Guide to Running Effective Sales Discovery Calls
Preparation
- Know your agenda and the clients
- Research company, decision chain, strategic priorities
- Visualise the outcome of the call that you need
During the Call
1. Establish Rapport and Set Expectations
- Connect over common ground and build meaningful rapport
- Thank them for their time
- Explain the call's purpose and value they should receive by the end (often referred to as an upfront contract by Sandler)
2. Gather Key Information
- Understand customer needs, challenges, and processes (Current state)
- Identify pain points and their business impact (What happens if things don't change)
- Determine ideal solution characteristics
- Uncover the decision-making process and stakeholders ("Besides you, else would be involved in validating and approving the final solution?"
- Establish a timeline and any compelling events (Don't ask when they will decide by, Ask "when would you want to go live by" and drill down into "what significance is this timeline")
- Confirm budget allocation and source "Will this budget be discretionary or planned spend?
- Identify current tools, services and business workflows.
Internal Information to Gather:
- Core business details
- Opportunity size (current and future)
- Use cases and processes
- Current tools and their shortcomings
- Inter-departmental collaborations
- Decision-makers and their process
- Success criteria
- Key benefits of interest
- Potential risks of not closing the deal
3. Ask Impact Questions
- "What will happen if you don't find a solution for the next project?"
- "How much time could you save with an automated report?"
4. Active Listening
- Aim for 45% talking, 55% listening
- Ask 11-14 questions throughout the call
- Allow prospects to respond fully without interruption
Closing the Call
- Summarise the conversation
- Set specific next steps (time, date, and purpose)
- Secure mutual commitments
- Prompt follow up via email (<24 hours is ideal)
Post-Call Evaluation
Assess if the prospect is qualified and has growth potential
Key Takeaways
- Be confident and use collaborative language
- Uncover 2-4 pain points
- Establish control of the sales process early
- Focus on the prospect's reasons for buying, not yours
Remember: The biggest competitor is often the status quo. Your goal is to understand the prospect's needs and position your solution as the best way to address them.
