Many small businesses make the mistake of thinking that the discovery call is their opportunity to sell themselves. It's not about you! They're about your potential customer and what they need. It's an opportunity to learn more about your potential customer and see if there's a fit for both of you.
If you focus on selling yourself and your business, you'll miss out on opportunities to close deals. Instead, focus on helping your potential customer understand what they need and how you can help them accomplish their goals. By putting your prospective customer first, you'll set yourself up for success and higher likelihood of converting the sale.
Research. A little homework goes a long way. For example: review their website and social media pages. The results yield pertinent information on potential pain points and challenges that will likely dictate their buying decision. It may also reveal additional questions requiring further response. BTW, you can also gain answers to basic questions. You'll get off on the wrong foot by asking questions on information easily found on their website. You may also gain insight on if they will be a good fit for your business model.
Determine your desired outcome. Sounds basic, right? But I find that is rarely is this step thought out by small business owners. A vague "getting the sale" isn't specific and makes it difficult to plan out a winning strategy. Do you want to sell your Master Mind class, with a potential future upsell to one-on-one coaching? Or maybe your intro acne removal serum and cross-sell a facial service? Planning ahead will allow for ease in selling.
Plan out and organize questions in advance. They should be layered with potential follow-up, based on the prospective clients response. Structured questioning will allow for natural flow of information sharing. As the expert in the space, use your knowledge to help guide the conversation.
Demonstrate Credibility. By incorporating 1-2 relatable stories based on your research and their responses. It gives the prospect the "why" in their time and potentially monetary investment. Well paced, engaging dialogue will allow your prospect to become comfortable and reveal their pain points and challenging areas. Stories help provide social validation, demonstrates value and why YOU are the one to cure their ill. The stories will help differentiate your business and display your Lagniappe - your something extra. Remember, it's a two-way street and the prospective client is also qualifying you!
Talk less, listen more. It's a good idea to balance conversation. If you find yourself constantly talking, stop and invite your prospective client to answer or elaborate on what they just said before continuing with more questions or comments. Client want to feel like they are being heard, so it's important to make the call about them.
Role Play. Role-playing is one way you can practice being comfortable in your conversation You'll realize potential gaps in the information that's been given, identify areas where you provide value, or possibly fine-tune statements to make the conversation more natural. Remember the Discovery Call isn't an inquisition! Practice smoothly pacing your questions.
So there you have it! The six essential steps that will help you determine if a potential client is a good fit, and what it will take to win them over. Have you had awkward experiences or completely missed an opportunity during a Discovery Call?