The discovery phase of the B2B Sales process is often overlooked or rushed, but it is crucial in setting the foundation for a successful sale. That’s why you need proven discovery strategies that will help.
In the discovery phase, sales professionals can understand their prospects’ needs and pain points, build trust and credibility, and position themselves as valuable solution to their prospects’ business problems using proven discovery strategies.
As a B2B sales professional, it’s important to remember that the discovery phase is not just about selling your product or service. You should NOT sell any product or service in a discovery meeting or call. The main idea and only outcome should be about understanding your prospect’s business, their business problems and whether or not your product or service can help solve that business problem.
Here are five proven strategies for maximizing discovery meetings to help close more deals.
Five Proven B2B Sales Strategies for Discovery Meetings:
- Active Listening: One of the most critical aspects of the discovery phase is active listening. This means fully engaging with your prospect and understanding their needs, business challenges, and goals and outcomes for a better future state. This is accomplished through asking open-ended questions and taking detailed notes of their responses. You will likely challenge their assertions when you believe their view of their world differs from how it evolves based on your experiences with other customers interacting with you and your organization.
- Reverse Engineer the Decision Makers: You likely are not meeting a final decision maker in an initial discovery meeting. This doesn’t mean you have not to uncover who else may be involved in purchasing a product or service you offer. Utilizing social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter can give you a better understanding of your prospect’s business and industry. This information can also help you identify critical decision-makers and decision-making processes in the company. Asking questions about the research you have done to uncover who these people are and whether they would be included in the decision process would show your prospective customer that you are engaged at a different level compared to your competitors, taking your questions to a new level compared to those that ask “Who is the CFO and do they have the final say on this deal?”
- Build Trust and Credibility: Building trust and credibility with your prospects is crucial in the discovery phase. Share relevant case studies, testimonials, and statistics demonstrating your expertise and ability to deliver results. This will help establish you as a trusted advisor and make moving to the next phase of the sales process easier.
- Uncover the Number: During the discovery phase, it’s essential to uncover the actual value, meaning the real business problem and its financial number that the customer may face. Is it a 1 million dollar revenue shortfall? Is it a 20% turnover of employees, costing the company $250K in annual recruiting costs? Without a number that the customer is aligned to, you cannot communicate the potential return on investment (ROI) on any investment in your product or service offers.
- Gather Customer Data: Showcasing what you know about the customers and their industry is essential. It shows you have done some research and prevented them from having to “teach” you about it. You will not be able to learn everything that they would know. This means it is essential to walk away with any additional details that may be uncommon or unknown outside of industry experts that may be useful in tailoring your pitch and positioning your product or service as a valuable solution to their specific needs and challenges.
By following these strategies, you can effectively conduct discovery discussions, on calls or in person, that build trust, establish credibility, and position you as a valuable solution to your prospects’ business challenges.
Another critical point about this phase in the sales process is to be prepared for objections. In the discovery phase, your prospect may raise concerns or complaints about your product or service. It is essential to be ready to address these objections professionally and effectively. This will help build trust and credibility and increase the chances of closing the sale.
The discovery phase of the sales process is crucial in setting the foundation for a successful sale. By actively listening to your prospects, utilizing social media platforms to uncover relevant facts, building trust and credibility, highlighting the financial gap they’re facing, and gathering customer data, you will be able to effectively conduct discovery sessions that position you as a valuable solution to your prospects’ business challenges.
By following these strategies and being prepared for objections, B2B sales professionals can maximize their discovery calls and increase their chances of closing more deals.
