Practical Tips for Using AI in Writing Highly Customized Proposals: Part 1 - Mastering Discovery
Practical Tips for Using AI in Writing Highly Customized Solutions: Part 1 - Mastering Discovery
When it comes to crafting highly customized proposals and Statements of Work (SOWs), artificial intelligence (AI) is an extraordinary tool for saving time and enhancing creativity. But let’s be clear: AI doesn’t replace humans—it transforms their role. To unlock AI's full potential, we must lean into the aspects of solution creation where our expertise and judgment are irreplaceable. One critical area where this becomes evident is discovery.
Why Discovery is More Critical Than Ever
The quality of the solutions generated by AI is only as good as the quality of the discovery process. At Hyphenate, we’ve seen firsthand how companies often believe their discovery processes are sufficient—until they begin using AI tools. Through analysis of "opportunity documents" (like call transcripts, notes, and emails), AI often surfaces critical gaps in discovery. Essential questions—such as “What is the customer trying to accomplish?” or “What is the impact of not accomplishing these goals?”—are frequently left unanswered.
These gaps matter. The AI can only craft high-quality, tailored solutions if the human operator supplies it with comprehensive and accurate information. Without robust discovery, the solutions may fall short, not because of AI’s limitations, but because the inputs were incomplete.
Reclaiming Time for Innately Human Tasks
AI undoubtedly saves time in generating solutions, but the best users of tools like Hyphenate don’t just take that time as a win—they reinvest it in places that require the unique value only humans can bring. They spend more time engaging clients, asking the right questions, and deeply understanding the nuances of their projects.
To help you structure more effective discovery sessions, I’ve outlined a simple worksheet (below) to guide the process. Note that the structure of the worksheet is even more important than the content within. While I’ve provided examples below, the key takeaway is for companies to think through three critical components:
- What categories of discovery are essential to crafting the best solutions?
- What is the single sentence that captures what understanding is needed in each category?
- What open-ended questions can help build that understanding?
By structuring your discovery in this way, you create a repeatable process that ensures all relevant information is captured, even if the specific content of the worksheet evolves.
Takeaways for Practical Discovery in an AI-Driven Process
- Assess Your Current Discovery Process: Are you consistently asking the right questions? Do you have a process to validate and organize information for solution creation?
- Leverage Structured Tools: Use the discovery worksheet as a framework to ensure you’re capturing the most critical details.
- Focus on Inputs: High-quality outputs depend on high-quality inputs. Spend the time upfront to gather the right information.
- Reinvest Time in Human Tasks: Use the time AI saves to deepen client engagement and ensure clarity in the discovery process.
By focusing on discovery, you create the foundation for AI to craft solutions that are truly tailored to your clients’ needs. In the next article in this series, we’ll explore how to ensure that the outputs of AI reflect your brand’s voice and quality standards.
Want to learn more about how Hyphenate can help streamline your discovery process? Sign up here to see Hyphenate in action!
Discovery Session Worksheet
Discovery Category: Underlying Need
What You Need to Understand: "What is the customer ultimately trying to accomplish?"
Open-Ended Questions:
- What are your main objectives for this project?
- Why are these objectives important to your business?
- What happens if these objectives aren’t met?
- How does solving this challenge impact your broader goals?
- What’s the biggest barrier to achieving these goals?
Discovery Category: Buying Team
What You Need to Understand: "Who is involved in the decision-making process?"
Open Ended Questions:
- Who will be using the solution?
- Who has the final say in approving the project?
- Are there other stakeholders we should include in these discussions?
- How are decisions typically made in your organization?
- What criteria will the decision-makers use to evaluate the solution?
Discovery Category: Budget & Timeline
What You Need to Understand: "What is the budget and timeline for this project?"
Open-Ended Questions:
- Do you have a budget allocated for this?
- What is your timeline for implementation?
- Are there any critical deadlines we need to be aware of?
- Are there any constraints that might affect the budget or timeline?
- Have you had past projects with similar timelines or budgets? What worked or didn’t work?
Discovery Category: Alternative Approaches
What You Need to Understand: "What are the alternative approaches to using our services?"
Open-Ended Questions:
- How are you currently addressing this issue?
- Have you considered other solutions?
- What do you see as the pros and cons of those alternatives?
- Why haven’t other solutions worked as well as you’d hoped?
- What would make our solution stand out compared to the alternatives?