It is 28 minutes into a 30-minute discovery call. You think it’s going great.
You are just about to ask for the next steps when the prospect interrupts:
"Sorry, I have a hard stop. Send me some info and I'll get back to you."
Click.
You just lost control. Now you are in "Chase Mode," sending follow-up emails that will likely be ignored.
The mistake didn't happen at minute 28. It happened at minute 1. You failed to set an Upfront Contract.
In 2025, buyers are busy and distracted. If you don't set the rules of the meeting before it starts, they will set them for you (usually by leaving early).
Key takeaways
- No Surprises. An Upfront Contract removes the anxiety of "What is this salesperson going to do to me?" It builds immediate trust. Sandler – The Guide to Closing More Deals
- Permission to say No. Paradoxically, telling a prospect they can say "No" at the end of the call makes them more likely to say "Yes." It lowers their defenses. TWSales – The Guide to Upfront Contracts
- Time Management. Validating the "Hard Stop" at the start prevents the awkward cutoff at the end. Allego – Virtual Selling Best Practices
Table of contents
- What is an Upfront Contract?
- The 5 Elements of a Perfect Contract
- The Script (Copy-Paste this)
- Why Reps are afraid to use it
- How Nomi ensures you never forget it
What is an Upfront Contract?
Popularized by the Sandler Sales Methodology, an Upfront Contract is a verbal agreement made at the start of a meeting. It answers four questions for both parties:
- Purpose: Why are we here?
- Time: How long do we have?
- Agenda: What will we cover?
- Outcome: What happens at the end?
It turns a loose chat into a professional business meeting.
The 5 Elements of a Perfect Contract
To set a rock-solid contract, you need to cover these 5 bases (T.P.O.Y.M):
- Time: Confirm the end time. "Do we still have 30 minutes hard stop?"
- Purpose: State the goal. "The goal is to see if Nomi is a fit for your team."
- Outcome: Define the decision. "By the end, we should decide if it makes sense to schedule a demo or not."
- Your Role (The Rep): "I'll ask you some questions about your process..." (This frames your SPIN Selling discovery).
- My Role (The Prospect): "You can ask me anything about the product."
The Script (Copy-Paste this)
Here is how to sound natural, not robotic.
The "Soft" Approach (For Discovery Calls):
"Hi John, thanks for joining. I know we scheduled 30 minutes—does that still work for you?
Great. The goal today is just to learn about your outbound process and see if we can help.
I’ll ask a few questions, and obviously, you can grill me on our product. By the end of the 30 minutes, usually one of two things happens: Either we agree this isn't a fit, which is totally fine. Or, if it looks like a match, we schedule a deeper demo for next week.
Does that sound like a fair plan?"
Why it works:
- You validated the time.
- You gave them permission to say "No" (low pressure).
- You pre-sold the "Next Step" (the demo).
Why Reps are afraid to use it
Most junior reps skip this step because they are afraid of "imposing" on the prospect. They want to be liked.
But in B2B sales, Authority > Likeability.
A doctor doesn't say "So, what do you want to talk about?". A doctor says "Sit down, tell me where it hurts, and I will tell you if I can fix it."
The Upfront Contract establishes you as the Doctor, not the Beggar.
How Nomi ensures you never forget it
The problem isn't knowing the theory; it's remembering to do it when your heart is racing at the start of a call.
Nomi acts as your Flight Checklist.
- Pre-Flight Check: As the Zoom connects, Nomi displays a simple overlay: "Step 1: Set Upfront Contract."
- Time Verification: Nomi prompts you: "Confirm they still have 30 minutes."
- Outcome Lock: If you reach the last 5 minutes of the call without defining a next step, Nomi flashes an alert: "5 minutes left. Secure the next meeting now."
It forces you to maintain discipline, ensuring every call ends with a clear decision, not a vague "maybe."