Diligence calls are short and the clock is expensive. These five questions earn their place on almost every one.
The five questions
- 1What would make you switch away from this provider? Reveals real switching costs and the competitors in the frame.
- 2Who else did you evaluate, and why did you not choose them? Tells you how the target wins.
- 3How has your spend with them changed over three years? A quiet test of the growth story.
- 4What would a 10% price increase do? The closest thing to a pricing-power measurement in a 45-minute call.
- 5If you ran the company, what would you fix first? Often the most useful answer of the hour.
Read the pattern, not the call
The answers rarely agree. That is the point. The pattern across eight calls tells you more than any single conversation, so plan the call program as a set, with a mix of current customers, lost customers and competitors.
Have a project in mind?
Send one live brief and see a screened shortlist, usually within 24–48 hours.