Discovery Is About More Than Qualification

Last week, I gave you a simple formula for making sales. It’s a proven winner, but it probably means you need to start doing some things differently in the discovery phase. 

Most of the reps I see approach these conversations wrong.

It’s probably not your fault. You were taught incorrectly, and years of habits have ingrained your bad behavior. 

You were probably told you need to qualify your prospects, and that it doesn’t make sense to go any further with someone who isn’t prepared or capable of buying. 

You were taught to dig for indicators around Budget, Authority, Need, and Timing (BANT). You ask if they have thought about what a solution like yours might cost. You ask who’s going to be involved in the decision-making process. You ask if solving this problem is a want or a need, and how soon they’d like to see it resolved.

While you certainly learn things as you ask these questions, I wouldn’t call this good discovery. Filling out a questionnaire isn’t the same as conducting a real interview.

Approaching discovery this way isn’t just rude; it’s reductive. It turns off would-be customers. 

Do you want your prospects to feel as if they’re being listened to or sized up? Do you want to build rapport with them and demonstrate your expertise? Or do you want them to feel like you’re going through some kind of exercise to show them where to pay?

Most sellers hurry through discovery to get to the selling part. The best sellers realize that discovery is the selling part.

I’m not saying that BANT isn’t important. It’s vital. 

If you’re not talking to the right people at the right time with a problem to solve and money to solve it, then you’re going to be a very frustrated salesperson.

What I’m saying is that if you do discovery well, you’ll learn those things without specifically asking for them. You’ll create six vital conditions that will help you propel your sales process forward, while also building a compelling business case for why to change and why now.

The major difference is in your approach. 

Are you trying to rule out whether someone meets the criteria of a customer, or are you leaning in and helping someone solve a problem they’re stuck on?

When you take the old approach, prospects get defensive. They’re not always forthright, and will occasionally even lie to you about their budgets and decision-making abilities. They sense you are playing a game, and they play too, often by their own set of rules.

This new approach creates a space where information is shared more freely. It’s collaborative. Once they believe you can help them, they’ll tell you anything you want to know. 

In most cases, the ANT part of BANT comes right out in the conversation. If they don’t mention their budget (and they usually don’t), you’ve probably earned the right to ask for it at the end. 

“I don’t mean to pry, but before we move forward, have you thought about what a solution like this might cost?” 

Not only will they tell you, they’re more likely to shoot you straight.

The big concept is pretty clear. In one approach, you’re trying to decide if they’re worth talking to. It’s a judgment on them, and they feel it.

In the other approach, you’ve both already decided that their issue is worth talking about, which legitimizes the discussion and everyone in it. You’ll still get all the information you need, but when you trust it to come out of a natural problem-centric conversation, It feels better.

Think again about the way you look at sales discovery. Are you turning off potential customers and not even realizing it? What would happen if you started discussing real issues with them instead of wondering if they could afford you first? Could you open more real conversations? 

Even if they can’t buy now, can they buy in a few months? Don’t you have a number to hit next quarter too?

One thing I’ve learned is that you can never have too many conversations with potential customers. The more you’re in front of people you can help, the more you will find yourself helping, and a lot of them will pay you for what you offer.

Focus on the big game, and the little ones will take care of themselves.

The Chosen Vision golf marathon is back on July 31 this year. 

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