Discovery Call

Ahh, the discovery call. The first date of the sales world.

It’s time to put your best foot forward, scrub the spinach from your teeth, and make an amazing first impression.

In fact, the first date analogy is extraordinarily apt.

Who can forget those first dates where the other person shows up late, talks about themselves the entire time, and then presses you for a second date the entire ride back home.

Meanwhile you drink yourself into a stupor, wondering why the clock is moving at half speed.

Now imagine the same experience, but without alcohol.

That’s what a bad discovery call is from a prospect’s POV.

A Discovery Call is usually the first proper interaction between the buyer and the seller.

And if you want there to be a second call (and second date), remember these rules.

Rule 1: Research

Look, I’m not telling you to stalk your dates, ok, but you’re going to read their Tinder profile at least, right? Would you show up to a date and go…

Your prospects deserve the same consideration, and then some. Before you show up, go through publicly available information about the prospect company, and even the participants. Show them that you care. That they’re special.

Not only will it give them the all-important warm fuzzies, it will help things move faster.

Which brings us to rule 2.

Rule 2: Listen

If you’re doing all the talking, that means the date isn’t going too well. Same with a discovery call. You want there to be a healthy conversation, not a monologue. (Aside, don’t you wish there was a Wingman in the wings to discreetly alert you if you were monologuing?).

In a Discovery Call, a sales rep’s responsibility is to listen. Actively. The better you can do that, the more you will discover about your prospect, and the better you will be able to help. 

Rule 3: Question

While listening intently is great, your date would not appreciate it if you looked like you didn’t really care about what they were saying, and nor would your prospect. And the best way to show you care is to ask the right questions, so that you can learn more about what they are saying. In a sales call, questions help you find where the real pain points are, and suggest the best-fit solution.

So is there all there is to a discovery call? Not in the slightest! Check out our blog for much more on Discovery Calls, like this Discovery Call Template.

Oh, and best of luck on snagging that second date… I mean, follow-up call!

TL;DR -  A Discovery Call is your first and only opportunity to make an amazing first impression on your prospect. Soooo, no pressure then.

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