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(508)

32 (Sell): Giving customers deposits and pushing away to build goodwill (Phil Gerbyshak, Digital Selling Strategies)

32 (Sell): Giving customers deposits and pushing away to build goodwill (Phil Gerbyshak, Digital Selling Strategies)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Identify the boundaries to your customers being on your product and refer them out Then, now, how. Before it was this, now it’s this, here’s how you do it. Use typically language when prospects feel they’re the only one with their problem Prep for a few minutes for one persona. Then only dial into 1 persona for an hour. Phil Gerbyshak’s Path to President’s Club: Speaker and Sales Trainer at Digital Selling Strategies RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

23 Des 202025min

31 (Sell): Hooking relevance with personalization in competitive prospecting (Becc Holland, CEO & Founder @ Flip the Script)

31 (Sell): Hooking relevance with personalization in competitive prospecting (Becc Holland, CEO & Founder @ Flip the Script)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Your first email should have 4 lines: Premise, Hook, CTA, Push/Pull - that's it 16 multi-channel touches over 30 days for a successful sequence Keep your second email simple with: "Any thoughts?" + a little personalization Ask why they chose the competitor and how they have helped to achieve business goals Becc’s Path to President’s Club: CEO & Founder @ Flip the Script Former sales leader at Chorus AND Gong RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

16 Des 202024min

Playbook: Mastering negotiation

Playbook: Mastering negotiation

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Every 10th episode, we tear down one topic. This is how to master negotiation. FOUR ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS Set expectations with the Upfront Contract - pricing should be determined after your discovery, not before Price is based on internal (timeline, pain points) and external factors (competitve landscape) Explain how price is structured BEFORE you give it, then shut up Seek first to understand - get them to sell themselves first. Discounts need to have a give for get. RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

9 Des 202031min

30 (Sell): Demo deep dives and using your whole team to take down rooms of 6+ prospects (Amyra Rand, VP Sales at Criteria Corp)

30 (Sell): Demo deep dives and using your whole team to take down rooms of 6+ prospects (Amyra Rand, VP Sales at Criteria Corp)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: A room with 6 prospects needs at least 2 sales people. Never lose alone. Brief your team on personas, context, and outcomes before jumping onto the live call. Ask everyone what they want to get out of the call. Throw it into the Zoom chat. Customize your demo environments with their logos, role names, and problems. Amyra Rand’s Path to President’s Club VP Sales & Strategic Partnerships, Criteria Corp Chapter VP, AA-ISP VP Sales, Kareo RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

2 Des 202023min

29 (Sell): Calling out your profile lurkers, sending blank connections in a Linkedin and sales tool clinic (Morgan Ingram, JBarrows Consulting)

29 (Sell): Calling out your profile lurkers, sending blank connections in a Linkedin and sales tool clinic (Morgan Ingram, JBarrows Consulting)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Time block when you’re asking for referrals from everyone you’ve ever sold or met with Send a connection with a blank note. You can always delete it, then resend it in LI. Throw the lurking GIF in a Linkedin DM when someone looks at your profile. Have a snippet for every buyer trigger and every objection you get Morgan Ingram’s Path to President’s Club Director of Sales Execution and Evolution, JB Sales Training Host, The SDR Chronicles RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

25 Nov 202028min

28 (Sell): Getting above the power line and using executives at every part of the sale (Amit Bendov, CEO of Gong)

28 (Sell): Getting above the power line and using executives at every part of the sale (Amit Bendov, CEO of Gong)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Get to power by asking someone to sign an NDA - requires a certain rank in the org Find the lowest ranking person in the company who can still buy something Raise prices to get to power - $10k purchases won’t get you to execs Bring in your executives for referrals, for early sponsorship, or for closing it all up Amit Bendov’s Path to President’s Club CEO, Gong.io CEO, SiSense CMO, Panaya RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

18 Nov 202023min

27 (Sell): Playing guitar poorly (in the episode) and using GIFs in hyper-personalization (Jeremy Leveille, Top AE at LeadIQ)

27 (Sell): Playing guitar poorly (in the episode) and using GIFs in hyper-personalization (Jeremy Leveille, Top AE at LeadIQ)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Build a shared G Drive of screenshots and GIFs for every competitor and situation Skip the pleasantries in your emails. I know you’re on this competitor, here’s a GIF. Know what to look for before you look for it. Stack rank your triggers, then research. “Hey it’s Jeremy from LeadIQ, is it cool if I explain the reason for my call in RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

11 Nov 202025min

26 (Sell): Stop the connect and pitch, get your customers talking (James “Saywhatsales” Buckley, JBarrows Consulting)

26 (Sell): Stop the connect and pitch, get your customers talking (James “Saywhatsales” Buckley, JBarrows Consulting)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Start all of your LinkedIn interactions with info about them and a tailored video Mix up your account based tailoring and person level tailoring Start every disco with “what do you wanna get out of this call?” Open with “thanks for taking my call, do you have a moment before your next meeting?” James Buckley’s Path to President’s Club Director of Sales Evolution and Execution at JBarrows Consulting Board Of Directors & Host of The UNCrushed Podcast RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

4 Nov 202025min

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