Tips for Improving Client Understanding in Discovery

90% of salespeople run terrible discovery calls. At best, they "check the boxes." At worst, they annoy the hell out of buyers. Use these 5 tips for discovery calls that buyers actually THANK you for: 1. "Prime" the call for success. Bad discovery calls start with bad expectations. You do one thing (ask questions). Your buyer expects another (demo). Get the first 5 minutes of the meeting right: After a few min of small talk, say "Do you mind if we talk about the agenda?" Then ask: "Here's what I have in mind for this call. Lmk if you're thinking something different. This meeting will be successful if ________________. Does that feel right?" Fill in the blank with an objective. THEN set the agenda to get there: "The way we'll accomplish that is first by talking about X, then Y. Anything to add or remove?" Do that, and you're ahead of most sellers. 2. Match your questions to the buyer's journey Meet your buyer where they stand. If they're exploring solutions, ask: "What's driving you to explore this category?" If they're not, and they're still crystallizing their challenges, ask: "Let's talk about the top challenges in [you area] that would be an issue if you didn't solve in 6-12 months." The point? Your first few questions should "meet them where they stand." Match your questions with the buyer's journey stage. 3. Firm up the 'why' When your buyer gets off the Zoom call: - they have 100s of emails - they have missed phone calls - their Slack is lit up like a Christmas tree They'll forget about you. Unless you get to the 'need behind the need.' Ask this: "What's going on your in your business that's driving [challenge they shared] to be a priority? What's the origin story of how this challenge got prioritized?" That question is as close to magic as you'll find. 4. Banter on the root cause Bad salespeople do nothing but get information. Great salespeople *create value* in the sales cycle. Here's how: Help your buyer think through the 'root cause' of their problems. - Offer new perspectives - Share what you see with customers - Ask challenging (but tactful) questions Business problems are messy. They're hard to figure out. If you help them do that, you create value. 5. Quantify the value 'Quantifying value' is misunderstood. Most sellers: Do it because it serves you, the seller Great sellers: Do it because it serves the buyer When you help your buyer quantify the value: - you help them appreciate the full magnitude - you help them know what they can ignore - you help them set priorities Try asking: "What metric will improve the most if you solve this issue?" That will start the process. - What tips would you add for better discovery calls that buyers enjoy? P.S. I've kept a list of 39 questions that sell over the last 12 years. These come from watching 3,000 Gong calls, and running over 1,000 discovery calls myself. Here's the free list of 39 questions that sell: https://go.pclub.io/list

Prospects aren’t targets. They’re humans. Humans respond best when they feel understood, not convinced. The best salespeople know how to make others feel heard. When you ask a question, then another question, then another unrelated question, discovery calls can feel like interrogations. If you don’t listen and instead rapid-fire scripted questions, it feels like you’re not genuinely interested in the response but rather focused solely on your agenda of quantifying pain so you justify your solution. If people don’t feel understood, they’re not going to trust what you recommend. The way out? Ask fewer questions on discovery calls. Go deeper. Like a therapist: “What’s on your mind?” (Inbound.) “How's it going?” Mute. (Digging deeper) “Afraid to dial?” (Digging deeper) “It’s like the phone is a cactus.” Mute. (Digging deeper) “What else?” Mute. “There are so many sales trainers. What prompted you to call us?” “What's the real challenge?” (Digging deeper.) “What's your perspective on why that is?” “If you're looking back 6 months from now, what has to have happened for you to feel really happy with your progress?” (Digging deeper.) “How so?” Don't ask a digging deeper question if you're not curious about the answer. When people feel understood, you build trust. And in a world of similar products, trust is why people choose you. Seller’s don’t have the answers. Buyers do. The seller’s job is to draw them out. Learn the gentle art of making others feel understood here: https://lnkd.in/eVfUevmz

This clarifying question has CONSISTENTLY gotten me more valuable information from prospects. It’s so basic I wish I’d started using it sooner… Whenever someone tells me something they want or need that is remotely up for interpretation, I ask: “What does *that* mean/look like, to you?” Examples: CEO: “My number one problem is discoverability.” Me: “What does discoverability mean, to you?” CEO: “I want more people to know about us. I want my company to be the first thing people think of when they’re evaluating our category.” VP of Sales: “We need more pipeline coverage.” Me: “What does more pipeline coverage look like, to you?” VP: “We’re at a 2.5X multiple right now. We need to be at 5X to hit our revenue targets.” This question is effectively “mirroring” my prospect, but (to me) feels less manipulative. It also helps me: 1) further quantify the business impact, and 2) build more trust through understanding Try it on your next disco call. #sales #discovery #salestips

Here’s why storytelling is the most valuable thing you can do in sales (besides listen) along with an example of how to do it... ---EXAMPLE--- If I’m selling claims software to an insurance company, I’m not saying, “can you tell me about your current claims process?” Because I’m going to get a vague answer like, “It’s manual, but we have a great team, so we make it work.” In other words, there’s no motivation to change. - So, rather than ask a question, I start with a story. That might sound something like this… “We have one insurance customer whose old process for resolving claims started like this: They had 150 people in the Philippines that were monitoring an email inbox 24/7. When an email came in, they would manually open it, then try to figure out if it was a claim or something else. If it was a claim, they would put it into one folder. If it was medical record they would put it in another folder. Then they’d read the next email, and they’d repeat this process 24/7 and hire more people in December to handle more emails and more claims." After telling that story, I would ask this question… “How does their claims process compare to yours?” Then I’d listen. Most often I would hear… “That’s exactly how we do it. Except we have 300 employees opening emails. And they’re not in the Philippines, they’re in Texas.” - ^Now I have something to work with. Now I have an invitation to dig into that process even more and find the business value of improving the process with software. Not to mention, the customer no longer sees me as the person trying to, “sell them something.” Instead, they see me as a peer that will work alongside them to see if there’s value in solving their problem. LESSON: If you’re an AE, SE, SDR, or CSM, you should learn how to do storytelling for sales. It’s not about being a performer, or being engaging (although storytelling helps with that). It’s about doing better discovery so you stop losing to the Do Nothing Alternative. BOTTOM LINE: More discovery - > more problems - > more value in solving those problems - > happier customers. #sales #sdr #presales #customersuccess What has been your experience with storytelling in your sales cycles?

Recently, our book club delved into "To Sell is Human" by Daniel Pink, a recommendation from my colleague Jennifer Hale. While I find that sales literature often tends to be preachy, this book was truly enjoyable. It offers valuable lessons that can be applied in both professional and personal contexts. As a Solutions Engineer, I'd like to share the key takeaways that resonated with me the most: #1 Instead of relying on mere affirmations like "you've got this" before important calls or meetings, it is more effective to engage in interrogative self-talk. By asking yourself questions like "can I solve this?", you not only boost your confidence but also prompt yourself to summon the necessary resources and strategies to accomplish the task at hand. Even better, answer these questions directly and in writing. Reflect on how you have solved similar challenges in the past. This proactive approach will better prepare you for the task ahead. #2 Those who excel in any creative field are skilled problem-finders. While everyone dreams of securing a career-defining deal, the reality is that such opportunities are rare. These significant deals usually arise from substantial problems, and the first step towards solving them is identifying their existence. What sets successful sellers apart is their commitment to discovery. When in doubt, ask more questions. Without a deep understanding of the current situation and challenges, you will never be able to propose transformative solutions. #3 Contrast plays a crucial role in persuasion. When presenting a solution, highlighting the differences between alternatives can shed light on why your offering is superior. How does your solution compare to what they're doing today? #4 Granular numbers carry more credibility than vague ones. When making a business case, instead of stating that something can save 5 hours, say that it can save 300 minutes. #5 The days of relying on stable, simple, and certain conditions that favored scripted approaches are long gone. In today's dynamic and complex world, improvisation is key. As a Solutions Engineer, I believe in being prepared with a bullet list of topics to cover during meetings while allowing room for flexibility. This approach enables me to adapt to unexpected twists and turns in the conversation, leading to fruitful discussions that uncover transformational challenges as mentioned in #2 #6 Many people listen with the intention to answer rather than truly listen. This approach is passive and transactional. Solutions Engineers are prone to this due to being solution-oriented. However, it is crucial to prioritize understanding the question being asked before providing an answer. If you're unsure, rephrase the question in your own words to confirm your comprehension. From a tactical standpoint, refrain from prematurely answering questions while someone is still speaking. Take your hand off the mouse and allow them to complete their inquiry before responding.

When we dissect discovery calls, we hear this same motion almost every time - the buyer opens up about what they need, which prompts the seller to meet them with exactly how they can help. Perfect, right? Nope. We are SO eager to hear something that we can solve that we don't pause to ask the critical question - why? ***We know what you need, we don't know why you need it.*** What's the business pain? What's the cost of inaction? How much does this one issue impact dozens of people, dozens of times/day? How does this impact your goals for the year ahead? Is this enough of pain point that it's worth the trouble of changing? What's the monetization associated with the pain? Why is it important to change now? Have you tried to tackle this change before? And so on... Toss a sticky on your laptop and simply pause when you hear what they want. This is your moment to... differentiate significantly better qualify this opp get a host of details that will help you figure out how to best solve their challenges understand if you're talking to the right team ...and up your odds of advancing this opportunity #samsales