Mike Tyson once had one of the greatest quotes on business and life that is oftentimes overlooked: “Everyone has a plan, ‘til someone gets punched in the mouth.” This can be said with the sales discovery call as well. Here you have a potential customer looking at solutions to improve their current process, and you just happen to be the solution.
Here is your opportunity to show the prospect that your product and your product alone is the single greatest thing to ever exist on planet earth. But much like the sweet science of boxing, the discovery call is equal parts precision and maintaining composure, even in the harshest of situations. And sometimes you have a plan, until you (theoretically) get punched in the mouth. Before we fully understand the other sweet science that is the sales discovery call, we need to start with the basics.
What is the goal of a sales discovery call?
Simply put, a sales discovery call is a simple math equation:
A prospect needs to figure out a solution to a problem + you have said solution to their problem = you set aside a few minutes to chat and hope this is a match made in enterprise software heaven.
BOOM! Magic happens in the form of a discovery call. You connect with a customer just like Oscar De La Hoya did with half of the welterweight division in the late 90’s. Now that we know the basic structure of a call, let’s get a little more in depth.
Why bother doing one?
It’s easy to walk up to someone and proclaim, “You need new shoes, buy my shoes!” but you can’t expect anyone to even look at you seriously without fully understanding their shoe needs – even if they’re in the market for shoes! Like a boxer trying to connect with a perfect upper cut, a perfect B2B sales rep must be dialed in to the call with fine-tuned precision as well. Asking the right questions, and making sure that you’re on the same page as your prospect can oftentimes lead to ink to pen, and most importantly, the ability to sell more and close more deals.
Who should be involved in the call?
Like any great Boxing match, the sales discovery call usually has your eclectic cast of characters:
The Closer (Seller): this is the hot shot salesman (or woman) who can sell water to a well, ice to an Eskimo, lava to a volcano, you get it. This is usually the Rocky Balboa of the group, and their looking to cement their status as the hero we all need and deserve.
The decision maker (The Buyer): this is the person that might need/want the product you’re selling, but requires a bit more convincing. They may hold the key to decide on next steps, and you need to make sure your solution caters to their needs.
The technical person (Seller): This is the person on the call who’s going to answer any “complex” questions your prospect might have. Like a good Boxing Coach, they’re going to be in the corner to give you the guidance when you need it most.
A Sales Discovery Call is Extremely Beneficial
The sales discovery call is the building block of a successful sales cycle. Before we even think of putting ink to paper, we need to make sure we understand the industry a company is in, what he biggest need for them is, what the pain points are, you get the point. We also need to make sure we ask the right questions. So now that we have a general overview of a Discovery Call, what are the key questions to ask on a Sales Discovery Call?
Important Questions to Ask on the Call
How are you currently doing things?
Are you currently using a similar solution?
Why is it a priority?
Problem you’re trying to solve?
Budgeted?
What is the timeline?
What are the necessary requirements?
Any other competitors?
What is the source of the problem?
From what department does the budget come from?
What is the process for purchasing a product?
What metrics are you responsible for?
What industry is your company in?
What are the biggest issues you’re having with your current process?
Have you purchased a similar product before?
Being a cornucopia of amazing business quotes, the great Mike Tyson also stated “Everybody thinks this is a tough man’s sport. This is not a tough man’s sport. This is a thinking man’s sport.” The same can be said about sales. Bravado and courageousness aside, an important factor of the successful sales rep includes thinking your prospect’s problem through. So remember, next time you’re in a sales discovery call, you got to ask yourself one question: are you ready to rumble?
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Carlos Torres, Business Development Representative at Apttus, contributed this guest post for the LiveHive blog. LiveHive will be joining Apttus Accelerate 2016 Conference next week in San Francisco, where our CRO Jennifer Brandenburg will share how the LiveHive team closed a global deal using engagement analytics.
It’s time to reinvent how you sell, and Accelerate is the place to be to learn how. Register for Jennifer’s “Sales Tips and Tricks from the Trenches” today!
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