I lost 22 of my first 23 opportunities when I first joined Gong. I focussed on our 10+ competitors and learning every unique feature we had. Since then, my win rate shot up and it all centers around one principle: 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗼. Before any selling is effective, you need to deeply understand their problem. You need strong mutual buy-in on 'why change.' 6 non-negotiables for me to uncover: 𝟭. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 How to ask: ↳ "Gong aside, what are the top 2-3 strategic priorities you're most focussed on." ↳ "What company-specific objective does Gong align most to, in your eyes?" Example: ↳ New product being launched 𝟮. 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝘁 How to ask: ↳ “For this new launch, through your lenses, what's the biggest single risk to making this a success?” Example: ↳ Sellers are all over the place demoing + messaging it 𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 How to ask: ↳ "What metric is that most affecting today?" ↳ "Where is that at today?" Example: ↳ 20% win rate 𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 How to ask: ↳ "In an ideal world, where would you want to get that to?" Example: ↳ 25% win rate 𝟱. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗢𝗜 How to ask: ↳ "If you bridged that gap, have you done the math on what that would be worth? Example: ↳ Growing 5% in win rates, is worth $2M / annually 𝟲. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. How to ask: ↳ What have you already done to try and solve that? Example: ↳ Having managers sit in on more calls which has been time intensive. You won't uncover all 6 of these on the first call and that's okay Build on each and uncover them through the entire cycle Discovery is a never-ending process Not just a sales stage 😁 P.S. Join 700+ sellers who've grabbed my full discovery blueprint: https://lnkd.in/dmYbzPGi
Saved 🤓
that's why I think before studying product, before studying anything else.. study the buyer persona and the buying scenarios. I know of an AE who was in a certain (non SaaS) industry for a few years. She then joined a SaaS company that is for that industry she was in. I told her and her manager, she will be your #1 AE MoM...just watch. Within 2 months, she broke records, and it's been >1 year and she's been at the top since then. Why? Because intimately understands the buyers world.
The M.A.T.H. acronym can be an easy way to remember what to ask to quantify: M = Metric. What metric are you using to measure this goal/KPI? A = Actual. Where are you measuring with this metric today? T = Target. Where do you want to be/what's your target? H= Holding you Back. What's Holding you back from hitting the target today?
Brian LaManna I like it with one small tweak to #1: "Identify their BIGGEST company objectives...and then establish a clear LINK of how your solution helps them achieve this" If it's an inbound prospect, chances are higher they've made the link. But if it's a cold outbound prospect? Chances are good they've haven't thought it through and it's our job as sales pros to help them see the link after a proper deep discovery!
Your last point is the most important. These questions are gradual. Not linear. People might read this and think this all belongs in one call. No. Discovery is like investing. It compounds. These questions must be asked in the right moments, with the right tonality and with the right formulation. Otherwise, we can have best questions ever written, and it can feel like an interrogate. Great insights here.
That’s nothing, I’ve lost 9,346 of 9,351 all time. Rookie numbers. Wait
Very informative
Finally, someone treating discovery like a science, not an art. Breaking down the brilliance: 1. Company objectives (strategic context) 2. Specific pain points (tactical focus) 3. Gap analysis (ROI story). It's like turning "20 questions" into a strategic conversation 😉
Early Stage Startup Sales Specialist | 3x exits to Medallia, Zoom and Meta | Helping change the sales stereotype
3dKrysten Ginda Matt Freedman Nicholas K. Ryan Ballard look at the line of questioning. This aligns with what we’ve been discussing