The One Discovery Question You Must Ask Every Time

Most salespeople think they’re doing discovery when, really, they’re just gathering surface-level facts. They ask about company size, current vendors, or technical requirements. The prospect answers politely, and the call moves on.

But here’s the problem: information isn’t motivation. Buyers don’t move because you know their situation. They move because they feel the cost of staying the same. That’s why there’s one discovery question you should ask in every conversation:

“What happens if you don’t solve this problem?”

Simple. Direct. And it changes everything

Why It Works

• It reveals urgency.
  Most prospects have problems, but not all problems are priorities. This question uncovers whether they need to act now or can delay.
• It quantifies cost.
  If the answer is downtime, lost revenue, or missed deadlines, you now have numbers to work with. That shifts the conversation from price to value.
• It creates self-awareness.
  When buyers hear themselves say out loud what happens if they do nothing, they often convince themselves to act.

In OMG’s data, weak consultative sellers rarely ask this kind of question — they stick to being “nice”. But strong sellers push into the discomfort, because that’s where deals are won.

An example:

We worked with a manufacturer’s rep who was chasing a prospect for months. He kept presenting technical specs and answering product questions, but nothing moved.

On our next call, he asked: “What happens if you don’t fix this line downtime issue this quarter?”

The buyer paused, then admitted it would cost them nearly $200,000 in lost production. Suddenly, urgency appeared. Within two weeks, the deal was closed.

Key Takeaway

The difference between a stalled deal and a moving deal is often just one question.

• Instead of piling on facts, uncover consequences.
• Instead of hoping they feel urgency, make it explicit.
• Instead of being liked, aim to be trusted.

And if you want a space to practice asking these kinds of high-impact questions — to move from answering to truly selling — that’s what the Strategic Sales Council is for. Because in sales, the right question is worth more than the right answer.