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Writer's pictureAustin Nicholas

What is a discovery call AND a 4-Step Focused process.

Updated: Mar 23, 2023

Are you interested in the world of sales? Do you want to know how to create a focused discovery call with a customer? If so, keep reading!

Before we go in to details lets start with the basics and understand what is a discovery call in sales?


What is a Discovery Call?


In sales, a discovery call is typically the first conversation between a salesperson and a potential customer. Discovery calls are an important part of the sales process, as they allow sales professionals to learn more about their prospects and identify their needs.


During a discovery call, the salesperson will typically ask a series of questions to gather information about the customer's business, pain points, and objectives. The salesperson may also provide information about their company's products or services and answer any questions the customer may have.


The ultimate goal of a discovery call in sales is to establish a relationship with the customer, build trust, and determine whether there is a good match between the customer's needs and the salesperson's offerings. If the salesperson determines there is a good fit, they can then move forward with the sales process, presenting proposals or additional information to further educate the customer on how their product or service can help meet their needs.


Conducting a great discovery call requires preparation, active listening, and the ability to ask effective questions, but with the Focused approach, you can build a rapport with your customer and establish a lasting relationship.


The 4-Step Focused process

Before the call

Research the prospect's company and industry to gain a better understanding of their business. Review any available information on the prospect's website, social media accounts, and recent news articles. Take notes and prepare a list of questions to ask during the call. (This can be done really effectively using Focused's question generation tool).

Remember the golden rule - if can be googled do not ask the question...do your research!!


Step 1- Unite with the Customer

The first step is to 'Unite with the Customer'. It's essential to establish common ground and build rapport. Read their Linkedin profile thoroughly and look for commonalities to use as talking points and ice breakers during this initial phase of the call. These could be any mutual connections, common goals or reference recent posts or updates to demonstrate your interest in their content and point of view. Be authentic and genuine, and focus on building a relationship rather than making a sale.


Step 2 - Share Problems (by asking questions)


Ask the customer if they have any specific questions or topics they would like to cover during the call and aim to get an understanding of what problems you can help them solve.


You should do this by asking the relevant questions from your question agenda that are applicable. Be sure not to simply rattle off all your questions in rapid-fire...stagger your questions that relate to each particular phase of the meeting.


Ask questions that require more than a simple yes or no answer. This will encourage the prospect to provide more information and help you better understand their needs. For example, instead of asking "Do you have any pain points in your current process?" ask "Can you help me understand some of the biggest challenges you face in your current process?"


Be sure to actively listen to the customer's responses and takiing notes. This will show that you are genuinely interested in their business and help you identify areas where you can provide value.


Step 3 - Evaluate Implications


At this stage of the meeting, you would have identified and noted some of the customer's key challenges, now is the time to evaluate the implications.


Ask follow-up questions to learn more about the issue. For example, if they mention that they are struggling with customer retention, ask how long they typically retain customers and what steps they have taken to improve retention.


Begin to really understand the customer's emotions and you can once again prove to the buyer that you listening and trustworthy by aiming to label the emotions of how the customer.


Step 4 - Discover and Delight


It is only at this stage of the discovery call when you should be aiming to steer the discussion and lead your buyer to your product/service. Addressing how your product/service can solve a challenge or pain point. At Focused we recommend actually conducting a min live demo (no longer than 5 mins) explaining how it can help the prospect overcome the issue. Be specific and provide examples of how your solution has helped other businesses with similar challenges.


At the end of the call, summarise the key points and next steps and if appropriate, schedule the follow-up in depth Demo call.


By following these steps and demonstrating a genuine interest in the prospect's business, you can conduct a great discovery call that helps you build rapport and establish trust with your prospect. Time to discover and delight - best of luck.


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