What discovery call questions to ask to accelerate the sales cycle
Written by Jessy Leone
Alex Temelkovski - Business Development Manager at TouchBistro.
Sales tip #1: Come prepared and ask the right discovery call questions
Any B2B salesperson worth their salt knows that asking questions is key to closing a deal. By asking questions, you not only learn more about your potential customer’s needs, but you also build rapport and trust. But what kind of discovery call questions should you be asking?
Here are a few tips for asking questions that will help you accelerate sales cycle and close more deals:
Lidia Vijga: "The best sales advice you've ever received?"
Alex Temelkovski: "Ask more questions."
Here are a few tips for asking discovery call questions that will help you accelerate sales cycle and close more deals:
- Always come prepared. Before you even step into the meeting, you should know everything there is to about the prospect’s company and potential needs. Take some time to research their industry and specific situation. This will help you tailor your questions.
- Ask open-ended questions. Avoid yes or no questions. These types of questions will not give you enough information you need to make a tailored pitch. Instead, ask open-ended questions that will get your prospect talking.
- Avoid leading questions that assume you already know the answer. Instead, ask neutral questions that allow your prospect to freely share their thoughts and feelings. As you’re talking to the buyer, try to identify any pain points they may have. These are usually areas where they’re struggling or where they see potential problems down the road. By asking the right discovery call questions and addressing these pain points, you’ll be able to show the buyer how your product or service can help them overcome these challenges.
- Be prepared to follow up with additional questions if the customer’s answer is vague or incomplete.
- Be prepared to answer objections. Finally, be prepared to answer any objections the buyer may have about your product or service. If you can address their concerns head-on, you’ll be in a much better position to close the deal.
Ask questions that show you’re trying to understand the prospect’s business. For example, you might ask about their biggest challenges or what their current process looks like. Asking questions that display genuine curiosity about the prospect’s business will help build rapport and make it more likely that the prospect will want to work with you.
Once you’ve established a good connection with the prospect, you can then start asking questions about their specific needs and how your product can help them meet their goals.
By asking the right discovery call questions, you'll be in a much better position to move deals forward.
One thing you can do to optimize your discovery calls is to share an asynchronous video presentation before the call, outlining general information about your offerings. This allows for more time during the discovery call to have a more natural conversation with the client about their specific needs. Additionally, presentation videos can be used as a valuable follow-up tool after the discovery call. By sending a link to the video presentation after the call, you can remind the client of your product and its value.
If you are thinking about implementing asynchronous video presentations in you sales strategy then you should definitely read out our
comprehensive guide on how to make video presentations and when to use them.
By following these tips, you’ll be asking the right kinds of discovery call questions and have more time on top of that!
Sales tip #2: Speak your customer's language
Lidia Vijga: "What is the biggest challenge in selling software to restaurants?"
Alex Temelkovski: "Getting them to trust you and open up. To do that you have to speak their language, and focus on them and their business."
The restaurant industry is a tough nut to crack when selling SaaS. This can be especially challenging when selling to restaurants doing outside sales, as they are often wary of new technology.
On one hand, you have a group of businesses that are notoriously slow to adopt new technology. On the other hand, you have a group of businesses that are extremely competitive and always looking for an edge. As a result, the biggest challenge when selling software to restaurants is getting them to trust you and open up.
Establish trust first.
One way to build trust is to show that you understand the restaurant industry. This means being knowledgeable about the unique challenges that restaurants face, such as high turnover, tight margins, and strict regulation. This will help you ask the right discovery call questions. It also means being able to articulate how your software can help solve those specific problems. This can be done by sharing success stories of other restaurants that have used your software to improve their business. Once you’ve established trust, you can then start to sell the software itself. But even then, it’s important to keep the focus on the customer and how the software will benefit their business.
Asynchronous video presentations can be a powerful tool for selling SaaS software to restaurants. Here’s why:
- First, presentation videos are an asynchronous medium, which means that they can be watched on the viewer’s own schedule. That’s crucial for busy restaurant owners who may not have time for a traditional sales call during business hours.
- Second, video is an incredibly engaging medium. It’s much more likely to capture and hold a restaurant owner’s attention than a traditional sales pitch delivered via text or email.
- Finally, using video for presentation is a great way to show off the features and benefits of your SaaS software in a way that text and email simply can’t. Seeing is believing, and when potential customers see how your software can make their lives easier, they’re much more likely to be sold on its value.
Don’t forget to include a call-to-action at the end of the video, such as a link to your website, a free trial or a link to your calendar page.
The key is to never lose sight of the fact that it’s all about them, not you or your product. By using presentation videos in your sales strategy, you’ll be sure to make a lasting impression on potential customers!
If you want to learn what other video presentation types fast-growing companies use, read our article.
Sales tip #3: Be curious
Lidia Vijga: "If you had a superpower in sales, what would it be?"
Alex Temelkovski: "Curiosity."
B2B SaaS software sales reps who are the most curious tend to be the most successful. Why? Because they’re constantly asking questions, doing research, seeking out new information, and asking the right discovery call questions. They’re never content with the status quo and are always looking for ways to improve their performance. As a result, they’re constantly learning and growing, which sets them apart from their less curious counterparts. Additionally, curiosity is contagious, and sales reps who exude curiosity tend to inspire others to ask questions and think outside the box.
And while curiosity may seem like a simple quality, it’s one that can be difficult to cultivate. Luckily, there are a few things that sales reps can do to increase their curiosity. One is to watch software sales strategy videos and presentations. These videos can provide insights into the latest trends and best practices. Sales reps can attend B2B sales conferences. These conferences provide an opportunity to network with other sales professionals and learn about the latest B2B selling techniques. By taking these steps, sales reps can increase their curiosity and close more deals.
Watch our previous SALES RUSH episode with Sharon Bauer.
Sharon Bauer is a Privacy Strategist and a Lawyer at Bamboo Data Consulting. Bamboo Data Consulting is a consulting firm that provides B2B clients with diverse, progressive, and flexible privacy and security solutions.
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