Category Archives: Discovery

Talk the Talk

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One of the most critical steps during any ERP or CRM sales cycle is the research you perform prior to the initial contact with a prospect. Good pre-discovery can significantly streamline a sales cycle while contributing to building your relationship as a trusted advisor.

Sales teams who dedicate at least 30 – 60 minutes to learn about an industry they aren’t intimately familiar with, often put themselves in a strategic advantage over the other competitive “horizontal” sellers.

The reason is, individuals and companies alike, prefer to invest in experts. It’s a fact. Look at your own personal, consumer buying patterns. When given a choice between saving a few dollars to engage with a business who may understand your needs versus spending a premium to invest in a product and service that understand exactly your specific need. The majority of the time people lean towards the premium option.

Before your initial call you should know – What are the key metrics in the industry? What are the top three priorities for the CFO? What current trends and business opportunities drive the prospect’s industry?

How do you get started? In addition to the traditional research avenues – a company website, Bing or Google, LinkedIn, etc. there are several industry tools to aid you in becoming proficient and speaking your prospect’s “language”.

Three tools I rely on and recommend to partners, in order of preference:

Prior to my post I contacted all three organizations to learn about discounts available to Microsoft partners. While they exist, the reps weren’t forthcoming on what discounts they provide to Microsoft partners. However, when you call remind them you are a MSFT partner and learn more.

Opening Day in the Mile High City

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LAST Monday afternoon was opening day for the Colorado Rockies. It was a spectacular day and attending the home opener (or at least soaking up the downtown festivities) has become a rite of passage in the mile high city.

About PREPARATIONS

During the game I began thinking about spring training. Spring training is the preparatory period leading into the baseball season. It’s about practicing the common tasks these professionals will execute every day for the next 5 – 6  months. Even the veteran players who have been playing for 10+ seasons approach spring training as if this were their rookie season. Fielding ground balls, catching fly balls and playing a game of pepper.

About ORGANIZATION

It’s also fascinating to consider the effort and details a manager puts forth to compile a roster for each individual game. 162 games over the next several months. Every morning, before game time they sit at their desk to organize their thoughts and ideas on how to tackle the upcoming opponent. “Who is our starting pitcher?”, “Who will bat 3rd?” … yadda yadda yadda

Today’s Tip

Today’s tip is about preparation and organization. I consider every one of you successful and seasoned professionals. You’ve been selling software and conducting discovery calls for many, many years.

But … do you approach each opportunity uniquely as if you were the head coach of your favorite baseball team? Before every call do you plan out your questions and strategy?

For example, how are your discovery questions organized for the prospect and their industry? Do you begin your discovery with a blank sheet of paper or do you have a “roster” of questions already prepared prior to your first call.

During the discovery workshops we provide organizational tools to help you capture key, pertinent information for each opportunity. It’s an extremely efficient way to get organized. Also, having your questions pre-written saves time during note taking and improves listening.

Whether you leverage the tools provided during the workshop or you have your own pre-defined question sheet. Use it. It’s a simple way to prepare and get organized.

Good luck during the remainder of the quarter and win one for the gipper.