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)

25 (Sell): Using the humbling disclaimer to ask your hardest discovery questions (Charles Muhlbauer, Training @ CB Insights)

25 (Sell): Using the humbling disclaimer to ask your hardest discovery questions (Charles Muhlbauer, Training @ CB Insights)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways The humbling disclaimer: “I feel a bit crazy asking this question, but…” Use the scale - “is this a 1 meaning it’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen, or a 10?” Take the headtrash out on your calls and be overly transparent in your discovery Clarify, isolate, address the problems in a negotiation Charles Muhlbauer’s Path to President’s Club: Sr Biz Dev Training Manager at CB Insights Founder at SalesShare RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

28 Okt 202025min

24 (Sell): Let your customers out of the deal and get to the truth without your smelly commission breath (Josh Braun, Founder at Josh Braun Sales Training)

24 (Sell): Let your customers out of the deal and get to the truth without your smelly commission breath (Josh Braun, Founder at Josh Braun Sales Training)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways Detach from the outcome and just focus on finding the truth Use an accusation audit when asking questions: “Would it be ridiculous if…” Use “Have you given up on _____” as your one sentence breakup email Mirror the last three words of an objection, then label it with “sounds like ___” Josh Braun’s Path to President’s Club: Founder, Josh Braun Sales Training Head of Sales, Basecamp VP of Inside Sales, Jellyvision RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

21 Okt 202028min

23 (Sell): Cutting your days to close in half through light speed discovery (Justin Welsh, Founder at JW Strategic Advisory)

23 (Sell): Cutting your days to close in half through light speed discovery (Justin Welsh, Founder at JW Strategic Advisory)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Plant pain early in your discovery through extreme industry expertise Use an upfront contract to propose next steps at the beginning of the call Use the rule of 2 when you hit a tough objection - “this typically means 1 of 2 things” Ask for permission before hard questions like “if you didn’t have a team, would you buy?” Justin Welsh’s Path to President’s Club: Founder, Justin D Welsh, LLC Head of Sales at PatientPop Director of Sales at ZocDoc RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

14 Okt 202028min

22 (Sell): Being disarmingly blunt and disqualifying early (Alex Bruschi, Director of Acquisitions at Towerpoint)

22 (Sell): Being disarmingly blunt and disqualifying early (Alex Bruschi, Director of Acquisitions at Towerpoint)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways Use as few words as possible when answering a question Don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal and tell a customer it might not make sense Stop tip toeing around your discovery and ask the biggest DQ questions first “It’s okay to say no and I don’t wanna make these calls anyway” Alex Bruschi’s Path to President’s Club: Director of Acquisitions, Towerpoint 130% to quota and winner of one of the largest transactions at TowerPoint RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

7 Okt 202026min

21 (Sell): Double dialing, picking up the phone when you get an objection, and sending free coffee (Ashley Kelly, Sr Director of SDR at Brex)

21 (Sell): Double dialing, picking up the phone when you get an objection, and sending free coffee (Ashley Kelly, Sr Director of SDR at Brex)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Send Nick a coffee so he can feel important too 100 activities per day - mix up phone, email, LinkedIn, and Sendoso Multiple dials per day - don’t hesitate to hit one contact multiple times Dial around the organization - get intel from the CFO, use it on the controller Pick up the phone the moment you see an objection and hit ‘em hard Ashley Kelly’s Path to President’s Club: Sr Director, Sales Development at Brex Co-Founder, SDReady Director, Sales Development at Lever RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

30 Sep 202026min

Playbook: How to be a machine

Playbook: How to be a machine

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 be a machine: you’ll never make the “no time to prospect” excuse again. FOUR ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAYS Morning routine: Wake up, make the bed, read, exercise, start on your terms. Plan your attack: 8-3 are your golden hours, 3-6 are your admin hours. Batch everything. Crank the wheel: Close email, close slack, draw 80/20 lines everywhere and sprint Breathe: Unsubscribe from every mailing list, every unnecessary notification. Block it out. RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

23 Sep 202029min

20 (Sell): Selling pizzas and tearing down sequences with the blue-haired legend (Sam Nelson, SDR Leader at Outreach.io)

20 (Sell): Selling pizzas and tearing down sequences with the blue-haired legend (Sam Nelson, SDR Leader at Outreach.io)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Don’t have 3000 sequences. Have 3 for your main personas and 1 low priority one. In the Agoge sequence - your first email is super tailored, followed by two bubble ups After that, tailoring didn’t work. Hit prospects with your best cold email. If they’ve accepted the invite, don’t sell more. No need to send the confirmation. Sam Nelson’s Path to President’s Club: SDR Leader at Outreach.io A huge LinkedIn brand and Host of Sam Nelson Live RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

16 Sep 202029min

19 (Sell): Using 3 star Amazon reviews to figure out your prospect’s most granular problems (Marcus Chan, Venli Consulting)

19 (Sell): Using 3 star Amazon reviews to figure out your prospect’s most granular problems (Marcus Chan, Venli Consulting)

Join the most tactical sales newsletter in the world: https://hubs.ly/Q01-R33G0 Four Actionable Takeaways: Make your value prop simple - stop over complicating things Use 3-star Amazon reviews to figure out what granular problems your buyers have Optimize your LinkedIn page with what your buyers care about, not you Don’t pitch right away on LI - show gratitude, chat them up, then ask 10 days later Marcus Chan: Path to President’s Club: President of Venli Consulting Creator of the 6-Figure Sales Academy Founding member at RevGenius RESOURCES DISCUSSED Join our weekly newsletter Things you can steal

9 Sep 202020min

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