Confirming needs and success metrics without misunderstanding.
English for Sales and Account Management. Lesson 4.
You have gathered a lot of information on a call, but now you need to make sure you and the client mean the same thing. In this lesson, you practise the language of confirmation, paraphrasing, and precise detail. The situation is a follow-up section of a discovery call where the client mentions KPIs, deadlines, and a few constraints that could affect delivery.
You will work with examples of typical risk points: unclear ownership, vague timelines, and numbers that can easily be misheard. You will practise confirming currency, ranges, and dates, and you will learn how to sound confident while still checking carefully. You will also practise asking for definitions when a client uses internal terms or acronyms.
By the end, you will deliver a clear spoken recap of needs and success metrics and ask for confirmation, so you leave the call aligned and ready to propose next steps with confidence.
1. Follow-up discovery recap: what could go wrong?.
Today you are in a very specific, very real sales moment: you have gathered a lot of information on a discovery call, and now you need to confirm it without sounding hesitant. This is where misunderstandings happen: numbers are misheard, dates are assumed, ownership is unclear, and internal terms mean different things to different people. If you leave the call with fuzzy details, you risk writing a proposal that misses the mark.
In this lesson, you will hear a short follow-up section of a discovery call and you will practise a key skill: paraphrasing plus precise confirmation. The aim is to sound calm and confident while still checking carefully. As you listen, do not try to memorise every word. Instead, focus on what the seller does: they summarise the priorities, they check timelines, they confirm currency, and they ask who owns what. After the audio, you will answer a few questions to prove you understood the facts and the risks.
Let us get you ready to propose next steps with confidence, not guesses.
Situation: you are closing the discovery call.
You have just finished the main discovery questions. Now comes the part that protects the deal: alignment. You are going to recap what you heard and get the client to say “Yes, that’s right.”
At B2 level, the challenge is not vocabulary. The challenge is sounding:
accurate (numbers, dates, ranges, currency),
confident (you lead the recap),
diplomatic (you check without sounding lost).
The model scenario you’ll follow throughout the lesson.
You (seller): Alex, Account Executive at Nimbus Analytics
Checks definitions (what does “adoption” mean internally?).
Confirms numbers precisely (percentages, ranges).
Pins down ownership (day-to-day owner on the client side).
Useful phrases you’ll hear (and reuse).
“Just to make sure I have captured this correctly …”
“So the main priority is X, and the key constraint is Y.”
“To confirm, are we talking about euros or dollars?”
“Who will be the day-to-day owner on your side?”
In the activity, you will answer short questions about the content. Accuracy first; style comes next.
Practice & Feedback
Listen to the call extract. Then write your answers in full sentences.
What are FinTechCo’s main priorities?
What is the deadline mentioned?
What is the budget range, and in which currency?
What is one constraint that could affect delivery?
Who is mentioned as the likely day-to-day owner?
Keep your answers short, but precise. If you are not sure, make your best guess based on what you heard, and we will correct it together.
2. Paraphrasing that sounds confident, not uncertain.
Now that you understand the facts of the call, let us focus on how you say them. A strong recap is not a list of random details. It is a confident summary that shows you were listening, that you understand priorities, and that you can steer towards next steps.
A useful mindset is this: you are not asking the client to do your job for you. You are presenting your understanding, and inviting a quick correction if needed. That is why phrases like “Just to make sure I have captured this correctly” work so well. They are careful, but they still sound professional.
In this block, I will show you a simple structure you can reuse: priority, success metric, timeline, constraints, ownership. You will also see how to connect ideas with signposting, so your recap feels clean and senior. Then you will write your own short paraphrase of Priya’s situation, using the same structure and a few phrases from the chunk bank.
The difference between repeating and paraphrasing.
Repeating is: “You said adoption, churn, Q1, euros, security, Sam.” That can sound robotic.
Paraphrasing is: “So your main focus is adoption, because that drives retention, and you want to see measurable improvement by the end of March.” That sounds human and commercially aware.
A practical recap structure (30–45 seconds).
When you recap at the end of discovery, try this sequence:
Priority
> “So the main priority is …”
Success metric / KPI definition
> “If I understood you correctly, the success metric is …”
> “When you say adoption, how do you measure that internally?”
Timeline / date
> “When you say fast, what timeline are you working with?”
> “Just to confirm, are you working to the 31st of March?”
Constraints / blockers
> “The key constraint is …”
Ownership
> “Who will be the day-to-day owner on your side?”
Mini language upgrade: confident checking.
Notice how these sound confident, not unsure:
Less effective
More effective
“I’m not sure, but is it euros?”
“To confirm, are we talking about euros or dollars?”
“Maybe Sam will do it?”
“Who will be the day-to-day owner on your side?”
“You want it soon?”
“When you say fast, what timeline are you working with?”
Model recap (based on the audio).
> “Just to make sure I have captured this correctly, your main priority is improving adoption, because that supports retention. In terms of success metrics, you’re targeting around 65% weekly active usage, and you’d like to see impact by the end of Q1, so the 31st of March. Budget-wise, you mentioned roughly 80 to 100 thousand euros. The key constraints are security review and EU data residency. And on your side, Sam in RevOps is likely the day-to-day owner, although you’ll confirm. Is that a fair summary?”
In the activity, you’ll write your own recap in your own words, using this structure.
Practice & Feedback
Write a single recap paragraph you could say at the end of the call to Priya.
Aim for 70–110 words. Use this order: priority → KPI definition → date → budget/currency → constraint → ownership → confirmation question.
You do not need to copy the model exactly, but you should reuse at least three phrases from the list on the screen (for example, “Just to make sure I have captured this correctly …”, “To confirm …”, “Is that a fair summary?”).
Write it as if you are speaking on the call: clear, professional, and calm.
Recap ingredients (facts from the call).
Priority: improve adoption to support retention; reduce churn by around 10% over the next two quarters.
KPI definition: adoption = 65% weekly active usage across licensed users.
Deadline: end of Q1 = 31 March.
Budget: €80k–€100k.
Constraints: security review; EU data residency.
Ownership: Sam in RevOps likely day-to-day owner (to be confirmed).
Chunk bank you can reuse.
"Just to make sure I have captured this correctly..."
"So the main priority is X, and the key constraint is Y."
"If I understood you correctly, the success metric is..."
"To confirm, are we talking about euros or dollars?"
"Who will be the day-to-day owner on your side?"
"Have I missed anything important?"
"Is that a fair summary?"
3. Clarifying numbers, ranges, dates and currency precisely.
Let us zoom in on the area that causes the most expensive mistakes in sales: numbers and time. A client might say “around ten percent”, “end of Q1”, “eighty to a hundred”, or “we need it fast”. If you don’t pin that down, you can easily build the wrong business case, promise the wrong delivery window, or create a proposal that procurement immediately rejects.
The good news is you can clarify without sounding uncertain. The trick is to make your questions precise and neutral, and to offer clear options: euros or dollars, the 31st of March or another date, 80 to 100 thousand as a range. You are essentially doing quality control.
In this block, you will practise turning vague information into exact information. You will write short clarification lines you could say on the call, with a professional tone and correct number wording. Focus on being brief and crystal clear.
Why numbers need extra care.
In international sales, numbers are a common failure point because of:
different accents and audio quality on calls,
different formats (1,000 vs 1.000; 03/04 vs 04/03),
different currencies and fiscal calendars,
vague language that hides risk (“soon”, “flexible”, “roughly”).
When you clarify, you are not being pedantic. You are protecting both sides.
Four safe patterns for clarifying.
1) Confirm the unit or currency
“To confirm, are we talking about euros or dollars?”
“Is that per month, or per year?”
2) Confirm the range and what it includes
“Roughly what range are you aiming for?”
“Just to check, is that including implementation, or licence only?”
3) Confirm the exact date behind a time phrase
“When you say end of Q1, are you working to the 31st of March?”
“By ‘next month’, do you mean by the end of January, or earlier?”
4) Confirm the measurement method behind a KPI
“When you say adoption, how do you measure that internally?”
“Is that weekly active users, monthly active users, or another metric?”
Micro-drills: make vague into precise.
Turn each vague statement into a crisp clarification.
Client: “We want it fast.”
Seller: “When you say fast, what timeline are you working with?”
Client: “Budget is around 100k.”
Seller: “Roughly what range are you aiming for, and is that in euros or dollars?”
Client: “We need results by end of Q1.”
Seller: “Just to confirm, are you working to the 31st of March?”
Notice the tone: calm, not anxious. You are simply locking the details.
Practice & Feedback
You will see five short client statements. For each one, write one clear clarification question or confirmation sentence you could say on the call.
Write 5 lines (1–5), one per statement.
Rules:
Be precise: include options where helpful (euros/dollars, weekly/monthly, etc.).
Keep it polite and businesslike.
Avoid sounding apologetic (no “Sorry, I’m confused”).
Aim for 12–20 words per line. Imagine you are Alex speaking to Priya in the same call.
Client statements to clarify.
“We’re aiming for about ten percent improvement.”
“Budget is somewhere between eighty and a hundred.”
“We need it done by the end of Q1.”
“Adoption needs to be much better.”
“Security will probably be fine.”
4. Checking internal terms and acronyms without embarrassment.
A different kind of risk is hidden inside vocabulary. Clients often use internal terms, acronyms, and shortcuts, especially when they are talking to colleagues all day. They might say something like “We need adoption to improve” or “Our NPS is falling” or “We’re targeting 65% WAU”, and they assume you share the same definition.
In sales and account management, it is absolutely normal to ask for definitions. In fact, it makes you sound more serious, because you are checking how they measure success. The key is to ask in a way that feels businesslike, not like you missed something obvious.
In this block you will work with a short written message full of internal terms. Your job is to write crisp clarification questions that define the terms and lock the measurement method. This is exactly what you need before you write a proposal or a success plan.
Why “definitions” matter commercially.
Two people can agree on a KPI and still disagree on what it means.
Example: “adoption”. One team might mean “weekly active users”. Another might mean “feature usage”. Another might mean “number of teams onboarded”. If you don’t check, you can build the wrong success plan and then get blamed for “not delivering”.
Three polite ways to ask for meaning.
Here are three patterns that sound confident:
Pattern A: Definition question
“When you say X, how do you measure that internally?”
Pattern B: Options question
“Are we talking about X, Y, or something else?”
Pattern C: Example question
“Could you give me a recent example of what ‘good’ looks like?”
Notice what is missing: there is no embarrassment, no apology, and no long explanation.
Model lines (you can reuse).
“Just to check I’m using the same definition as you, what does WAU mean in your reporting?”
“When you say ‘security will be fine’, what does the review process look like in practice?”
“Who signs off the security review, and what is the typical lead time?”
Your task: decode the client’s message.
You will read a short follow-up note from Priya after the call. It contains typical internal terms: WAU, NPS, ‘EU only’, ‘SSO’, and ‘go-live’. Your goal is to ask questions that:
define the acronym,
confirm the measurement,
confirm what “done” means.
This is high-value language: it makes you look credible and it prevents expensive misunderstandings.
Practice & Feedback
Read Priya’s message carefully. Then write 6 clarification questions you would ask before you write a proposal.
Write them as numbered questions (1–6). Keep them short and professional.
Make sure your questions cover:
at least two acronyms (for example, WAU, NPS, SSO),
what “EU only” means in practice,
what “go-live by end of March” means (exact date and scope),
who owns the security review and what the typical lead time is.
Use the patterns on the screen: “When you say …, how do you measure that internally?”, “Are we talking about …?”, “Could you give me an example …?”.
Message from Priya (client).
Hi Alex,
Thanks again for today. Just sharing a few internal notes so you have the context:
Target: 65% WAU across licensed users.
NPS has slipped in the last 2 quarters.
We need EU only for data, and security should be fine.
Ideally SSO from day one.
We want to go-live by end of March.
Best,
Priya
5. Chat simulation: get the client to confirm the details.
You have practised the building blocks: a structured recap, precise number checks, and clarification of internal terms. Now we will put it into a realistic interaction.
Imagine the call has ended and you send a quick Teams message to Priya to confirm the details before you draft the proposal. This is very common in real sales: you want to lock the facts while they are fresh, and you want a written confirmation you can refer back to.
The challenge in chat is being concise. You do not want a long email. You want a crisp message that summarises the key points and asks two or three easy-to-answer questions. If you do it well, the client replies with corrections, and you move forward faster.
In the activity, you will write your message to Priya. Then I will respond as Priya with a realistic reply, and I will also correct and upgrade your English. Focus on clarity, tone, and making it easy for the client to say “Yes”.
Chat recap: short, structured, confirmable.
A good chat message does three things:
Recaps the headline in one sentence
> “Just to make sure I’ve captured this correctly, the main priority is …”
Locks the risky details (numbers, dates, currency, constraints)
> “Target is 65% weekly active usage, deadline 31 March, budget €80–100k, constraints: security + EU data residency.”
Asks 2–3 simple confirmation questions
> “Is Sam in RevOps the right day-to-day owner?”
> “Is ‘go-live’ full rollout, or pilot first?”
> “When you say SSO from day one, are you expecting SAML or another method?”
What not to do in chat.
Avoid:
vague questions (“Any thoughts?”),
too many questions (it feels like homework),
weak language (“I’m not sure, sorry”).
Useful chat phrases (natural but professional).
“Quick check on a couple of details …”
“Just to confirm …”
“Have I missed anything important?”
“If that’s right, I’ll draft X and send it by Y.”
Your goal.
You want Priya to reply with either:
“Yes, correct.”
“Small correction: …”
That reply is your alignment. That is how you reduce risk and move the deal forward.
Practice & Feedback
Write a Teams-style message to Priya.
Length:80–120 words.
Include:
One friendly opener (not too chatty).
A one-sentence recap of the main priority.
The key details: KPI definition (65% weekly active), deadline (31 March), budget and currency (€80–100k), and constraints (security review + EU data residency).
2–3 questions that are easy to answer (for example: confirm day-to-day owner; confirm what “go-live” includes; confirm SSO requirement).
A clear next step sentence (for example: “If that’s right, I’ll send a draft plan by Thursday.”).
Write only your message (do not write Priya’s reply).
Quick reference: facts to include.
Priority: improve adoption to drive retention; reduce churn ~10% over the next two quarters.
KPI: 65% weekly active usage (WAU) across licensed users.
Deadline: end of Q1 = 31 March.
Budget: €80k–€100k.
Constraints: security review, EU data residency, SSO ideally from day one.
Ownership: Sam in RevOps likely day-to-day owner (to be confirmed).
Useful chunks.
"Just to make sure I have captured this correctly..."
"To confirm..."
"Who will be the day-to-day owner on your side?"
"Have I missed anything important?"
6. Capstone: deliver the full recap and confirm next steps.
You are ready for the final performance of this lesson: a complete end-of-call recap that includes needs, success metrics, timelines, constraints, ownership, and a clear request for confirmation. This is the moment that makes the rest of the sales process easier. If you do it well, your proposal is sharper, your delivery team is aligned, and the client trusts you more.
In real life, this recap is spoken, but the skill is the same whether you say it or write it: you lead with your understanding, you check the risky points precisely, and you finish with an invitation to correct you.
For the capstone, you will write a short call script: what you would say, from start to finish, in the final 45 to 60 seconds of the call. I want it to sound like a confident professional, not like someone reading notes. Use the chunk bank naturally, and make sure you end with an alignment question plus a clear next step.
When you finish, I will give you a mini-rubric score and a polished version you can reuse.
Your end-of-call recap: the mini rubric.
A strong recap in sales/account work is easy to recognise. Use this quick checklist:
1) Clear structure (easy to follow)
You signpost what you’re doing and you keep it ordered.
2) Accurate detail (no fuzzy risk)
You confirm numbers, ranges, currency, and dates.
3) Definition checks (shared meaning)
You confirm how a KPI is measured, not just the label.
4) Ownership (no hidden gaps)
You confirm who does what, and who the day-to-day contact is.
5) Close with confirmation + next step
You ask for agreement, then propose a concrete action.
Model “full recap” template (adapt it).
You can follow this shape:
Thanks + framing
> “Thanks, Priya. Before we wrap up, just to make sure I have captured this correctly …”
Priority + reasoning
> “So the main priority is X, because Y.”
KPI definition
> “If I understood you correctly, the success metric is …”
Timeline + exact date
> “You’d like to see impact by …, so …, is that right?”
Budget + currency
> “Budget-wise, you’re aiming for …, and just to confirm, that’s in …?”
Constraints + risk language
> “The key constraints are …, which could affect delivery.”
Ownership
> “Who will be the day-to-day owner on your side?”
Final check + next step
> “Have I missed anything important? Is that a fair summary? If so, the next step is …”
Common B2 issues to avoid.
Mixing tenses when summarising (“You want” vs “You wanted”).
Missing articles (“the end of March”, “a security review”).
Unclear numbers (“80-100” without “thousand” or currency).
Ending without a clear next step.
Now write your own version as if you are Alex on the call.
Practice & Feedback
Write your capstone end-of-call recap as a short spoken script.
Length:120–170 words.
Situation: you are Alex speaking to Priya at the end of the discovery call.
Must include:
“Just to make sure I have captured this correctly …” (or a very close alternative).
