The Anatomy of a Perfect Discovery Call Questions are fundamental to the selling process. Where many salespeople fail is listening to the response of their question. Don’t give them the solution before you fully understand their problem. Customer’s don’t care about features. They care about figuring out if you can actually help.
Step 1) Preparation
Do research on the person you will be speaking with
- Find out what the customer mentioned they care about
- Check LinkedIn for uncommon-commonalities
- Show that you care by showing familiarity with their company and asking for their opinion
3rd Party Reference
Share a relevant use-case or customer story that pertains to the situation and pain you just summarized
Step 5) Prescription and Wrap
Share how specific parts of your solution address each of the pain points your customer needs solved.
- Make sure as you wrap up you ask if all their concerns were addressed to ensure a positive experience for both parties at the end of the session.
Conclusion
Focus on what your customer is looking to solve, understanding their pain, and what makes their situation unique.
Step 4) Diagnose before Prescribing: SP3V
Use question based sales to figure out what your customer is actually looking to solve. Ask them questions to understand their situation first. Then lead into questions that help clarify their Pain, and desired Value.
Strong opener to set the tone: AxNOT
The best start to a sales call accomplishes three things: sets the expectations of what will be accomplished, sets the time allotted to meet, and gives the customer confidence that their concerns will be addressed.
- Your opener should take about 45 seconds
Pain
When you begin asking pain questions, don’t just ask the generic “what keeps you up at night?” – ask more thoughtful
Value
Quantify the value of your solution by asking them questions that describe the impact it could have for the company
Not: Call Opening
Ax not: call opening
- x = time
- “We have 30 minutes scheduled to speak today – does that still work for you?” Remember to listen to their response, and adjust your call if necessary.
- Example: “I have questions for you about my company…”
Step 3) Confirm the Agenda, Ask About Their Goals
Ask them: What do you want to get out of today’s meeting?
- This helps the customer realize this is going to be a 2-way conversation and help the customer feel like they’re in control
