CSE Pre-Sales Discovery & Requirements 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a discovery call, a prospect mentions they are 'evaluating options' without sharing specifics. What is the best next step?
- Ask for a detailed RFP immediately
- Use open-ended questions to uncover their evaluation criteria and timeline (Correct answer)
- Propose a product demo to showcase all features
- Send a competitive comparison document
Correct answer: Use open-ended questions to uncover their evaluation criteria and timeline
Open-ended questions help surface underlying motivations, criteria, and urgency the prospect hasn't yet articulated.
Question 2: What does 'BANT' stand for in the context of sales qualification?
- Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline (Correct answer)
- Business, Alignment, Negotiation, Trust
- Budget, Awareness, Network, Technology
- Buyer, Account, Needs, Territory
Correct answer: Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline
BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) is a classic framework for qualifying whether a prospect is a viable sales opportunity.
Question 3: A Sales Engineer receives an RFP with 200 requirements. Which action should be prioritized first?
- Answer every requirement in detail
- Identify which requirements are mandatory versus nice-to-have (Correct answer)
- Decline requirements that cannot be met
- Forward the RFP directly to product management
Correct answer: Identify which requirements are mandatory versus nice-to-have
Differentiating mandatory (must-have) from optional requirements lets the SE focus effort where it will most affect the win.
Question 4: Which discovery technique involves mapping a prospect's current workflow step-by-step to identify inefficiencies?
- SPIN Selling
- Process mapping (Correct answer)
- Value chain analysis
- Gap analysis
Correct answer: Process mapping
Process mapping visually documents each step in a workflow, making pain points and bottlenecks immediately visible.
Question 5: A champion within a prospect organization is best described as:
- The executive who signs the purchase order
- An internal advocate who sells your solution internally on your behalf (Correct answer)
- The end user who tests the product during a proof of concept
- The procurement contact who manages vendor contracts
Correct answer: An internal advocate who sells your solution internally on your behalf
A champion is an internal ally who believes in your solution and actively promotes it to other stakeholders inside their organization.
Question 6: When a prospect says 'We just need to check the box on this evaluation,' what risk does this signal?
- The prospect has unlimited budget
- A competitor may already be the preferred vendor (Correct answer)
- The deal will close very quickly
- Technical requirements are not important
Correct answer: A competitor may already be the preferred vendor
A 'check the box' evaluation often means the prospect has a preferred vendor and is conducting a perfunctory RFP for compliance or optics.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of a discovery questionnaire sent before an initial call?
- To replace the discovery call entirely
- To pre-qualify the prospect and maximize call time on high-value topics (Correct answer)
- To send the prospect a feature list for review
- To get a signed NDA before discussing anything
Correct answer: To pre-qualify the prospect and maximize call time on high-value topics
Pre-call questionnaires surface basic context so discovery time is spent on deeper, more strategic conversations rather than background data collection.
CSE Pre-Sales Discovery & Requirements 2
During a discovery call, a prospect mentions they are 'evaluating options' without sharing specifics.
What is the best next step?