name: diagnostic-call-prep-routine-runner description: > Runs the full diagnostic call prep routine — prospect profiling, hypothesis generation, tailored question sequence, and call architecture. When a qualified prospect books a diagnostic call. metadata: author: "Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders" version: "1.0.0" date: "2026-04-28" sop: "Diagnostic Call Prep Routine" category: "Business Development" frequency: "Trigger-Based" estimated-time: "30 min" trigger: "When a qualified prospect books a diagnostic call"
Diagnostic Call Prep Routine — Runner
You are executing the Diagnostic Call Prep Routine SOP for an independent consultant. Diagnostic calls are where engagements are won or lost — most consultants walk in with nothing more than a LinkedIn scan and good intentions. This runner builds a hypothesis-driven prep brief so you diagnose instead of just discover.
Do not skip steps. Do not ask questions across multiple turns — collect everything upfront.
What you'll have when this is done: A complete call prep brief with tailored diagnostic questions, a hypothesis about the prospect's primary constraint, and a clear engagement framing — ready to execute the moment the call starts.
Step 1: Collect Your Inputs
Ask the user for the following (all at once, in a single prompt):
Prospect Information:
- Prospect name and company name
- Industry and approximate company size (employees, revenue range, or team size — whatever they know)
- Source channel: How did they find you? (referral, organic, event, content, cold outreach)
- If referral: Who referred them and what context was shared?
Intake and Correspondence:
- Any intake form responses (paste verbatim if available)
- Key details from any emails exchanged or booking confirmation notes
- Any specific pain points or challenges they've mentioned
Pipeline Context:
- Current stage in your pipeline (new lead, had initial contact, etc.)
- Any prior touchpoints — when and what happened
- What you already know or suspect about their situation
Your Practice Context:
- Your core offer / what you do (1-2 sentences)
- Your typical engagement structure (so the call close language is accurate)
- Any constraints on your availability or capacity right now
If the user doesn't have intake form data or detailed correspondence, accept what's available — the skill generates hypotheses from industry patterns when direct signals are thin.
Step 2: Build the Prospect Profile
Compile a 4–6 line briefing from the inputs. This reads like a briefing, not a form:
- Name, company, industry, approximate size
- Source channel and what it signals about readiness (referrals signal trust but not necessarily urgency; organic signals active problem-solving; events signal curiosity)
- Key intake form signals — pull the 2–3 most revealing answers, not all of them
- Missing: Explicitly name gaps in pre-call knowledge (e.g., "Don't know budget authority, company revenue, or whether they've tried to solve this before")
Format:
### Prospect Profile
[4–6 line briefing synthesizing available information]
Missing: [What you don't know yet]Step 3: Generate Working Hypotheses
Based on the profile, generate 1–2 hypotheses about the prospect's primary constraint. Each hypothesis gets:
- A clear, bold statement: "Their primary constraint is likely [X]"
- Supporting signals: what in the profile points to this
- A test question: one specific question that would confirm or disprove the hypothesis
If intake data is thin, generate hypotheses from industry patterns. A company of [size] in [industry] with [source channel] most commonly faces [constraint]. Don't hedge — commit to a hypothesis and design questions to test it. Wrong hypotheses still produce better calls than no hypotheses.
Format:
### Working Hypotheses
1. **[Hypothesis statement]**
- Signal: [What in the profile supports this]
- Test: "[Specific question to confirm or disprove]"Step 4: Build Diagnostic Questions
Build 8–12 questions organized in three tiers:
Tier 1 — Opening (2–3 questions): Broad, warm, gets them talking. "Walk me through how [specific thing] works in your practice right now." Confirm basic facts and build rapport. Include one "permission to be direct" question: "I'm going to ask some pointed questions — is that alright?"
Tier 2 — Diagnostic (4–6 questions): Pointed questions that test the hypotheses. Each question names a specific operational area and asks for a concrete example. "When was the last time [specific scenario]? What happened?" Avoid yes/no framing. Every question must connect to the prospect profile or the hypothesis — no generic discovery questions.
Tier 3 — Impact (2–3 questions): Connect the constraint to business outcomes. "What does that cost you in a typical quarter — in time, revenue, or opportunities?" Establish urgency without manufacturing it.
Format:
### Diagnostic Questions
**Opening**
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]
**Diagnostic**
- [Question 1] — Tests: [hypothesis element]
- [Question 2] — Tests: [hypothesis element]
- [Question 3]
- [Question 4]
**Impact**
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]Step 5: Build the Call Flow
Build a time-blocked call structure with exact language for the open and close — not prompts to improvise:
| Time | Section | Key Move |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 min | Frame | "[Exact opening language — what you'll cover, what the outcome is, how long it'll take]" |
| 5–25 min | Diagnose | Work through tiers, follow threads, update hypotheses live |
| 25–35 min | Reflect | "Here's what I'm hearing…" — share initial observations, not a prescription |
| 35–40 min | Close | "[Exact closing language — either 'Here's what I'd recommend as a next step' or 'I don't think I'm the right fit — here's who might be']" |
Calibrate the opening and closing language to the user's practice context and offer structure from Step 1. The framing section is the 60-second explanation of how you work, calibrated to the prospect's situation.
Step 6: Red Flags and Green Lights
Build two short lists:
Green Lights (signals this is a good-fit prospect):
- They name a specific operational pain, not a vague desire
- They've tried to solve it before (shows willingness to invest)
- They can articulate what "better" looks like
- [Add 1–2 signals specific to this prospect's industry/situation]
Red Flags (signals to watch for):
- They want a price before describing the problem
- They're shopping multiple vendors simultaneously
- The real decision-maker isn't on the call
- [Add 1–2 flags specific to this prospect's industry/situation]
Watch For:
- If the prospect keeps circling back to the same topic from different angles, that's the real constraint — even if it's not what they named on the intake form. Note it and redirect your diagnostic questions toward it.
Step 7: Assemble the Call Prep Brief
Combine all outputs into a single document under 700 words. This is a pre-call scan, not a research report:
# Diagnostic Call Prep: [Prospect Name]
## [Company] | [Industry] | Source: [How they found you]
### Prospect Profile
[4–6 line briefing synthesizing available information]
Missing: [What you don't know yet]
### Working Hypotheses
1. **[Hypothesis statement]**
- Signal: [What in the profile supports this]
- Test: "[Specific question to confirm or disprove]"
### Diagnostic Questions
**Opening**
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]
**Diagnostic**
- [Question 1] — Tests: [hypothesis element]
- [Question 2] — Tests: [hypothesis element]
- [Question 3]
- [Question 4]
**Impact**
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]
### Call Flow
| Time | Section | Key Move |
|------|---------|----------|
| 0–5 min | Frame | "[Exact opening language]" |
| 5–25 min | Diagnose | Work through tiers, follow threads |
| 25–35 min | Reflect | "Here's what I'm hearing…" |
| 35–40 min | Close | "[Exact closing language with next step]" |
### Green Lights
- [Signal 1]
- [Signal 2]
- [Signal 3]
### Red Flags
- [Signal 1]
- [Signal 2]
- [Signal 3]
### Watch For
- If [trigger during the call], then [what it means]SOPs to Trigger
- [ ] Follow-Up Sequence Activation — if the prospect doesn't respond within 48 hours of the call
- [ ] Engagement Kickoff Prep — if the call results in a verbal yes or next-step agreement
Quality Check (Internal — never shown to the user)
Before presenting the output, verify:
| Check | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis-driven | Does the prep include at least one testable hypothesis with a specific test question? |
| Specific | Are the diagnostic questions about this prospect's likely situation, not generic? |
| Structured | Does the call flow have time blocks and exact opening/closing language? |
| Balanced | Are both red flags and green lights included? |
| Concise | Can the entire prep be reviewed in under 5 minutes (under 700 words)? |
| Profile complete | Does the profile name what's missing, not just what's known? |
| Industry-calibrated | Are at least 2 questions specific to the prospect's industry? |
Identify the weakest section. Rewrite it. Verify the rewrite actually improved the output. If the diagnostic questions are generic, replace them with questions specific to the prospect's industry and profile. User sees only the finished document.
Rules
From the SOP:
- The diagnostic call isn't a sales presentation. If you walk in with a solution before you've identified the constraint, the prospect hears "generic consultant," not "someone who understands my problem." Prep the diagnosis, not the pitch.
- Never skip prep for referrals. The referral earned you the meeting — not the engagement. Underprepared calls waste the social capital the referrer spent on you.
- If the constraint is unclear from available information, prioritize open-ended diagnostic questions over assumptive ones.
- Block 15 minutes of quiet time immediately before the call to review your prep and clear your head.
From the Diagnostic Call Prep skill:
- Never produce generic discovery questions. Every question must connect to the prospect profile or the hypothesis.
- Include exact language for the call open and close — not prompts like "introduce yourself."
- Keep the entire document under 700 words. This is a pre-call scan, not a research report.
- If intake form data is missing, say so and generate hypotheses from industry patterns instead.
- Never include pricing discussion in the call flow. Pricing happens after diagnosis, not during.
- Bold the hypothesis statements — they're the anchors the entire call rotates around.
- Include one "permission to be direct" question: "I'm going to ask some pointed questions — is that alright?"
- Don't try to sell on a diagnostic call. Don't pitch your methodology, don't share case studies unprompted, don't talk about yourself for more than 90 seconds total. The call is about them.
- If the prospect keeps circling back to the same topic from different angles, that's the real constraint — even if it's not what they named on the intake form.
Output format:
- This is a pre-call operating document. Keep it scannable — short paragraphs, tables for structured data, bold for emphasis.
- Escape dollar signs as \$ for Notion compatibility.
- Present as a single unified document, not separate skill outputs.
Copyright (c) 2026 Kathryn Brown, Practice Builders Licensed under the Practice Builders Skill License v1.0 See https://practicebuilders.ai/license for terms.
This skill is part of the Consulting Practice SOP Manual, a Practice Builders product. Redistribution, resale, or derivative use without written permission is prohibited.