1 · CURRENT STATE (first 15–20 min — do not pitch)
What do they do today? Why that way? How many people does it affect? Your goal is a complete, objective picture of the problem before you judge its severity.
2 · NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
"If this doesn't get fixed, what happens?" Quantify in dollars. Uncover headcount wasted, revenue at risk, incidents, SLA breaches. Two failed hires, $200K spent — that's what you're looking for.
3 · FUTURE STATE
"If this problem is solved, what changes?" Let them define the win. Don't pitch yet. You're confirming what success looks like in their language, not yours.
4 · POSITIVE BUSINESS OUTCOMES
Is this a company priority — or a $10K problem? "If the database ran 24/7, how impactful is that to the business?" If the EB won't care, you need to multithread before investing further.
5 · REQUIRED CAPABILITIES
"What 2–3 things would you need to see to feel confident we solve this?" Now your product enters the conversation. Use their words, not your feature names.
📧 MANTRA EMAIL (after the call)
Summarise: Current State → Negative Consequences → Future State → PBOs → Required Capabilities → agreed next steps. Forces confirmation you actually understood the deal. Champions use it to sell internally.
Before State
Current pain + negative consequences. What's their world today, and what happens if nothing changes? Quantify the cost — dollars, headcount, incidents, missed targets.
After State
Future state + positive business outcomes. What does success look like — and why does the Economic Buyer care? Use their language, not product features.
Required Capabilities
What must the solution do to move them from Before to After? Use their words. These become your differentiators in the deal.
Positive Business Outcomes
Measurable outcomes that matter to the Economic Buyer. Tie to Metrics.
Proof Points
Customer stories, data, or references that prove you can deliver the After State.