In the previous article we covered a little (but hopefully enough) for You to know that discovery calls come with different entry parameters and flavors. We started with foundational thinking about discovery conversation and then went through main discovery scenarios and what to expect from them.

Today – we’ll go more into specific things that might be fit for the each of the discovery scenarios. Remember – even if this a “just curious” Prospect, they still decided to share their time with You, so why not make it worth their while?

1. Align the talk with the discovery scenario.
   For example – if Customer is actively searching for the solutions it is better to ask “What have You seen so far?” rather than “Are You evaluating any other products?”
   
   You also might skip the slide “What problems do we solve” and ask them about specifics of the issue that made them search for the solution.
   
2. Come prepared.
   Do not go with “What is Your role” to a CISO when You sell cybersecurity. Don’t ask them what regulations do they fall under if they are an american bank (unless you have some very specific in mind – then name it). Etc. etc.
   
3. Do not over-complicate the questions.
   Oh how sales like to do that… Let’s take example of question from above. You could e.g ask “What have You seen so far AND what did You like the most about it?” which essentially is mixing two related questions in one. Simply confusing.
   
4. Set the expectations regarding the outcome straight.
   Recognize the situation – and work from there. They will different for someone who’s “just curious” and one that has “advanced interest”. To follow with an example for the first one it will be something around “by the time our meeting ends – You’ll know whether it is something worth further research” and “by the time our meeting ends, we’ll know to what extent we’re able to fulfill Your goals”.
   
5. Have some peer stories handy.
   You will not always have a branded case-study ready – but a story on how similar companies tackle the problem with help of Your solution… It can work magic. As I’ve heard from fellow CISO: “We CISO’s rarely go around telling stories about our know-how and software we use… so it is interesting to hear one.”
   
6. Validate findings/key points with the Customer.
   In crucial moments do not just assume You have understanding. Validate it. Example: “We just went through the process of assigning remote users the set of applications they need to access. Can you confirm this is what You had in mind?”
   
7. End with a goal and next steps to achieve it.
   Next steps are essentially a list of activities and their timelines, which if completed should help them achieve their goal. Assumption here is our work ends not when we sell someone something but when they actually solve their problem. Describe them the process proposal and ask whether we can go down that road. Remember usually even if they have advanced interest they do not have the knowledge on how to lead purchasing process.

I will end with those seven as, frankly, I am out of ideas… also not to overcomplicate. It is better to do three things from the list above well then to do it all so-so. It will create this feeling of “something’s missing” and end up with the discovery which You could’ve used so well but didn’t.