BY Tim Londergan
Quickly qualifying a prospect is one of the best reasons to employ a discovery call script. Naturally, the task of deciding if a prospect is a good fit is the foundation of the sales process. Therefore, if a script helps to standardize the procedure and streamline your activity, give it a go.
Our friends at LiveAgent.com have developed a programmed course that helps you never miss a beat. Their Discovery Call Checklist is a series of items that takes you, step-by-step, through the exercise.
Using a checklist, you’re less likely to miss crucial information. Importantly, you’ll make the most of your time with the client.
A Discovery Call Script Assures Your Best Performance
The discovery call is arguably the most important conversation in B2B sales. This targeted, information-seeking exchange lets you know if your solution can help your prospect with their goals. Further, it informs you of where they are in their journey toward purchase.
Understand needs
You won’t know if you don’t ask. Focus on pain points or the most compelling reason why the prospect needs your solution. So armed, you can begin to fit your product to their needs.
Improves strategy
Further questioning provides valuable insight. This intelligence helps you fend off a competitor or position your product as the most expedient remedy for their pain. By analyzing your conversation, you can identify areas for improvement, refining your approach to better serve your prospect.
Builds relationships
You’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression. A discovery call script assures that you begin the conversation with your best foot forward. Active listening demonstrates that you value their business and are invested in their success.
Provide excellent customer service
Information gathered in these early exchanges will provide cues to how the customer would like to be served. These exploratory talks can range from ‘what if’ situations to ‘when we’ conditions that help you map the buying journey.
Yields referrals
Successful discovery calls not only launch the relationship but can establish trust and credibility early on. This provides the solid foundation for your customer to point to colleagues and friends who also need your help.
The practices above are explained in greater detail in a blog entitled The Ultimate Guide to Discovery Calls by cognism.com. It’s a nine-minute read, and I urge you to check it out.
A Discovery Call Script Assures You Stay Focused
Having an agenda for the call makes sure you cover the most important items in a logical, progressive manner. The goal is to accelerate the sales cycle and avoid late-stage sales blockers. In the meantime, you’re establishing trust and accurately placing your prospect in your sales pipeline.
Referring again to the liveagent.com post, you will find their Discovery Call Checklist exceptionally comprehensive. The authors lead you stepwise through the process complete with a list of questions and tools you will need. Once that step is complete you may move on to the next.
Helpfully, they’ve devised the SPIN model. This is an anacronym for a sales technique that helps determine a prospect’s buying status. The letters stand for:
- Situation
- Problem
- Implication
- Needs
Again, this is a helpful tactic to keep you on track and progressing toward closing the sale. You’ll find these terms will guide you in developing your discovery call script. This is a foolproof way to make a genuine connection with prospects and decide if your product is a fit.
A discovery call script makes you more prepared for discovery calls, because they highlight what needs to be said at certain points. Ideally, you won’t have to worry about what to say next and you can focus on the prospect’s needs.
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