A prerequisite for preparing an initial proposal that will bring value to the prospect is to discover their business needs. This involves asking open-ended questions, listening actively, and using whiteboarding or other techniques to explore and understand the prospect's situation, goals, challenges, and pain points. By discovering their business needs, the sales representative can tailor the proposal to address the specific problems or opportunities that the prospect is facing, and to demonstrate how the solution can deliver value and benefits to the prospect. Reference: [Sales Rep Training: Explore Customer Needs], [Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Sales Representative: Explore Customer Needs]