Product Consultancy I Sales Enablement I DesignOps

Improving Discovery to Increase Sales

Enhancing the discovery process to strengthen client trust, streamline sales, and ensure project success

BACKGROUND: Big Nerd Ranch is a Product Consulting company that was struggling with selling and conducting client discoveries. They had a lack of understanding, expectations and clarity impact our clients trust and value in the BNR discovery process. BNR’s lack of consistency, documentation, communication and organization has lead to misalignment.

2022

DURATION: 3 Months

PLATFORM: Internal Process Improvements

ROLE: Lead Experience Designer, Big Nerd Ranch

SKILLS & METHODOLOGIES:
Process Analysis, Stakeholder & User Interviews, Workshops and Surveys, Discovery Templates and Discussion Guides, Sales Checklist and Handoff Guidelines, Standardized Discovery Playbook and Rollout Strategy, Sales Checklist, Rollout Strategy

TOOLS & FRAMEWORKS:
Miro, Figma, Keynote

PROBLEM:
Recent projects were scoped and sold inaccurately, leading to:

  • Loss of revenue and extended timelines

  • Unhappy clients due to unmet expectations

  • Inconsistent discovery processes with no clear ownership

This issue had persisted with little investigation into its root causes.

SOLUTION:
A design-led internal discovery to:

  • Identify process gaps

  • Align cross-functional teams

  • Create a standardized and scalable discovery framework

By defining clear expectations and improving communication, we ensured better sales alignment and client trust.

OUTCOME:

A clear, structured discovery process for both clients and internal teams

Stronger sales enablement through improved materials and education

Increased client trust, leading to better sales and more successful execution

Full case study ~5 min read

Setting the Stage

Big Nerd Ranch (BNR) had a reputation for expert product consulting, but behind the scenes, its discovery process was falling short. Projects were being sold without a shared understanding of scope, timelines ballooned, and client trust eroded due to inconsistent communication and delivery. With no standardized approach and little cross-team alignment, discovery had become a bottleneck rather than a bridge. Recognizing the critical impact on sales and project success, BNR embarked on a design-led initiative to diagnose the problem, align stakeholders, and build a scalable discovery framework that could restore confidence — internally and externally.

Problem

Recent projects were scoped and sold inaccurately, leading to:

  • Loss of revenue and extended timelines

  • Unhappy clients due to unmet expectations

  • Inconsistent discovery processes with no clear ownership

This issue had persisted with little investigation into its root causes.

Solution

A design-led internal discovery to:

  • Identify process gaps

  • Align cross-functional teams

  • Create a standardized and scalable discovery framework

By defining clear expectations and improving communication, we ensured better sales alignment and client trust.

DISCOVERY:

What We Did

Conducted stakeholder interviews (13 team members across 3 teams)

Mapped the current workflow to diagnose inefficiencies.

Analyzed past discoveries to identify pain points

Reviewed and leveraged existing documentation

LEARNINGS:

Key Findings

Negative Client Perception

  • Clients didn’t see the value of discovery

  • Unclear outcomes and inconsistent explanations led to distrust

Lack of Process Alignment

  • No agreed-upon discovery framework within the company

  • Teams operated with varying approaches, leading to confusion

Communication Gaps

  • Sales teams lacked the tools to clearly explain discovery value

  • Repetitive conversations across sales, discovery, and delivery fatigued clients

She has expert skills and very experienced in all things UX
 and UI. I'm particularly impressed in her workshop skills. She has a long list of methodologies in her toolbox, and is adept at choosing the right one for the job. Her facilitation skills are fantastic and yielded solid design deliverables to build upon for the Discovery project.

Matt Raufman
Principal Experience Designer, Big Nerd Ranch

NARROWING SCOPE:

Areas of Focus

Communication:

  • Clearly define discovery deliverables and expectations

  • Address client skepticism through better sales materials

  • Reduce redundant conversations

Process Standardization:

  • Move beyond reliance on Statements of Work (SOWs)

  • Establish a repeatable and scalable discovery model

  • Provide teams with a structured onboarding process

Client Education:

  • Demonstrate discovery’s role in product success

  • Train clients on BNR’s approach to product development

  • Ensure smooth transitions from sales to project teams

ARCHETYPES:

Discovery Types & Their Fit

Product Ideation:
Client with an idea needing further product
research, stakeholder validation, product or feature exploration and market fit before designing and building

Product Validation:
Client with a basic understanding of what needs to be done based on light research but needs further research, audit, validation and expertise

Product Discoveries:
Client has an existing product and has done a significant amount of research, validating ne
eds and preliminary user testing but they need help getting to the next level

DELIVERABLES:

Getting Real

  • Discovery Playbook: A standardized framework for conducting discoveries

  • Sales and Client-Facing Materials: Guides, checklists, and templates to set expectations

  • Executive Summary/Discovery Diary: Internal documentation to ensure continuity

  • Handoff Guidelines: Clear transition process from sales → discovery → delivery

GOALS:

Defining Success

Education

Communication

Standardization

  • Well defined Discovery documentation

  • Alignment on strategy and execution of the Discovery process

  • Clear communication of the Discovery process

  • A successful execution of the Discovery process with a plan to iterate as needed

  • Improvements to our tech sales process

  • Confidence that our clients value, trust and want to invest in our recommended solution

  • Indirect improvements to the BNRs project process

  • Recommended solutions that users desire and are viable to clients

A more clearly defined and communicated discovery process will affect client and internal team alignment — resulting in more successful outcomes

An easy understandable discovery process leading to better sales materials and client value — ultimately leading to more sales

By defining a repeatable, scalable discovery approach, BNR improved project alignment, enhanced client relationships, and ultimately drove more sales.

RESULTS:

Shaping Bold Outcomes


Caught your eye, didn’t it?!