Run a structured 20-30 minute audit call from open to close, with Voss objection language ready.
Pre-Call Checklist
Call Opening (60 seconds)
"Hey [Name], thanks for taking a few minutes. Your audit came through and a couple of things stood out. Before I jump in, is this still a good time, or did I catch you mid-something?"
"Great. Quick agenda: I want to walk you through what the audit showed, ask you a couple of questions to make sure I understand the context, and then if it makes sense, we can talk about next steps. If at the end we agree it's not a fit, I'll tell you that directly. Sound fair?"
Accusation Audit
"Before I show you the results, I want to be upfront about something. You've probably seen a lot of vendors come in with a 'free audit' and then turn it into a 60-minute pitch. That's not what I'm going for here. If what you're looking at doesn't make sense for your situation, I'd rather say that and get off the phone than waste your time. Okay?"
This line alone reduces defensiveness. Use it before every audit call.
Audit Review: Validate the Gap
"So the audit flagged [specific metric]. Does that match your experience on the ground, or does that feel off?"
"Got it. And how long has it been sitting around that level?"
"When you think about what that costs you, even roughly, what does that look like in a month?"
Implication Layer
Pick 2-3. Do not ask all of them.
Implication questions
Need-Payoff questions
Fit Test
"Given everything you just described, is this something you're actively trying to solve in the next 90 days, or is it more of a longer-term thing you're tracking?"
If "longer term": "What would need to change for this to become a priority?" A clean no saves both parties weeks.
Gap Framing
"Let me show you what the gap looks like in your numbers. You told me [current state]. You mentioned you want to get to [future state]. The delta on that is roughly $[gap] a year."
"Does that feel like a real number to you, or does it land differently when you see it framed that way?"
Common Objections
Objection
Response
"I need to think about it."
"Of course. What's the part that's still unclear for you?"
"It's too expensive."
"It sounds like you've seen costs get out of hand before." (Pause.)
"Tried this before, didn't work."
"That sounds frustrating. What specifically went sideways?"
"Send me something."
"Happy to. What specifically would you be looking for in what I send?"
Closing to a Next Step
"Based on what you've shared, it sounds like [the problem] is costing you roughly $[gap] and it's something you want to address in the next quarter. If that's right, the next thing that makes sense is [specific next step]. I have [day] at [time] and [day] at [time] open. Which works better?"
Give two options, not an open-ended "what works for you."