Hello friends!
Have you ever wondered why some salespeople seem to effortlessly close deals while others struggle?
The secret often lies in their approach to sales discovery calls.
When conducting B2B sales, it's crucial to take the time to properly identify the right opportunities and prepare for each call. Your prospect will know that you have made the effort to know who they are and it builds trust with potential clients and understand their needs on a deeper level.
The benefits of making sales discovery calls go beyond simply closing deals.
They can also help you build long-lasting relationships with clients and gain insight into the industry. Don't underestimate the power of putting in the effort to make effective sales discovery calls. I remember a prospect turning me down in my first meeting and calling me 3 months after, telling me we can now work together! True story.
So in this week’s newsletter, let’s cover the step-by-step guide to a successful sales discovery call.
Before the Discovery Call:
Preparing for Your Sales Discovery Call
A successful sales discovery call starts before even meeting your prospects.
To prepare for the call, start with your research.
LinkedIn and Sales Navigator are great places to gather information about the person you will be speaking with, their current role, and their company. Beyond that, take a look at their website and any available annual reports to get a better understanding of their company’s operations and goals.
Find anything personal? Use that in your conversation. Do they run marathons? Passion for Not-for-Profit?
Once you’ve done your research, create a meeting plan that outlines your goals for the call, the questions you want to ask, and any potential objections you might face.
With a well-prepared plan and a thorough understanding of your potential customer, you’ll be well-equipped to make a strong impression and successfully move the conversation forward.
During the Discovery Call:
The Discovery call are in 4 parts.
Introduction, Building Rapport, Qualifying or Exploring and Next Steps.
1. Introduction
Making a great first impression during a B2B discovery call is crucial to building a lasting relationship with potential clients.
Therefore, mastering the art of a proper introduction is essential. Start off by introducing yourself and your role in the company. Then, briefly explain the purpose of the call and how it will benefit both parties involved.
2. Building Rapport
You know how building rapport is crucial during a B2B discovery call.
It’s the first step towards strengthening the relationship. Your research will play a big role in building rapport. Being prepared with knowledge about the company you’re speaking with and their specific needs and pain points.
Demonstrate active listening
Ask open-ended questions
Share relevant insights related to the company’s goals.
Maintaining a positive attitude and showing genuine interest in the conversation
Learn EDISC - If you know EDISC framework, you will be able to align to your prospects behaviour by knowing their communication style.
3. Qualifying
To qualify during a B2B discovery call, it’s crucial to focus on three main areas: ORD.
Opportunity or Project - What are the problems or results the prospects are aiming for?
Resources - People, Time and Money
Decision-making processes - How do their organisation makes decisions?
While it may not be possible to cover all three areas in the initial meeting, using this framework can provide structure to your qualifying efforts.
4. Next Steps
As you wrap up a meeting with your client, it’s important to agree on the next steps.
To ensure clarity and accountability, be sure to outline the details of what needs to be done, who is responsible for each task, and when it needs to be completed.
It’s also helpful to get micro-commitments from the client so they feel invested in the process and are more likely to follow through. Ask them what they want to achieve and make a plan to meet again to review progress.
By taking a proactive approach to outlining next steps, you can set yourself and your client up for success.
After the Discovery Call:
Update your CRM
After a productive discovery call, it’s time to take action and move the process forward.
The next steps internally include registering the account as an opportunity and updating all relevant information on the CRM. Update your CRM and register the account as an opportunity or parked or loss.
Write your detailed next steps in your CRM
It’s important to be organized with clear next steps in order to keep the process moving smoothly. By taking the time to document these steps in your CRM, you can stay on top of the process and ensure a successful outcome.
Measuring Success From a Sales Discovery Call
When it comes to measuring the success of these calls, it’s important to look out for specific indicators, such as whether the call resulted in a follow-up meeting or if the prospect is a good fit for the product or service.
Furthermore, a successful sales discovery call should have left a lasting impression on the client, leaving them with a positive outlook on the company’s brand and a desire to continue the conversation.
Ultimately, measuring the success of a sales discovery call goes beyond the individual call itself and rather factors in how it contributes to the overall sales strategy and pipeline.
Now that we have outlined the benefits of making sales discovery calls, I hope you grabbed some new insights and put them into practice.
What are your experiences in your discovery calls? Has this article helped provide any useful tips for further improvement?
I hope you have picked up some vital strategies after reading this post.
It would be great to hear how you go!
Thank you for reading! I Appreciate you💜
Ren
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For Inspiration
Have you watched the movie AIR ?
It reminded me of how tenacity and persistence can move mountains. I highly recommend watching it for inspiration. Regardless of its accuracy, it inspired me and brought back memories of my sales career's good old days!
It would be great weekend movie.
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