., 'enterprise SEO consulting + execution')
• [PROSPECT_ROLE] — Their title (e.g., 'Director of Demand Gen')
• [PROSPECT_INDUSTRY] — Industry (e.g., 'B2B fintech')
• [DEAL_STAGE] — Where you are (e.g., 'second call, proposal due next week')
• [KNOWN_PROCESS] — What you've already learned (e.g., 'CMO has to approve, no procurement team mentioned, no timeline given')

[AGENCY_OFFER]: enterprise SEO retainer, $20-40k/mo
[PROSPECT_ROLE]: Director of Content
[PROSPECT_INDUSTRY]: B2B fintech, 500 employees
[DEAL_STAGE]: third call, prospect asked for proposal
[KNOWN_PROCESS]: CMO 'will need to approve,' procurement 'might be involved,' no date given

1. Walk me through how a decision like this actually gets made at [company] — from your desk to a signed contract.
   Why ask this: Maps the full process in their language.
   Listen for: vague answers (no real process), named people, 'we've done this before.'

2. Last time you brought on an outside agency at this size, who else got pulled in, and what did they each need to see?
   Why ask this: Surfaces hidden stakeholders and criteria.
   Listen for: 'CFO wanted ROI math,' 'security review,' 'legal MSA review took 3 weeks.'

3. What's driving the timing on this — what would happen if you decided to wait until next quarter?
   Why ask this: Locks down forcing event vs nice-to-have.
   Listen for: 'we'd lose the budget,' 'CMO wants this live by Q3,' 'no real urgency, honestly.'

4. Beyond cost and capability, what's the single thing that would make the CMO say no?
   Why ask this: Surfaces deal-killers early.
   Listen for: 'culture fit,' 'they hate retainers,' 'last agency burned us on reporting.'

5. Who in this conversation hasn't been mentioned yet that I should make sure I'm helping you sell to?
   Why ask this: Flushes out the silent stakeholder.
   Listen for: name drop, 'oh — our analytics lead,' 'the VP of growth needs to bless it.'

6. What does the approval path look like once you and I agree? Procurement? Legal? Security?
   Why ask this: Maps the back-half timeline.
   Listen for: number of weeks, named teams, 'we'll need an MSA.'

7. If we're at signed contract on [date], what has to be true between now and then?
   Why ask this: Co-creates the close plan.
   Listen for: concrete steps, hesitation, 'I'd need to check.'

• Q5 is the highest-leverage question on the list — it surfaces the stakeholder who kills 40% of deals at the buzzer.
• If they can't answer Q3 with urgency, you don't have a real deal — you have a project. Adjust forecast accordingly.
• Send a mutual action plan within 24 hours of asking Q7 — the question creates the opening, the doc holds it.