Imagine the following situation: As a salesperson, you are on an initial discovery call with a prospect, trying to understand the prospect’s specific challenges, goals, and plans in order to assess whether and how you and your solution can help. You start asking questions with the intention of learning more about the prospect’s situation.

However, instead of a constructive and collaborative exploration of needs, the situation turns into a strange question-and-answer session more reminiscent of an interrogation or your first job interview. This exchange of questions and the prospect’s increasingly short and even annoyed answers does nothing to help you understand the problem or qualify the opportunity, while leaving you feeling uncomfortable and the prospect frustrated that they are wasting their time with you.

Sound familiar? Good! That means you are, or at least have been, trying to gather valuable information about a prospect’s problem before bombarding them with your sales pitch.

If not, you are either an expert at discovery or you are not asking deep enough questions.

When I was the head of sales of a growing deep-tech start-up, I was often asked the following question in training sessions with my team: How can I gather information and gain an understanding of my customer’s problem without coming across as the annoying salesman? Or: How do I strike the right balance between asking for information and providing valuable insight?

In the dynamic world of sales, the discovery call is the critical first step in understanding the prospect’s needs, challenges and aspirations. However, as mentioned in the example above, for many salespeople, navigating this initial conversation can be a difficult task, often leading to awkward exchanges and missed opportunities. But fear not, because in this guide we’ll look at the art of gathering information in discovery calls seamlessly, while building trust and rapport with the prospect.

Understanding the Essence of Discovery Calls

Discovery calls are more than just a checklist of questions to ask; they are an opportunity to make a meaningful connection with the prospect. The key is to transform the interaction from a scripted interrogation to a genuine and open conversation.

For a great demonstration of this in practice, watch Steli Efti’s video „How to Ace Your Sales Discovery Calls“.

Establishing Trust: A Mutual Endeavor

Trust is not a one-way street; it is cultivated through mutual engagement and transparency. Sales representatives must approach discovery calls with the mindset of building a relationship rather than merely closing a deal. This involves not only asking pertinent questions but also offering valuable insights and sharing relevant experiences. Aim for a balance of information exchange between asking questions and providing relevant information that educates and empowers the prospect. Remember, trust is built on reciprocity.

The Power of Conversation

A successful discovery call therefore depends on the ability to engage the prospect in a meaningful dialogue. Instead of bombarding them with questions, start a conversation that encourages them to open up about their pain points, goals and aspirations. As Steli Efti suggests in the video above, „Start with a conversation, not a questionnaire.“

Providing Value Through Insights

This means that a discovery call shouldn’t be seen as just an opportunity to gather information; it’s a chance to add value to the prospect’s journey. Share insights from previous customer experiences by mentioning challenges your existing customers have faced and how you and your solution helped them overcome them. This enables you to offer relevant solutions to their challenges and highlight the potential benefits of your product or service without being too salesy – you are simply having a conversation with the client in which you are sharing your experiences. In this way, you as a salesperson can position yourself as a trusted advisor and instill confidence in the prospect and differentiate yourself from competitors.

Sharing Information in Context is Key

When sharing experiences and best practices, it is vital to do so in the context of the conversation and in relation to what the client has said earlier. Rather than having a pre-defined „list of use cases and past projects“ that you want to share with the client during the call, think of your experience and past use cases as a „repository of helpful information“ from which you can pull the appropriate piece if and when it is helpful to the client and the conversation.

The best way to „set the context“ and control the conversation is to ask the right questions at the right time. An excellent, simple and natural way is to start the conversation by asking the prospect, „What prompted you to schedule this meeting today?

Then, following the client’s answer, you can ask a few more questions to understand the client’s motivation (hint: the client is usually looking for a solution to a problem he or she is facing) and select the right „experience“ whenever it is valuable to the client and helpful to keep the conversation going.

Crafting Open-Ended Questions

When it comes to asking questions, the key of gathering information lies in asking the right questions. While open-ended questions elicit more detailed answers and demonstrate genuine interest in the prospect’s concerns, I find it helpful to use a combination of closed-ended and open-ended questions.

For example, if you’re talking about an experience you’ve had with another client, you might want to ask a closed question to see if it’s relevant to the client and then follow up with an open-ended question to gain a better understanding. In practice this could look like this:

Salesperson: „With customer xyz we have seen the challenge that they find it difficult and very time consuming to identify the reason for the quality problems they are facing and they lack the necessary qualified resources to do so. Is this also the case for you?“.

Customer: „Yes, that sounds familiar“

Salesperson: „Okay – what makes it difficult for you?“

Furthermore, when sharing how your solution has helped a customer solve their challenges, asking if such a solution might be helpful to them will not only help you collect „microclosures“ throughout the conversation, but will also allow you to naturally transition to your pitch when the time is right.

two women sitting at a table having a sales meeting

Active Listening: The Key to Understanding

The other side of asking the right questions (doing the right thing when you are talking), is listening the right way (doing the right thing when your prospect is talking).

Listening is a skill that is often overlooked but is of paramount importance in the sales process. Practice active listening during discovery calls by paying attention to the prospect’s answers, probing deeper when necessary, and acknowledging their concerns. This demonstrates empathy and builds trust, laying the foundation for a fruitful partnership.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, mastering the art of discovery calls isn’t just about asking the right questions; it’s about making genuine connections, delivering value, and actively listening to the prospect’s needs.

By approaching these meetings as authentic conversations with empathy and a willingness to share insights, you as a salesperson can transform what might otherwise be a transactional exchange into a collaborative exploration of solutions.

Remember, the goal is not just to gather information, but to build trust and rapport with the prospect, setting the stage for a successful partnership.

So embrace the power of conversation, share your experience in context, and listen actively to truly understand and address the prospect’s challenges. With these principles in mind, every discovery call can become an opportunity not just to qualify leads, but to cultivate meaningful relationships that drive long-term success.

FAQ

How do I strike the right balance between gathering information and providing valuable insights during a discovery call?

Finding the right balance between gathering information and providing insight requires a nuanced approach. Start by asking probing questions to understand the prospect’s challenges and goals. As the conversation progresses, share relevant insights and experiences from previous customer engagements to demonstrate how your solution has addressed similar issues. However, be careful not to overwhelm the prospect with excessive information or sales pitches. Instead, focus on providing value-added insights that are relevant to their specific situation and needs.

A key to this is to pay close attention to the customer by listening to their answers, the way their answers are constructed, and observing their facial expressions and body language. It is also important to pay attention to the team dynamics in a multi-stakeholder call. For example, if you notice that a less senior person is speaking openly and giving detailed answers to your questions, while the more senior participant (possibly even the decision maker) is not saying much and is looking more critical, react to this by steering the conversation towards you sharing insights & knowledge (if this is helpful in the particular situation), or address it and engage the more senior person by asking them directly if you can help them with any questions or concerns they may have.

How can I keep the discovery call focused and productive without veering off track?

Keeping the discovery call focused and productive requires a little planning and active facilitation. It is helpful to set clear objectives for the call and outline the topics you intend to cover. You may also want to introduce the call by outlining the objectives (from the client’s perspective, of course) and the topics to be covered. During the call, guide the discussion by asking targeted questions that address the prospect’s specific challenges and goals. If the conversation starts to veer off course, gently steer it back to the main issues at hand, while still leaving room for organic exploration. Remember, the goal is to gather relevant information while keeping the prospect engaged and interested.

What should I do if the prospect seems hesitant to share information during the discovery call?

If the prospect seems reluctant to share information during the discovery call, it’s important to approach the situation with empathy and understanding. Start by acknowledging their reluctance, either directly or indirectly by adjusting your approach. A good way to do this is to try to build trust and rapport by sharing relevant insights and experiences from previous client engagements. In addition, consider reframing your questions to be more open-ended and non-threatening so that the prospect feels more comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns. Remember that trust is built over time, so be patient and persistent in your efforts to make a genuine connection.

Title image by cookie_studio on Freepik

In text image by freepik