What elite sellers do at each deal stage - and see how NOVA turns this knowledge into personalized daily action.
Be honest with yourself: You probably already know most of what's on this page. The question isn't whether you know it—it's whether you do it. Consistently. On every deal. Even when you're busy.
Initial contact - qualify interest and fit
Typical Duration
1-3 days
Success Metric
20% move to qualification
What you MUST do at this stage
Uncover the emotional story behind their business problem
Why: Stories activate 22x more brain regions than facts (SPIN Selling)
Identify the economic buyer by name
Why: Know who signs the check from day one (MEDDIC)
Calculate their daily burn rate
Why: Loss framing accelerates decisions by 2.3x (Challenger Sale)
What kills deals at this stage
Scenario: You completed the checklist item and entered your response
Your Checklist Response
✓ Completed:
“Uncovered the emotional story behind their business problem”
Your Response:
Sarah shared that last quarter they lost a $200K deal because their sales team couldn't find the right proposal in time. She said her VP was "furious" and she personally felt responsible.
What NOVA Generates For You
📊 THE SITUATION You've uncovered powerful emotional context. Sarah's story reveals personal accountability ("felt responsible") and executive visibility ("VP was furious"). This isn't just a process problem—it's a career risk for her. 🎯 THE PLAY Anchor every future conversation to this moment. Sarah needs to be the hero who fixed this. 💬 SCRIPT FOR NEXT CALL: "Sarah, you mentioned the $200K deal that slipped through. If we can prevent that from happening again, what would that mean for you personally with your VP?" ✅ NEXT STEPS Document the $200K story in Coach's Office Hours so NOVA can reference it in future coaching.
⚡ This is just a preview. In the full product, NOVA adapts every script to your DISC communication style, builds context from every interaction (not just one response), and automatically adds follow-ups to your Today's Most Valuable Actions so no deal ever goes cold.
This is the playbook. The critical actions, the mistakes to avoid, the stage-by-stage strategy.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: You'll close this tab, get back to your deals, and by tomorrow you'll be winging it again. Not because you're bad at sales—but because nobody can remember 27 checkpoints across 5 stages while also doing discovery calls, demos, and follow-ups.
That's not a character flaw. That's why NOVA exists—to remember for you, coach you in the moment, and make sure no deal goes cold because you got busy.