Discovery isn’t just for the sale, but also the success that follows
A good discovery doesn’t just help you close, it shapes how clients see you long after the contract is signed. It gives you control, proves you’ve done your homework, and frames the entire sales cycle, from the demo to the audit to building champions. Done right, it makes your value impossible to ignore. Discovery isn’t about pitching a product, it’s about surfacing a problem. And the bigger the problem, the more powerful your solution looks.
What to expect in this course
This lesson is built on the same strategies our own sales and customer teams use, battle-tested over 15+ years by our Global Head of Enablement, Morgan Jacobson. Whether you're pitching Klaviyo and your services to a new prospect or expanding with an existing client, these moves work. Here's Morgan with a quick introduction and his personal experience mastering the art of discovery.
The anatomy of a discovery call
Great discovery calls start with expectation management and alignment with your buyer. When done right, every part builds trust, reveals key insights, and moves the deal forward (or saves you from wasting your time on a bad fit). In this course, we will dive deeply into each part of a discovery call that we cover below.
Set the agenda
The first 5 minutes will set the tone for the next 40 minutes. In the steps below, we will go through how to make an agenda that will increase your chances of getting that next call.
Business objectives
This is the heart of discovery. Your goal here is to focus less on features and more on finding the friction
Go deep on their goals, current challenges, and what’s at stake if nothing changes.
Great sellers know when they’ve hit real pain: that’s the pivot point where value becomes obvious.
Transition to value
Once you’ve uncovered what matters, you can connect the dots to how Klaviyo (and you) can help.
This is where you bring in customer stories or the B2C CRM narrative.
Keep it relevant and rooted in the problem you just uncovered rather than a feature dump.
Establish calendared next steps
The best reps obsess over next steps.
Don’t end the call with, “We’ll follow up.”
Say:
“Let’s lock in our next session to dig into [X]. What does your calendar look like next week?”
Concrete timing reduces indecision and keeps momentum high.
Great discovery leads to something tangible: a clear problem statement, decision criteria, or a business case you can act on.
You're not just gathering insights, you're helping the prospect connect pain to outcomes, and build the case for change. Sometimes they know the problem. Sometimes you need to help them find it. Either way, your job is to make the next step obvious.
By the end of your discovery call, you should be able to fill out this slide. This succinctly captures your understanding of your prospect’s business.
Structuring your agenda
The first 5 minutes of your discovery call shapes the next 45 minutes. Without a clear agenda, you lose control of the call.
We know this may feel a little basic, but we see the best sellers follow this structure for communicating their agenda consistently across every discovery call. This also helps combat indecision. Your prospect is probably debating if they want to go with you, another agency, or keep the services in house. Starting with a strong agenda keeps you in control, aligned with your prospect, and leading the call with purpose.
Here is how to structure your agenda talk track to get the most out of the call:
Transition into the agenda
You’re not a robot, so we know that you’ll probably start the call with a bit of small talk. But we’ve all been there: 15 minutes in, you’re still chatting about the weather, and suddenly you’re rushing through your discovery.
Here’s what works:
Spend the first 1–2 minutes warming up, then pivot with something simple like:
- “Should we talk about the agenda?”
It might feel a little awkward at first, but it saves time and sets the tone that you're here to lead.
Align on the objective of the call
This step is often skipped, but it’s critical. Setting a clear objective right away shows leadership, builds trust, and gives the conversation a direction.
Your goal is to answer:
Why are we here, and what should we walk away with?
Go in with a clear plan, and make it collaborative by stating your intent, then checking in with the prospect.
Here are some examples. Feel free to adapt to your voice:
- New prospect: My goal for today is to bring you up to speed on the types of problems we solve for brands like yours, and unpack if your current priorities align.
- Existing client: The outcome we should shoot for is getting fully aligned on the problems you are looking to solve with a marketing automation tool, so that we can dive deep on a solution with your team ASAP.
Pro tip: End the objective by asking: “How does that sound compared to what you hoped to get out of today’s call?”
This keeps it collaborative while reinforcing your role as the guide.
Align on the agenda of the call
Once you’ve set the objective, outline the path to get there. Sharing an agenda shows you're prepared and invites the client into a focused, collaborative conversation.
This is also very helpful if you have a current client that has something urgent they want to discuss. Let’s say they have a billing question or want to walk through a plan for a certain initiative. Aligning on the agenda allows you to place their item in the agenda so you can still have your critical conversation without them leaving feeling like their questions are unresolved.
How to frame it:
- “To get there, here’s the agenda I had in mind. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to add or change.”
Then share a simple, 2–3 point agenda that fits the context.
Here are some examples. Feel free to adapt to your voice:
- New prospect: To get there [our objective], we will talk about the current state of your marketing tools and strategy, things you’d love to fix, and touch on exactly what Klaviyo and our agency does to support those areas.
- Existing client: To get there [our objective] I can start off by sharing some examples of the problems we see brands facing in today’s market, and from there talk about what you are struggling with in those areas.
Pro Tip: After you share the agenda, ask: “Does that match what you were hoping to cover today?” It keeps you aligned and shows you’re listening.
Align on the decision you want to make
Too many calls end with vague next steps. Instead, set a clear expectation that a decision will be made by the end, even if that decision is to pause or walk away.
This gives the call purpose, reduces indecision, and shows you’re focused on moving things forward.
How to frame it:
“By the end of this call, I’d like us to be in a position to decide [X].”
This keeps things collaborative but focused and helps prevent stalled deals later on.
Here are some examples. Feel free to adapt to your voice:
- New prospect: By the end of this call, I’d like to decide if our services are aligned to your problems, and if it's worth our time to go deeper with the rest of your team. How does that compare to what you wanted to get out of today’s call?
- Existing client: By the end of the call, we should be in a good place to decide If Klaviyo can solve your problems, and what steps would be required to get you started. How does that compare to what you wanted to get out of today’s call?
Pro tip: Don’t just ask for time, make sure you’re asking for a specific, calendared next step. Framing your meeting this way keeps the momentum going.
A few pro tips
You’re not a robot, so it's okay to start the call with small talk. However, we’ve seen this (and you’ve probably experienced this: you end up spending 15 minutes chatting about the weather and before you know it, you’re rushing through your discovery. Here’s our solution: spend the first minute or two small talking and then say ‘should we talk about the agenda.’ I know it feels awkward, but you could lose so much time on small talk.
Activity: Craft your agenda talk track
Now, it is your turn. Craft your own agenda talk track using this template. This way, you can get some practice and start running smooth conversations with your prospects.