đ Rethinking Sales Discovery
Hello! Adam Thornhill here. âThe Podcast Guyâ saving you 10 hours a week.
Enjoy the 137th Podup, with special thanks to RhinoRating.
Today, weâll dive into the best insights and ideas from Marketing Against The Grain.
Sales discovery is more than just listening. Itâs about leading the conversation. This insight from April Dunford challenges a common misconception that customers should do all of the talking.
Sales discovery mistakes
People think sales discovery is about asking customers to discuss their problems and explain what theyâre looking for.
People think they should tailor the whole pitch around being the perfect solution to what the customer just said.
If you go through good sales training, thatâs not how they teach discovery at all.
We need educate the customer about our point of view on what is and isnât important.
April Dunford
Sales discovery templateÂ
Really good discovery sounds like this:
âWhatâre you doing right now?â
[customer reply]
âOh, thatâs really interesting. Have you tried anything else to solve the problem?â
[customer reply]
âWhen you tried that thing, how did it go?â
[customer reply]
âWeâve heard that a lot. Our customers chose us becauseâŠâ
April Dunford
The science behind the script
Youâre learning a lot about the customerâs situation - what they know, what they donât know, what their constraints are.
Youâre also educating them on your point of view. Youâre establishing trust and credibility based on your experience.
Thatâs what a buyer really wants in a sales conversation.
They want reassurance that theyâve done their homework. They want the sales rep to have their best interest at heart.
April Dunford
Why it matters
During discovery, you need to steer the conversation to a place where your product shines, not just as a solution, but as the solution. Itâs like being a detective and a mentor rolled into one. Youâre uncovering the customerâs true needs while leading them to an âahaâ moment where your product becomes the obvious choice.
Next steps
Donât let customers do all of the talking. Shift from just listening to actively guiding the conversation.
Educate and inform. Share your perspective on the customerâs problems and potential solutions.
Build trust. Establish yourself as a knowledgeable guide, not as a pushy salesperson.
Refine your script. Develop a discovery script that balances inquiry with helpful insights.
Role play. Practice with team members to hone your skills in guiding discovery conversations.
Your thoughts?
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Quotes were pulled at different points of the episode. Sentences were left out to make the narrative more concise. Podup is not associated or affiliated with any podcast.