Why Your Discovery Call Isn’t Finding Real Problems | Bite-Sized Tactics

Why Your Discovery Call Isn’t Finding Real Problems | Bite-Sized Tactics

Max Licht (Enterprise AE @ MaestroQA) breaks down his shadow-based discovery process. This technique goes beyond typical discovery calls, allowing you to witness firsthand where inefficiencies and bottlenecks are happening. 1. Identify the Painful Process - Research the customer's current workflow and tools (e.g., Excel, Salesforce) to understand the manual, time-consuming steps involved. - This reveals where inefficiencies exist, giving you a clear picture of the pain your solution can alleviate. It also helps you identify the "drag them through the glass" moments where the pain is most acute, which is critical for building urgency. 2. Set Up the Shadowing Session - Frame the shadow as a collaborative step to fully understand their process. Instead of just making claims, say something like, *“Before I make any promises, I want to fully understand your current reporting process to see where we can add the most value.”* - This approach shifts the focus from selling to problem-solving, making you a trusted partner rather than just a vendor. It also sets the stage for a more meaningful business case. 3. Conduct the Shadow - Watch the prospect use their current tools and processes. Take notes, capture screenshots, and pay attention to friction points, inefficiencies, and workarounds they rely on. - Seeing the workflow in action often reveals unspoken pain points and limitations that even the prospect might not articulate in a standard discovery call. This firsthand observation helps you tailor your pitch to the reality of their day-to-day work. 4. Use Shadows to Build a Business Case - Use the insights gathered to frame your solution as a direct response to the pain points you observed. For example, highlight how your tool eliminates specific inefficiencies, reduces manual steps, or streamlines complex reporting. - This concrete evidence makes your pitch more credible and aligns your solution directly with their business goals, increasing the likelihood of internal buy-in. 5. Follow Up Strategically - After the shadow, summarize your findings in a follow-up email or meeting, highlighting specific pain points you observed and how your solution can address them. Use this to drive urgency and move the deal forward. - This reinforces your credibility as a problem-solver and keeps the conversation anchored in real, observed issues, rather than hypothetical value propositions. 6. Use the Shadow as a Catalyst for Future Conversations - Reference specific pain points in later stages of the sales cycle, using them to frame your solution as a clear, tangible fix for their current frustrations. - This approach keeps the focus on solving their problems, reducing friction in the decision-making process and increasing the likelihood of a successful close. RESOURCES DISCUSSED: ⁠Join our weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠Things you can steal⁠ ⁠Save $50 on any 30MPC course with code “PODCAST”

Episoder(511)

256 (Special) Mastering Sales Tonality (Jeremy Miner, 7th Level)

256 (Special) Mastering Sales Tonality (Jeremy Miner, 7th Level)

ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS: Facial Expressions Control Tone: Your facial expressions influence your tone. For example, leaning in creates a concerned tone, while tilting your chin up can convey curiosity. Slow Down Your Questions: Asking questions too quickly leads to poor answers. Slow down the second half of your question to give prospects time to think and respond meaningfully. Master the Five Types of Tone: Use different tones—curious, confused, concerned, challenging, and playful—to guide conversations and elicit the right responses. Challenge Prospects with a Direct Tone: A challenging tone helps push prospects to take action, especially when addressing tough issues like low-quality leads. JEREMY'S PATH TO PRESIDENT'S CLUB: Founder @ 7th Level VP of Sales @ Pinnacle Security RESOURCES DISCUSSED: Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

15 Okt 202439min

Hall of Fame: Shelby Ferson

Hall of Fame: Shelby Ferson

FOUR ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS To learn about what’s going on in other parts of your organization, get on the email alias distribution lists. Build out your go team of people that you can rely on in legal, product, marketing, deal desk, etc. so that you’re never stuck trying to figure out how to get a function to help you with a deal. To determine the next steps and what’s important to a buyer, ask, “Say you’re evaluating a few technologies, and they’re similar. What are the things that make you pick one over the other?” When dealing with technical buyers, always under promise so you don't lose credibility. PATH TO PRESIDENT’S CLUB Named Account Manager - Digital Natives UK @ Databricks Named Account Manager - Digital Natives @ Databricks Snr Manager, Commercial Sales, ANZ @ Databricks Enterprise Account Executive @ Databricks RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

14 Okt 202439min

Why You Should Still Cold Call (Make It Happen Mondays Podcast)

Why You Should Still Cold Call (Make It Happen Mondays Podcast)

This is an except from the Make It Happen Mondays podcast with John Barrows Check out John's weekly sales podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-it-happen-mondays-b2b-sales-talk-with-john-barrows/id1265697819

11 Okt 202410min

255 (Lead) How to Align Sales & Marketing for Predictable Pipeline Growth (Sonny Round, Panopto)

255 (Lead) How to Align Sales & Marketing for Predictable Pipeline Growth (Sonny Round, Panopto)

ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS: 80/20 Rule for Experimentation: Keep 80% of your team's work process-driven and reserve 20% for new, experimental ideas to avoid chaos. Track MQL to Reply Rates: Use the MQL to reply rate metric to gauge how well your messaging engages prospects. Key Metrics for Pipeline Meetings: Focus on leads by source, conversion rates, meeting-to-op conversions, and total pipeline in every pipeline meeting. Methodical Problem Solving: When top-of-funnel issues arise, fix one area at a time—start with accounts, then people, triggers, and finally messaging. SONNY'S PATH TO PRESIDENTS CLUB: Director of Global Sales Development @ Panopto Senior Manager, Global Sales Developnent @ Sift Sales Development Manager @ Sift Manager, Account Development Team @ Mesosphere RESOURCES DISCUSSED: Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

10 Okt 202440min

254 (Sell) How to Build Stronger Business Cases and Demos That Actually Connect with Buyers (Gal Aga, Aligned)

254 (Sell) How to Build Stronger Business Cases and Demos That Actually Connect with Buyers (Gal Aga, Aligned)

Get our Aligned Mutual Action Plan: https://my.teamaligned.com/room/66b4e7890a28d88fac3b89ef/overview?avk=a9c030cf FOUR ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS: Know Your Solution – Understand the problems you solve, their root causes, and the demo paths before your discovery call. Model Multiple Scenarios – Present "worst," "average," and "best" cases to appear more impartial and handle objections better. Link Problems to Causes – Connect the buyer’s problem to its root cause and offer a solution that directly addresses it. Demo Through Stories – Use storytelling in your demo to illustrate how your product fits into the user’s daily workflow, rather than just listing features. GAL'S PATH TO PRESIDENTS CLUB: CEO & Co-Founder @ Aligned Chief Revenue Officer @ Anagog VP Global Sales @ Syte Director of Sales @ Sisense Enterprise Account Executive @ Nanorep RESOURCES DISCUSSED: Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

8 Okt 202439min

Hall of Fame: Chip Wooten

Hall of Fame: Chip Wooten

FOUR ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS Find your prospect's birthday and then add them to your calendar to send thoughtful notes If a competitor is faltering run a list report of all their customers and prospect them If doing in-person office visits bring a gift to break the ice and leave a memorable impressions If you missed something on a meeting, don't wait until the next meeting, just give the buyer a call on their mobile phone and ask (don't make it awkward) PATH TO PRESIDENT’S CLUB Senior Mid-Market Account Executive @ Motive Senior Commercial Account Executive @ Motive Commercial Account Executive @ Motive Sales Consultant & Benefits Advisor @ First Mainstreet Account Executive @ Procore Technologies RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

7 Okt 202436min

Cold Calling Sucks: Full Book Summary

Cold Calling Sucks: Full Book Summary

Nick and Armand give an overview of all the content in their Amazon best selling book "Cold Calling Sucks (And That's Why It Works)" Order the book

4 Okt 202452min

253 (Lead) The Ultimate Guide to Effective Sales Call Reviews (Armand Farrokh)

253 (Lead) The Ultimate Guide to Effective Sales Call Reviews (Armand Farrokh)

TOP ACTIONABLE SALES TAKEAWAYS: Layer your discovery tree: After a prospect speaks, pull up your discovery tree and ask, "Where are we now?" Identify if they mentioned a situation, problem, or impact, and discuss where to guide them next, actively engaging your team. Keep it punchy and efficient: Drive the screen share, skip small talk, and use the transcript instead of video to review sessions faster, aiming for under 30 minutes. Prep before discovery calls: Reps should know the expected problem and who they’re meeting. Also, plan who they should meet with next after the call. Three key questions: Focus on what the prospect said, what to ask next, and evaluate the rep's performance. Keep the discussion centered on these points. ARMAND'S PATH TO PRESIDENTS CLUB: Founder @ 30MPC VP of Sales @ Pave Director of Sales @ Carta RESOURCES DISCUSSED: Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

3 Okt 202439min

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