Des rendez-vous de découverte on en a fait beaucoup. Dans cet article on va vous partager nos secrets. Mais attention ça reste entre nous hein 🤫
We've had many discovery meetings. In this article, we're going to share our secrets with you. But keep it between us 🤫
1. Before the meeting
First, we always arrive two minutes early to the video call. This helps avoid being late and keeps things calm.
If we are late but the prospect isn't in the call yet, we never say: "Oh, you’re late? It’s fine, I was late too."
Before the meeting, we visit the company’s website, taking notes on two or three key things, typically from the “Our Products/Our Solutions” and “About Us” sections.
If you have extra time, you can go further by checking LinkedIn or recent news.
Finally, before the meeting, prepare your notes. Be ready to write. Nowadays, there are note-taking tools available, but I avoid them since they often include a "bot" in the video call, which I find discourages the prospect from speaking freely.
2. The prospect arrives in the video call
Greet them with a smile, naturally. Avoid informal language; using formal speech is always safe. Ask, “How are you?” and respond with positive words like “great” or “excellent” to set a positive tone.
This sets a positive tone, but don't act robotic with a forced smile saying "great!" unnaturally.
What follows is very important:
The prospect often feels superior when entering a meeting with a salesperson. It's important to level the playing field and create more balance in the dynamic. The more seriously they take you, the further you'll progress in the sales process.
A technique? If you have a 30-minute meeting, suggest reducing it to 20 or 25 minutes at the start. For example, "I see we have 30 minutes scheduled, would it work for you if we take around 20 minutes for this first conversation?"
Positively surprised and sensing the shift in dynamics, the prospect will often reply, "Oh great, I was going to suggest the same!"
Then, introduce yourself briefly: "So, my name is [title + your full name], I work at [your company]. We provide [use cases] for companies similar to yours. I also noticed [mention one or two recent updates about the prospect's company], but I imagine you'll tell me more (smile)."
Note: If you address the prospect as Mr./Mrs. [Last Name], you should also introduce yourself with your own title (Mr./Mrs.). The same applies when referring to a colleague. If you address the prospect by their first name (which I don’t recommend), you should also refer to yourself and colleagues by first names.
We quickly move on to setting the framework for the call: “I suggest you introduce yourself, then I’ll tell you about what we do at [your company]. After these 20 minutes, we can decide if it makes sense to continue the conversation. Does that sound good? (smile).”
The prospect will generally say “yes.”
Then, you can prompt them with a positive and open phrase like: “If you’d like to introduce yourself, I’m all ears!”
Note: Some prospects have talked for twenty minutes straight, just from this introduction.
3. Active Listening
Now is the time to stay quiet and listen, but follow some key rules:
Never interrupt! Unless the prospect goes in a completely irrelevant direction, in which case, gently steer the conversation back on track.
You respond non-verbally with empathy. For example, if they mention having to close a branch, you respond with, "Oh no," with a sad expression. If they say they doubled revenue last year, you reply, "That's great, congratulations!" Essentially, mirror the prospect's emotions. However, don’t overdo it—stay natural. This helps them feel at ease, listened to, and builds trust.
We only ask open-ended questions. These are questions that lead to constructive responses rather than simple "yes" or "no" answers. For example: "How did you manage that?", "Why was this decision made?", or "What triggered these changes?"
While the prospect is speaking, take notes on the key information, not everything—just the essentials. You can write quickly and refine the notes afterward. It’s helpful to connect what the prospect says to features of your company. For example, if you’re a SaaS company and the prospect mentions struggling to find their invoices, you could note: “Cf: Our digital invoicing solution.” This will help you use these points during the argument phase later.
In France we have something called "SONCAS". It’s a framework identifying key characteristics of prospects during a sales conversation: Security, Pride, Novelty, Comfort, Money, and Likeability. If you sense that the prospect aligns with one or more of these themes, note them down. This could be useful when building your argument or for the next stages, like negotiation.
4. Reformulation and Value Proposition
You’ve noted everything the prospect said. Now, use this information to show that you fully understand their situation. Be careful not to repeat everything, just summarize the key points. For example: “So, if I understood correctly, you’re dealing with... and... What’s important for you is... Is that right?”
Then, briefly talk about your company and solution. Introduce your company in a maximum of 20 seconds (the prospect doesn’t care about your headquarters, founding date, or the names of the founders).
Note: No slides or PowerPoints—unless they are absolutely crucial for your solution. Aim for a “face-to-face” conversation.
You will link what the prospect said with your value proposition. For example: “You mentioned that this could be improved, and at [our company], we’ve worked with many in your situation, which led us to create [your solution]. In short, it would help you to... and...".
What’s even more impactful is to tie the prospect’s issues to use cases you’ve developed for similar companies. However, ensure the case study company is roughly the same size and in the same industry; otherwise, it may backfire (like referencing a large retailer for a small e-commerce business).
5. Next step
Once you’ve briefly discussed your value proposition, move on to suggesting a next step. But again, be cautious!
If the prospect doesn’t interest you—whether they don’t have a budget, are too small, or for other reasons—don’t offer a follow-up meeting. You’ll waste time for both parties.
How to decline? You could say your company might not be the best fit and suggest an alternative. Or offer to send information via email and keep in touch.
Try to be sincere. Why not direct the prospect to a competitor better suited to their needs?
If the prospect does interest you, suggest the next step! This could be a call with your technician, manager, or a product demo. Ask them, “Do you have your calendar in front of you?”
If the prospect is interested, they’ll provide a date. If they’re less interested or aren’t the sole decision-maker, they may ask for an email with information and will often forget to follow up, meaning you’ll need to reach out again.
You don’t have to send a meeting recap, but make sure to send the video call invitation quickly so the prospect sees your responsiveness and can accept it.
Now, you have all the tools to make your discovery meetings a success! 😊