Effective discovery calls should focus on the buyer, their problems, and their desired outcomes. However, there’s a disconnect between what buyers want and what they’re getting from salespeople in these early interactions.
Buyers prioritize sales meetings that focus on their specific needs. They want information on the product or service, an exploration of their known problems, and discussions about their future goals. Yet, salespeople still center initial discoveries on information relevant to them and not to the buyer. They waste time company information or general industry information.
What Buyers Expect in Discovery Calls
Data collected by A Sales Growth Company shows that buyers have specific expectations for what they want to discuss during a first call. The top three as ranked by buyers:
Product/Service Information
Buyers expect clear and specific information about the product or service. They want to know how it functions, the unique benefits, and how it directly relates to them.
Exploring Known Problems
Buyers value discussions that address their current problems. They expect sellers to show an understanding of their challenges and the impacts of those challenges and start to dissect these problems.
Questions on Future Goals
Buyers want meetings that showcase an interest in their futures. Discussing long-term goals and desired outcomes positions the salesperson as a partner in the buyer’s future success.
Certain topics like decision criteria questions and general industry information rank low in priority for buyers. These topics lack immediate relevance for a buyer because they are focused on the seller. When these topics come up buyers immediately see the discussion shifting from a problem solving environment to a selling environment.
Where Salespeople Focus in Sales Discovery
While buyers prioritize specific, relevant discussions in sales calls, the reality of what salespeople deliver is often quite different. Here are the 3 most covered topics by salespeople according to buyers:
Product/Service
Product details are also a top priority for buyers. However, salespeople must be sure to tailor the information to their buyers specific environment. A general pitch can turn the conversation south in a hurry.
Company Information
Sellers frequently cover details about their own company, it’s history, achievements, market position, etc. Once believe to establish credibility, this information is no longer relevant in early meetings.
General Industry Information
Many sellers like to discuss broad industry trends or insights believing it adds value. Buyers, on the other hand, find this information generic and disconnected from them. Industry information can be useful when it directly relates to a buyer’s specific situation.
Focusing on the wrong topics, i.e. topics buyers don’t want to hear about, is a quick way to disengage a buyer. Sales teams must recognize what buyers want in the initial meetings and recalibrate the approach to focus on the buyer and their world.
More Effective Discovery
Bottom line, sales teams need to adopt a more buyer-centered approach to sales calls.
Prioritize Buyer-Centric topics
- Explore known problems: begin each sales call by digging into the buyer’s immediate challenges. They agreed to the meeting, why?
- Desired outcomes: Focus on the buyer’s long-term objectives, highlighting how the problems they are facing today are keeping them from reaching these goals
Reduce Company content
Limit the discussions about your company’s background, awards, or achievements unless they are relevant. Buyers are interested in a solution to their problems and not hearing why your company was founded or who you’ve worked with in the past.
Deploy Buyer-Centric Sales Training
Train your teams in a method or with tactics that emphasize the importance of buyer-focused approaches in meetings. Ensure the meetings focus on what matters the most to your buyers.
Sales numbers are down. Getting a meeting is harder than ever. As salespeople, we can’t waste the limited opportunities we have to progress a deal by not giving the buyer the meeting they want. Center your approach around their problems, desired outcomes, and how your product or service solves the root causes that are keeping them down.
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