🔑 Key tips for top Discovery 🔑

Here are the tactics to get Discovery right every time - PDF cheat-sheet attached.

1️⃣ Do your research 1️⃣

Understand as much as possible about relevant facts in their business before you speak to them. Web research, checking with others who know the business, … Use AI.

2️⃣ Set up the meeting correctly 2️⃣

⭐ In advance, make it clear that this is an opportunity to understand their needs and challenges, not a product pitch or demo.

⭐ Reiterate that agenda at the beginning of the meeting.

⭐ Get their explicit acknowledgement that if this discussion indicates that you can help with an important problem they have, that you will set up a follow-up deep dive.

3️⃣ Have a conversation based around genuine curiosity 3️⃣

⭐ Ask single straightforward questions and then be quiet. Do not ask long questions, do not ask do you do A or B or C or … Do not ask double questions, i.e. two questions in one.

⭐ And then be quiet. Wait patiently and give them a chance to think about their answer. Do not rush to fill the silence.

⭐ Listen to the answer and ask follow-ups. Ideally, follow-ups which show a proper understanding of the problem, looking for more information.

⭐ If nothing else there are great standard options: “Could you tell me a bit more about that?”, “ Sounds like that’s quite impactful, what problems is it causing?”

⭐ Do not have a whole list of questions you have to get through. You only need to find one meaningful pain you can help with, and you need to understand that deeply.

4️⃣ Show expertise 4️⃣

⭐ This is critical. Discovery is two-way: you want to know if they have a problem you can solve, but they need to hear enough from you to be confident that your solution is likely to be valuable to them.

⭐ Be confident that you have value to add – you know this market well, you know your product well. Even in front of experts you have value to add.

⭐ Demonstrate that value through understanding the depth of their problem, asking pertinent follow-ups, and referencing similar experiences at other clients.

⭐ Be as detailed and explicit as possible about other customer experiences. Avoid “we often hear that…” and instead aim for “We are working with a [law firm or whatever…] of very similar size to your organisation, and found that when we installed the solution, we identified XYZ, which was somewhat unexpected.”

5️⃣ Finish strong 5️⃣

⭐ Leave a good five minutes to confirm the next steps. Do not rush this piece.

⭐ It is perfectly valid that the next steps are to disqualify – don’t push for a follow-up meeting if there is not a clear value proposition that you can offer.

6️⃣ Ensure you are speaking less than half the time 6️⃣