What are the 3 best questions you use for discovery?
"What is the most important question that you can ask a customer during the discovery process?” I've been asked this question a lot! Discovery questions are closely related to what you sell, and who you sell to. Let me give you my 3 best questions, with pros and cons.
Discovery Question 1: “What made you accept this meeting?”
Real-World responses:
- Technology Solutions: "I accepted this meeting because we’re looking to upgrade our software systems and heard good things about your product."
- Marketing Services: "Our team is struggling with lead generation, and your case study on LinkedIn caught my attention."
- Financial Advisory: "I’m interested in finding better ways to manage our investment portfolio, and your approach seemed unique."
Pros:
- Understanding Motivation: Reveals the prospect’s underlying motivations and pain points.
- Building Rapport: Shows genuine interest in the prospect’s needs.
- Tailoring the Pitch: Allows customization of your pitch based on their specific interests or concerns.
Cons:
- Broad Answers: Responses can sometimes be too vague or generic.
- Surface-Level Information: Might not dive deep enough into the specific issues they face.
- Pressure to Justify: The prospect might feel put on the spot to justify their decision to meet.
Discovery Question 2: “I’m curious, how do you do XYZ currently?”
Real-World responses:
- IT Services: "Currently, we manage our IT infrastructure in-house, but we’re facing frequent downtime issues."
- HR Solutions: "We handle recruitment internally, but it’s been challenging to find the right talent quickly."
- Customer Support Software: "We use an outdated ticketing system which often leads to customer complaints about response times."
Pros:
- Identifying Gaps: Highlights existing processes and their shortcomings.
- Insight into Operations: Provides a clear picture of the prospect’s current methods and workflows.
- Opening for Solutions: Sets the stage to discuss how your solution can improve or replace their current system.
Cons:
- Defensive Responses: Prospects might feel defensive about their current processes.
- Lengthy Explanations: Can lead to long-winded explanations that veer off-topic.
- Overly Technical: If not framed well, the question might seem too technical or invasive.
Discovery Question 3: “In an ideal world, what could our meeting today bring you?”
Real-World responses:
- Software Development: "Ideally, I would leave with a clear understanding of how your platform can reduce our development time by half."
- Digital Marketing: "I hope to discover a strategy that can double our online engagement within six months."
- Business Consulting: "I’m looking for actionable insights that can help streamline our operations and cut costs by at least 20%."
Pros:
- Setting Expectations: Clarifies what the prospect hopes to achieve, allowing you to tailor the discussion.
- Future-Oriented: Focuses on positive outcomes and solutions.
- Engagement: Engages the prospect’s imagination and aligns the meeting’s goals with their desires.
Cons:
- Unrealistic Expectations: Prospects might have unrealistic or overly ambitious goals.
- Divergent Objectives: Their ideal outcome might not align with what you can realistically offer.
- Vague Responses: Some prospects might struggle to articulate their ideal outcomes.
Additional Resources
To dig deeper into crafting effective discovery questions, consider exploring these resources:
The 17 most important questions you should ask during a ... - LinkedIn Article by IV-LEAD (a HubSpot CRM Partners)
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/17-most-important-questions-you-should-ask-during-discovery-call
The Top 5 Discovery Call Questions You Should Be Asking Your Clients - YouTube Video by Blake Snodgrass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEvBtyuv29M
9 Powerful Sales Discovery Questions (And 12 Essential Follow-ups) - YouTube Video by Salesman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUPOjb12xe0
