Discovery Compass

The Art of Asking
the Right Questions

"You cannot win high-profile projects without understanding what your clients value most."

What this tool does

01

Prepares you for a specific client meeting based on who you are meeting, how well you know them, and why you are in the room.

02

Surfaces the questions that most firms never ask — the ones that uncover what an incumbent may not know.

03

Reminds you that deep discovery is not a single meeting. It is a discipline that positions you to win before the RFP is issued.

A note on trust

Becoming a trusted advisor to a client is not the result of one great meeting. It is earned over time — through demonstrated insight, consistent follow-through, and a genuine commitment to understanding their goals. This tool helps you make the most of every conversation along that path.

Step 1 of 5 — Context

Who are you meeting with?

Select the client type to filter questions relevant to this meeting.

Professional SportsTeam ownership, team executives, arena/stadium operators — revenue, fan experience, ROI driven

NCAA AthleticsAthletic directors, athletics staff, coaches — donor relations, fundraising, student-athlete experience, competitive recruiting

University Facilities / Architects / PlannersCampus planners, facilities directors, university architects — institutional mission, master planning, procurement

Civic / Public ClientCity, county, or state — community impact, public funding, political accountability

Industry PartnerOwner's representatives, contractors, engineers — teaming, past collaboration, scope and fee clarity

Step 2 of 5 — Relationship

How well do you know this client?

This shapes the trust-level guidance on each question — not which categories you see. All categories are always available.

New — We have never metFirst real conversation. Focus on establishing credibility through genuine curiosity and active listening.

Limited — Know of each other, minimal dialogueThey recognize you or your firm but there has been no substantive business conversation yet.

Emerging — Some history, still building trustHave met and talked, but the relationship is not yet candid or advisory in nature.

Strong — Trusted, candid relationshipOpen dialogue. They give you honest feedback and will answer direct questions.

Step 3 of 5 — Meeting Type

What type of meeting is this?

Each meeting type has a different goal. Be clear on what you are there to accomplish.

Introductory Meeting — New Decision-MakerFirst meaningful conversation with someone who controls or influences a major capital investment or project decision.

Goal: Listen, establish credibility through curiosity, leave with one specific insight about their project goals and priorities, and a defined reason to meet again.

Second Meeting — Deepening DiscoveryFollow-up with a client you have met but not yet worked for.

Goal: Go deeper on what you heard in the first meeting, demonstrate you were listening, surface the pain points and project challenges that did not come out the first time.

Relationship Meeting — Existing Client, No Active PursuitStaying present with a client between projects.

Goal: Learn what is changing in their organization, understand what is coming up as future project priorities, and reinforce your position as a trusted resource. If there is an ongoing project, this is a time to do a project debrief and learn what is working well and what could be improved.

Pre-RFP Strategic MeetingA meeting specifically timed to a known upcoming project opportunity.

Goal: Surface what the selection committee prioritizes and the RFP may not say — procurement and teaming preferences, internal politics, incumbent vulnerabilities, and what success looks like to the selection committee and stakeholders.

Step 4 of 5 — Before You Walk In

Pre-meeting reminders

Seven principles to carry into the room. This is a discovery meeting, not a presentation.

01

Come in to listen, not to present. The most valuable thing you can do in this meeting is ask good questions and pay close attention to what you hear.

02

Ask one question, then stop. Silence is not awkward — it is where the honest answers come from. Resist the urge to fill the pause.

03

Every answer leads to the next question. Do not move on too quickly. The most important information is almost always one layer deeper.

04

What is not in the RFP matters as much as what is. Funding constraints, internal dynamics, and lessons from past projects rarely surface on their own. Your job is to draw them out now.

05

Genuine interest in their priorities builds trust faster than past project experience. A client who feels you are there to learn will open up. One who feels you are selling them something will shut down.

06

You are here to become a trusted resource and demonstrate strategic insight. Firms that earn that standing win consistently — before the RFP is ever issued.

07

Leave with a specific next step. Before you walk out, agree on what happens next — who does what and by when. "Let's stay in touch" is not a follow-up plan.

Step 5 of 5 — Question Navigator

Select your questions

All categories are shown. Star the questions you want to take into the room. Questions marked Introductory are safe for a first meeting. Developing requires some prior rapport. Trusted requires a candid relationship.

PRADO ● CONSULTING GROUP

Project Pursuit Playbook — Discovery Compass

Your Meeting Prep Sheet

Ready to go in.

PRADO ● CONSULTING GROUP

Project Pursuit Playbook — Discovery Compass — Post-Meeting Notes

After the Meeting

Capture what you learned.

Complete this within 30 minutes of leaving the room. This is where your pursuit strategy begins.
⚠ Download your notes before closing this tab — they are not stored between sessions.

What did you hear that you did not expect?

Which question produced the most insight — and what did it surface?

What does this client actually need that they did not say directly?

What is the one thing I can deliver in the next 48 hours that would be genuinely useful to them?

The Pursuit Edge

What do I now know about this client's priorities, challenges, or decision dynamics that the incumbent firm probably does not know?

Follow-up actions

□Send a value-add follow-up within 48 hours

□Log key insights in CRM

□Next touchpoint scheduled: _______________

□Commitment I made in the meeting: _______________

□Who else do I need to meet in this organization?