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Home | Blog | Close 90% of Your Sales with These Tried and Tested Discovery Questions for Sales

Close 90% of Your Sales with These Tried and Tested Discovery Questions for Sales

By Janselle M.

Updated on June 3, 2024

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Close More Sales with These Discovery Questions for Sales

Most sales executives claim that 90–95 percent of transactions depend on a solid discovery call. You might be wondering right now, what are discovery questions for sales and why it plays an essential role in the sales process?

A competent salesperson knows that the correct inquiries can ascertain product fit, discover genuine motivations, find roadblocks before they prevent the offer, and even raise awareness of a specific need.

The sales business cycle should be built upon the discovery process. The most crucial thing you can do as a sales representative is conduct a successful discovery call at the beginning of the buyer’s journey. Before a customer can recognize the potential value of your product or service, they need to feel as though you are aware of their problems.

For conducting effective discovery calls, having a template or structure is helpful. In this article, we will explore the process of discovery calls along with the discovery questions for sales to determine whether your prospect is a suitable fit. Let’s dive right in!

 

WHAT IS A DISCOVERY CALL?

You explore the potential customer with a series of questions during a discovery call to learn about their needs, issues, and objectives about your product. The sales qualifying process starts with this phase.

Standardized questions enable the sales representative to communicate regularly in a way that helps enhance the conversion of leads into customers. Discovery questions for sales allow sales reps to build pace in the sales process.

The most crucial stage of the sales process is the discovery call. It establishes the tone for the whole interaction before and after the sale. That’s why it is essential to familiarize yourself with the best discovery questions for sales.

 

BENEFITS OF DISCOVERY CALL: WHY ASK DISCOVERY QUESTIONS FOR SALES?

Finding out if you and your potential client are a suitable fit is one of the primary goals of a discovery call. An interview is conducted to better comprehend your buyers’ problems, objectives, and preferences.

It controls the flow of your deal and how the rest of the sales process plays out. If you execute it properly and ask the relevant sales discovery questions, you’ll establish an authoritative rapport with your client. And if you handle it poorly, your buyer will indeed reject it.

If you want to know why discovery calls are essential in the sales process, continue reading as we will discuss some of the benefits of discovery calls and why asking the best discovery questions for sales is crucial in closing deals.

 

SHOWCASE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENT

Clients will be convinced that you have a good grasp of their concerns and will conduct a thorough analysis to evaluate whether or not you can help them if you execute the conversation correctly.

With this, you’ll be able to convince them that your interests go beyond merely obtaining their money and include their success.

 

ESTIMATE YOUR ODDS OF TURNING THOSE CUSTOMERS TO LEADS

During the discovery call, you will have the chance to assess your client and learn about their business challenges, ability to promote your goods and services, authority within the company, and initial thoughts about choosing yours over a rival’s.

BANT enables businesses to efficiently qualify leads, freeing up more time for sales to qualified prospects. Because BANT helps sales representatives prepare tips during discovery calls, it is a crucial step in the sales process.

ESTIMATE YOUR ODDS OF TURNING THOSE CUSTOMERS TO LEADS BANT Banner

Source: Magellan Solutions

 

YOUR BRAND WILL BE CLEARER TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Clients will have a better understanding of your business after the discovery call. During the call, they might have queries about your offerings, which provides you the chance to pique their curiosity.

For the discovery call to be successful, it is essential to have a strong understanding of the product.

 

EFFECTIVE DISCOVERY QUESTIONS FOR SALES

EFFECTIVE DISCOVERY QUESTIONS FOR SALES DISCOVERY CALL GUIDE BANNER

Source: Magellan Solutions

Keep your prospect’s talk-to-listen ratio at a healthy level. It won’t miraculously help you close transactions if you talk for 46 percent of a sales call. Give the consumer 54 percent of the conversation time. Stay below 65 percent because that is the point where you start to lose prospects.

The best inquiries will result from listening carefully and posing appropriate queries highlighting opportunities relevant to that client. However, the following sales discovery questions will significantly help you achieve your goal of developing fit and value.

 

QUESTIONS THAT STAGE

You may verify your research and learn more about the client’s situation here. This provides you with the correct perspective you need to proceed.

 

#1) Tell me about your company.

They get the opportunity to introduce themselves in this way. Make sure you were able to research beforehand about their business. Start by presenting what you already know, then pose questions so they can elaborate on your description of their company.

 

#2) What is your position? What do you typically do?

You can start learning more about the employee more relaxed and thoughtfully. There is no need to get technical, and the good thing is that they will be eager to share.

 

#3) What are your core KPIs?

The pressure starts to build up at this point. This would reveal that information if they didn’t mention it when you asked the prior question. You may then calculate how much your product will improve that metric.

 

QUESTIONS THAT QUALIFY

Once you know more about your client, determine their goals and problems.

#4) What are your goals?

Ask them about their objectives for the upcoming month, quarter, and year.

#5) When must these objectives be met?

Ask when your prospect must accomplish their goals.

#6) What issues are you aiming to address?

Learn more about their company’s difficulties on a more general level. Allow them to discuss any issues they may be having.

#7) Are you concerned about any area of the business or your goods and services?

Make the prospect reflect more carefully on their difficulties.

#8) What’s the root cause of the stated problem?

Help them pinpoint the root cause of their issue by reframing problems and solutions.

#9) Why is it important now?

Ask how critical this issue is for your client.

#10) Why wasn’t it discussed and resolved earlier?

Ask what obstacles they may face now that restrict them from solving them.

#11) What is a feasible solution for this, and why?

Explore how the customer plans to solve the issue even without your solution.

#12) What would your desired outcome look like?

You’ll know if their ideas are realistic and feasible. Can they accomplish it with the support of your product? Without passing judgment, please pay attention to what they’re saying while looking for signs that you can indeed be of assistance.

#13) Do you have a strategy to deal with this issue if you didn’t choose a product?

Here, you’ll discover how soon they need the product’s solution. They are a good candidate if they say they don’t have a plan or can’t think of any other way to solve the problem.

 

QUESTIONS THAT DISQUALIFY

Identify the prospect’s qualifications by asking questions. As much as you can, learn about the decision-making process, including the budget and schedule.

 

#14) What main obstacles prevent you from implementing your plan?

Even if you know some of the challenges the prospect will encounter, it’s still crucial to ask this question to receive a direct response from them.

 

#15) What is the projected timeframe for implementation?

This can help you determine whether your product’s implementation and the prospect’s timelines are compatible. If not, they are not a suitable fit.

 

#16) What is the estimated cost of dealing with this issue?

Is the capital available to fund a new project or product? Budget discussions are always a good concept when it comes to sales.

 

#17) Who would finance this project?

Find out where the money will come from but be careful with this question as it can sound uncomfortable on the client’s part.

 

QUESTIONS THAT DETERMINE THE NEXT STEP

Finally, ask questions that advance the prospect and suggest a course of action.

#18) Who else will be selecting a vendor besides you?

Ask this critical question and determine if your prospect is a decision-maker, an influencer, or a gatekeeper.

#19) Do you have a written set of vendor selection requirements?

Ask this if you work with enterprise organizations. Attempt to gain access to their criteria.

#20) Have you previously bought something similar?

Ask your customer what they’ve tried before. Be ready to describe your product’s advantages.

#21) Are there other options you are considering buying from?

Get to know whether there are other options your client is considering. Then compare your product with them.

#22) What steps must you take to buy the product after making your decision?

By this time, your prospect probably has a firm trust in you. You can now directly inquire about the purchasing process.

#23) What could be some disruptive events?

Ask this if any unforeseen circumstances could cause the deal not to fall through.

#24) What can I do to ease the process?

Ask them how they might want to simplify the process.

#25) What improvements to your life will this solution bring?

Help your prospect see how buying your product will improve their working circumstances.

#26) How do you anticipate things will change in a year if you implement this solution?

Encourage them to consider how having your goods on hand will improve things.

#27) Ask when you can follow up.

Your discovery sales questions worked if you and your client developed a detailed sales plan. Still unsure after the call? Schedule another meeting.

 

CONCLUSION

Discovery calls are essential in sales because they increase the possibility that a deal will eventually be closed. At this vital stage, asking the best discovery questions for sales is crucial.

Simply stating that your goods or services will solve prospects is insufficient. Establishing an emotional connection with their deepest struggles would be best.

Every step of your specific selling process is crucial, and a weakness in one will inevitably lower your closing percentage.

Focus most of your sales representative efforts on developing your sales team’s discovery sales question if you want to enhance the presentation of your services or products, create deeper connections with customers, and close more deals.

 

MAGELLAN SOLUTIONS HELPS BUSINESSES GET THEIR DESIRED RESULTS & BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Now is the ideal moment to add business strategies to your organization and create a difference that will support achieving business objectives.

Suppose you need a sales representative or team. In that case, Magellan Solutions will help you with your business goals and offer your business ideas and solutions at a substantially lower cost without compromising quality.

With 18 years of expertise in the field, we take great pride in providing only quality call center services. Aside from that, we are an ISO-certified and HIPAA-compliant outsourcing company. We offer a wide range of top-notch outsourcing business solutions.

Contact us and let us discuss your business needs.

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