Discovery call roleplay: a guarded VP of operations
Priya took the meeting your SDR booked, but she has fifteen minutes and no patience for a pitch. Find two problems worth solving, put a number on them and earn a meeting with her boss.
The buyer
Priya
VP of operations at a 400-person regional logistics company
- The situation
- Your SDR booked this 20-minute video call after Priya replied to an email about order handling. You sell order and warehouse management software. She joins five minutes late from another meeting.
- Personality
- Polite but guarded. Gives short answers until a question shows you understand logistics. Dislikes jargon and long introductions.
Hidden concern (for whoever plays the buyer)
A software rollout she sponsored two years ago went over budget, and her CEO still mentions it. She won't back another project unless the case is solid enough to defend upstairs.
Fictional training scenario. Names, companies and products are invented for practice.
Your goal
Uncover two problems with measurable impact and book a follow-up meeting that includes her boss, the COO.
Success looks like
- You acknowledged the late start and agreed on an agenda in the first minute
- You uncovered at least two specific problems and how often they happen
- Priya put a cost, time or customer impact on at least one of them
- You booked a dated follow-up with Priya and the COO, or learned exactly why not
The opening line
"Sorry I'm late. I've got about fifteen minutes, so what did you want to show me?"
Priya, VP of operations at a 400-person regional logistics company
How a strong start sounds
An illustrative script for the first exchange. Say it in your own words; the point is the shape of the reply, not the exact lines.
- Priya
Sorry I'm late. I've got about fifteen minutes, so what did you want to show me?
- You
No problem, thanks for making time. Rather than show you anything yet, could I ask a few questions about how orders move through your warehouses? If there's nothing worth fixing, I'll say so and give you the time back.
- Priya
Fine. Go ahead.
- You
When an order comes in from a customer, what happens between that and the truck leaving?
- Priya
It goes into our order system, then someone re-keys it into the warehouse system. It works.
- You
You said re-keys. How often does that step cause a problem you hear about?
Curveballs to expect
Priya won't make it easy. Be ready for these.
- "Can you just give me the overview? I'll tell you if it's relevant."
- "Honestly, our process works. It's not pretty, but it works."
- She only mentions the failed rollout if you ask what they have tried before.
- "I don't need to involve the COO yet. Send me something and I'll pass it on."
Scorecard
What a reviewer, or your own replay, should listen for. The criteria lean on SPIN Selling.
| Criterion | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Agenda and time | Acknowledges the late start, confirms how long she has and proposes a short agenda that starts with her situation, not a demo. |
| Problem discovery | Asks open questions about how orders move today and follows up on her answers instead of working through a list. |
| Quantified impact | Gets Priya to estimate how often a problem happens and what it costs in time, money or customer complaints. |
| Past attempts | Asks what they have tried before and responds to the failed rollout with curiosity, not a defense of the product. |
| Next step with the boss | Gives Priya a reason the COO meeting helps her, such as a business case she can stand behind, and books a date. |
Want to score real calls the same way? Use the free sales call scorecard template.
To run this exact persona, rebuild it in the scenario builder (Starter plan and up), or run it with a colleague.
Questions about this scenario
Who is this discovery call roleplay for?
Account executives, and SDRs moving into closing roles, especially in B2B software. It suits anyone who tends to start demos too early or struggles with buyers who give short answers.
Why is Priya guarded?
Her hidden concern is a past software project that went badly. Ask what they've tried before and she'll mention it. How you respond decides whether she opens up.
What methodology does the scorecard use?
It follows SPIN Selling: situation and problem questions first, then implication questions that put a cost on the problem, then need-payoff questions that set up the next meeting.
How long should the practice call take?
Keep it to fifteen minutes, the time Priya says she has. Running over is one of the things the scenario tests.
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Run it until it feels easy
Practice conversations like this one against an AI buyer and get every attempt scored. 250 free credits, no card.