Krysten Conner's EMT Framework for Discovery

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For most sellers, there’s a prevailing myth that success comes from following a system or reading the right playbook.

I recently sat down with Krysten Conner, and we both agreed that true mastery comes from approaching sales as a craft—an ongoing journey of learning, iterating, and refining.

“I realized very quickly that I was going to need help beyond what my manager could give me,” Krysten reflected.

Early in her tech sales career, she hired a sales coach to accelerate her learning.

“It was just hearing him talk through 20 years of experience where I was like, oh, this is a journey. This is not just learning to stamp out a widget and then you can just rinse and repeat.”

This mindset shift is crucial. Sales isn’t about ticking off boxes in a manual—it’s about navigating unique conversations and scenarios.

As Krysten put it, “Every conversation is different. Every client is different. I think that’s why it’s kept my attention this long.”

Discovery is the selling part

One major theme from our conversation was the art of discovery.

Too many salespeople rush through this step, eager to get to the selling part.

But discovery is the selling part.

Krysten outlined a common misstep: treating discovery as a single call.

“Especially in enterprise, we’re going to have multiple first calls with multiple executives and departments. Discovery is a process that happens throughout the sale and even post-sale.”

So how do you approach discovery with intention? Krysten shared a practical framework:

Be your prospect’s EMT

Excavate pain: Start by digging deeper than surface-level information. Krysten described using what she calls a “menu of pain”—a list of common challenges specific to the prospect’s role.

This isn’t about guessing their problems but showing credibility and sparking deeper conversations.

“I don’t need to be a hundred percent right. In fact, I shouldn’t be,” she noted.

The real gold comes when prospects correct you, revealing their true challenges.

Match their urgency: Before proposing next steps, Krysten suggests gauging the prospect’s timeline.

She often frames it like this:

“I find that people join calls like this for one of three reasons.

One, they're in education mode. They're just looking at tools that are available.

Number two, they have a serious problem that, frankly, they needed to solve six months ago.

Or number three, they have something, it's painful, they're probably gonna do something about it in the next year, but it's, it's not terribly urgent, it's not a C-level priority.

Just curious where you would kind of put yourself on that spectrum?”?

This approach gives prospects an easy out and clarifies how to move forward—without chasing dead ends.

Teach them to Buy: Prospects are experts at doing their job, not buying your solution. It’s your role to guide them.

Instead of asking, “How would you like to proceed?” she recommends outlining typical next steps, providing structure while remaining flexible.

You’ve done this before; you know what you’ve seen. Suggest what should happen next and outline some of the pitfalls.

This helps you continue to build credibility and reduce purchase anxiety. Your buyer is on the hook for whether or not this goes well, the more insurance you can provide that it will, the more likely they are to complete the purchase.

Practice Makes Precision

One insight that stood out was Krysten’s dedication to refining her skills.

“I would write those [discovery] questions on cards, and then I would stick them on my computer. And every morning, I would drill myself on those just for five minutes before I started.”

The goal? Building muscle memory so that in real conversations, the right questions come naturally.

This practice extends beyond just asking the right questions—it’s about creating conversations that feel genuine, not forced.

Your discovery shouldn’t feel like an interrogation. It should feel like a good conversation.

Why This Matters

Ultimately, this approach to discovery—and sales in general—is about being human.

It’s about respecting the prospect’s time, understanding their challenges, and guiding them thoughtfully through their decision-making process.

Krysten summed it up beautifully:

“Teaching them to buy is just an acknowledgment that our buyers are experts in how to do their job. They are not an expert in how to buy our thing.

They will be much better served if, rather than saying at the end of a call, ‘Jeff, how would you like to proceed?’ No. That’s an essay question which no one likes versus saying, ‘You know, Jeff, it sounds like this is a fairly large problem and something we may be able to help. We probably need to dig a little deeper, maybe go in-depth with more of a conversation and then a demo. So typically, what would happen from here is…’”

Your customers are begging to be led.

Great selling isn’t about closing fast; it’s about discovering deeply, matching urgency, and helping prospects navigate their journey.

That’s the craft. And like any craft, it takes practice, patience, and a lot of listening.

If you really want to develop your craft as a seller, check out Krysten’s Enterprise Sales Accelerator.

AI thought of the week

As AI becomes more mainstream, I’m taking specific steps to get certifications and credentials in the field. By the time you read this, I’ll have a professional certificate from LinkedIn Learning, and I’ve got more courses on the horizon.

Have you considered taking any courses to make yourself more marketable for future roles? What about just pursuing a deeper understanding of these tools?

Thanks again for reading this far. Hopefully, you can get some sunshine on your skin this week, as it’s starting to feel a lot like spring around here.

Cheers, JB