Tips for Navigating the Customer Discovery Process

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

Here's the list of my favorite discovery questions I shared on last week's Sell Better show. If you asked me for this list 10 years ago, none of these Qs would've been on it. It took me losing a lot of deals to "no decision" to realize where my deals were falling apart. Here's what I learned. It was easy for me to get happy ears when a champion wanted our solution. Especially when they were C-level. What I failed to realize is, it's rare for an entire buying group to share the exact same POV on business problems and priorities. Example (from when I sold a sales methodology): CRO thinks they need a new sales methodology. VP Sales - East thinks they need to buy a call recording software. VP Sales - West thinks they just need negotiation training. CEO thinks they need to hire more SMEs. HR thinks they need to re-org the sales team. Marketing thinks they need to spend more on events. Each person has a different take on the "right" solution, because they have different takes on the "right" problem to be solved + the root cause of that problem. So, job #1 is to aid our champion to get group alignment on the problem. Slow down your champion in discovery with these questions. Help them think through alternative points of view. Help them seek disagreement, before they seek agreement. Once I got good at this, it almost always opened the door for them to bring in the rest of the buying group early for a group meeting with me about the problem. Because I wasn't pushing a solution. I was aiding in the group's collective understanding of the problem. Those deals moved the fastest for me. Not always to a 'yes'. But, I'd much rather get a fast 'no' over a slow 'no decision'.

You're probably going to disagree with this statement and my approach. But I think there are two types of B2B first meetings. They are: 1) The client is aware of their problem, wants to do something about it, and realizes they believe they might need help (they may even know about your product) 2) The client doesn't know they have a problem or doesn't fully understand the depth of the problem. They took the meeting because they were curious. Most salespeople train for scenario 1, which looks like a discovery call. Scenario 1: you've probably caught your client at the right time. With scenario 2, the client isn't in the buying cycle, and you're creating interest. I've rarely seen the best salespeople run a good meeting for scenario 2. Here's why: They try to run a discovery call, but the client isn't ready. So, the conversation falls flat. Here's how you know you need to pivot from doing the discovery call. Salesperson: Why did you take the call today? Client: You called me, and it sounded interesting. Salesperson: What about it sounded interesting. Client: I'm curious about the client you mentioned during the call. Here's the pivot. The client isn't ready to disclose their situation, so you must go first. This is where you tell the story of the client and the problems they were facing. Then, you share how they solved the problems and the impact of solving them. You must lead with insights and help them think differently about their situation. As you share the story, check in with the client for their thoughts. You'll get a second discovery call if you do this well and the client can relate. Sometimes, it may take months to get that second call because you caught the buyer before they were shopping. So now, you nurture them until they're ready.

Salesforce's Enterprise AEs who make P-club do an unusual thing before their first meetings with execs. I was surprised to see them start discovery before they say a word in a VP+ conversation. Here are 5 ways I've seen it done: 1/ Survey the Exec's current team Look for them on LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Filter to folks active on LinkedIn during the past 30 days. Send a short message about how your product helps them. NOT what your product does. The outcomes they'll see (WIIFM). Ask about their pain points & advice on how to best approach the Exec. -> In Exec Discovery, this sounds like: "After talking with 5 of your sales reps in the East, it sounds like AE-created pipeline is a big focus. What are the biggest risks you see to pipe build in the next 3-6 mos? 2/ Look at the Customer Stories on their Website What problems do they solve? Who is their customer? SMB? Enterprise? What do people mention... and NOT mention? -> Sounds like: "You've got some great logos. Amazing to see Gong, Salesloft & Drift all using your platform. Given that renewals are getting leaner across the SaaS industry, what are the 2 biggest churn risks you're keeping an eye on next quarter? " 3/ RepVue / Glassdoor Reviews If you're in tech, check RepVue to see if folks are hitting quota. 71% vs. 21% of the team hitting...different conversations On Glassdoor, you can filter reviews. Hit the drop-down to select the department you sell into. You can also use Ctrl F / search for specific words in reviews. -> Sounds like: "Looks like building pipeline has been tough. Found these quotes from reps on Glassdoor (put screenshots on slides). How are you thinking about risks related to hiring & retention in the next 3 months? 4/ Look at sites where their Product is reviewed In tech, this could be G2, Capterra, Featured Customers, etc. Look for gaps related to your product (customer service, efficiency, integrations). -> Sounds like: "Looks like your customers love your functionality on G2. The only thing they disliked was not having enough time with their CSM each month. Is this one of the top 3 risks to customer retention you're focused on in the next 3 months?" 5/ Search on YouTube for any speeches, webinars, or Podcasts featuring the Exec. Make note of common themes & top takeaways. And especially any personal stories. -> In Exec Discovery, sounds like: "You made a great point about sales & marketing alignment on Kevin Dorsey's podcast. How do fewer lead conversions & slower deal velocity rank as risks you're discussing with your marketing team?" This type of prep surprises and impresses Execs. Having a POV immediately differentiates us. 1st meetings will be 5x better. Preparation > product features. #pipelineanxiety #sales

🌟 Unlocking Insights: The Top 10 Best Discovery Questions to Elevate Your Sales Conversations! 🚀 Hello Small Business Sales Leaders! Mastering the art of discovery is the key to understanding your customers and tailoring your approach effectively. Here are some of the best discovery questions to guide your sales conversations: **1. "Can You Walk Me Through Your Current Challenges and Pain Points?" Understanding the challenges your prospect is facing provides valuable insights into their immediate needs and priorities. **2. "What Goals Are You Looking to Achieve in the Next Quarter/Year?" Aligning your solution with the prospect's goals allows you to position your product or service as a strategic asset to their success. **3. "How Does Your Decision-Making Process Typically Work?" Uncovering the decision-making dynamics within the prospect's organization helps you navigate the sales process more effectively. **4. "Who Are the Key Stakeholders Involved in This Decision?" Identifying and understanding the key decision-makers and influencers ensures you engage with the right individuals throughout the sales journey. **5. "What Solutions Have You Tried in the Past, and What Were the Results?" Learning about past solutions provides insights into what has or hasn't worked for the prospect, guiding your recommendations. **6. "What Timelines Are You Working Within for Implementation?" Understanding the prospect's timelines allows you to tailor your proposal to align with their urgency and priorities. **7. "How Would You Measure Success in Implementing a Solution Like Ours?" Defining success metrics ensures that both you and your prospect have a clear understanding of what a successful partnership looks like. **8. "What Concerns or Objections Do You Have About Implementing a Solution?" Addressing concerns upfront allows you to build trust and tailor your pitch to alleviate any reservations the prospect may have. **9. "Can You Share Insights About Your Current Vendor or Solution?" Gaining insights into the prospect's current relationships helps you position your solution as a valuable enhancement or alternative. **10. "How Can Our Solution Best Support Your Unique Business Needs?" Tailoring your solution to the prospect's specific business needs demonstrates a commitment to a personalized and impactful partnership. 🚀 Pro Tip: The art of discovery lies in active listening and adapting your questions based on the prospect's responses. Make it a conversational exploration rather than a checklist. Ready to Elevate Your Discovery Conversations? Let's Connect! If you're looking to refine your discovery process or discuss how to tailor these questions to your unique sales landscape, let's connect. Together, we can unlock valuable insights that drive successful sales outcomes. Here's to impactful discovery conversations and the thriving journey ahead! 🌟💼 #SalesDiscovery #ElevateConversations #UnlockInsights 🚀✨

Advanced Discovery:The Discovery Compass: Navigating Toward Value 🎯 Get Real with Advanced Discovery: Stop settling for surface-level insights. Dive deep to understand your client's real challenges and opportunities. 🌐 Know the External Environment: Do your homework. Understand the industry headwinds and tailwinds that impact your client. 🧠 The Sales Champion’s Subjective Truth: Don't just listen; interpret. Your sales champion's views are a mix of fact and opinion. Know the difference. 📊 Objective Facts Are Your Friends: Ask for hard data like win rates to understand how your client’s organization truly operates. 🤝 Collective Subjective = Consensus Building: In B2B sales, it’s not just one opinion that matters. Understand the collective views to navigate toward a solution. 🧭 The Discovery Compass: Use this approach to ask questions that lead you to the root cause of your client’s problems. 🛠 Navigating Toward Value: Your role is to add value at every interaction. Tailor your questions to help your client realize what they need to understand and act upon. 🔍 Self-Check: Reflect on your last deals. Did you identify the root causes? Were you consultative enough to guide your client through what they needed to learn? Remember, advanced discovery isn’t just about identifying problems; it’s about co-creating solutions. Your clients are looking for more than a salesperson; they want a partner who can navigate complexities and drive real value. For further reading: Eat Their Lunch: Winning Customers Away from Your Competition: Link Here Elite Sales Strategies: A Guide to Being One-Up, Creating Value, and Becoming Truly Consultative:

How to run discovery calls better than 95% of AEs (4 steps). 𝟭. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 Don't ask "Where are you calling in from?" Instead: Hey Jill, Appreciate you taking the time. I want to make sure we get the most out of our call today. So I'd like to start with my research, what I know about your business and how I think we may be able to help. How does that sound? 𝟮. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Don't ask "What brought you to Acme?" Instead: Hey Jill, In my research I noticed XYZ. I speak with a lot of founders in your situation and usually, that means a focus on: 1. Priority 1 2. Priority 2 Is that the case for you or is something else more important? 𝟯. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 Once you learn their key priorities and problems. Explain the following: - How you'll specifically help - How your solution's different - Why those differences are important Have this be the cornerstone of your entire sales process. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 Don't ask "What next step makes sense?" Instead: - Make a reccomendation - What will be covered on the call? - Why is that valuable to the customer? - Multi Thread with other stakeholders This takes at least 5 minutes to do. 👉 Do these 4 things consistently and watch your confidence with discovery calls soar. What'd I miss, friends?

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

I've closed $1M doing founder-led sales in less than a year. I have no sales background, and never understood how to do discovery. Until this mindset shift: Instead of trying to “qualify” prospects, you should actively try to disqualify prospects. ----- Ask scary questions that lead prospects away from your product, such as: ▶️ Why don’t existing solutions such as X, Y and Z work for you? ▶️ Why are you taking time out of your day to chat with me? ▶️ Is this something you need right now, or are you just window shopping? ----- It’s not the standard way to do discovery, but it: ▶️ Helped us understand why people bought and why people didn’t. ▶️ Maximized our learning per conversation, which is more valuable than revenue when you’re early-stage. ▶️ Helped us find early users with a burning pain. People would self-select out if the pain wasn’t strong enough. ----- Don't worry about losing prospects. If your product is valuable, you’ll have hundreds of thousands of potential customers. If it’s not, it’s better to know sooner rather than later.

One thing I've noticed when working with clients and doing discovery calls is that a lot of companies are not using customer signals to be proactive instead of reactive. Being proactive rather than reactive is the key to ensuring customer satisfaction and retention. One effective strategy to stay ahead of potential issues is by documenting and understanding "customer signals" – subtle behaviors and indicators that can serve as red flags. Recognizing these signals across the organization allows businesses to engage with customers at the right moment, preventing issues from escalating and ultimately fostering a more positive customer experience. Teams should not just try to save the account once there is a request to cancel or an escalation. You need to pay attention to the signs before you hit this point. Ensuring the entire team knows what to look for means that everyone is empowered to care and improve the customer experience. Here's a list of customer behaviors that could be potential red flags, gradually increasing as they check out or consider leaving: 🔷 Reduced Engagement: Decreased interactions with your product or service. Limited participation in surveys, webinars, or other engagement opportunities. 🔷 Decreased Usage Patterns: A decline in frequency or duration of product usage. Reduced utilization of features or services. 🔷 Unresolved Support Tickets: Multiple open support tickets that remain unresolved. Frequent escalations or dissatisfaction with support responses. 🔷 Negative Feedback or Reviews: Public expression of dissatisfaction on review platforms or social media. Consistently low scores in customer feedback surveys. 🔷 Inactive Account Behavior: Extended periods of inactivity in their account. No logins or interactions over an extended timeframe. 🔷 Communication Breakdown: Ignoring or not responding to communication attempts. Lack of response to personalized outreach or engagement efforts. 🔷 Changes in Buying Patterns: Drastic reduction in purchase frequency or order size. Shifting to lower-tier plans or downgrading services. 🔷 Exploration of Alternatives: Visiting competitor websites or exploring alternative solutions. Engaging in product comparisons and evaluations. 🔷 Billing and Payment Issues: Frequent delays or issues with payments. Unusual changes in billing patterns.