Discover what the Customer values most and validate it

Author Carmen LarrumbideCarmen Larrumbide
Date December 1st, 2014
If you are a Salesperson probably one of your main worries is getting new opportunities and new customers. 
Today, I am going to share some Discovery Tactics in order to get what you need.


The process of discovery means to:

  • Understand the customer’s business problem.
  • Find the business owner and influencers and understand how they perceive value.
  • Engage in a collective problem finding and solving process.
Solutions have no inherent value
The reason we ask about problems and/or results is because solutions have no inherent value. They derive value from the problems they solve and/or the results they produce.
  • Problems (Current State): Problems are those existing or current issues that evoke pain and a desire to move away from something or situation.
  • Results (Future State): Results are those issues or future state you wish to achieve and represent gain and a desire to move toward something.
Why do anything?  Why now? Investigate – Collaborate  – Validate.

 
No Guessing! Don’t assume you and the prospect are using words in the same context. No guessing begins with a mutual understanding of the words we use. How mutual will that understanding be?.
The key question for “No Guessing” about a requested solution is: 
“What do you mean when you say __________?”.
 
Move to the underlying PROBLEMS: What kinds of problems have you been experiencing by not having_________?.
Move to the desired RESULTS: Let’s say you could put in a world-class ____. What would that allow to do that you can’t do today?.
 
Six step process for structuring the conversation: The Heart of Discovery.
  • Get a quick list of the KBRs/critical business issues.
  • Make sure the list is complete. Find out which issue is most important.
  • Elicit proof (evidence and tactical pain/gain).
  • Determine consequences (impact).
  • Summarize: Did I get it right? Did I leave anything out?.
  • Prioritize: Take each issue in order of importance.
Get started: So tell me about what you are trying to do?. 
  • What do you mean by…
  • What lets you know that…
  • How would you know that…
  • How would you judge that…
  • What would you see, hear, or experience that..
  • Discovering Consequences.
  • What is it that makes ____ so important?.
  • How is it that ____ came to be so important?.
Hard (measurable) Evidence: 5 Golden Questions No evidence, no value.
  • What is it now?.
  • What would you like it to be?.
  • What is the value of the difference.
  • Over time? (2-3 years).
Qualify if you can’t Quantify.
 
Soft Evidence (how do you measure it?): Peel the Onion. How. What & Where.
Tactical pain/gain (proof) questions, these questions help us understand the problem or result from both a business and technical aspect.
  • What lets you know that this is a problem.
  • Where does that problem show up?.
  • What measures, if any, prove that is a problem?.
These questions help you see how important the issue is that you are discussing.
  • If you _____, what would that allow you to do?.
  • …what are the consequences?.
  • …where does that hurt your business?.
  • …how would that benefit the business?.
Context: Who else is Affected?. Who or what else is affected by this issue?. Some of the context issues include how our solution impacts the company’s:
  • Mission, Vision, Values.
  • Key Strategies, Internal and external pressures.
  • Political landscape.

Some good Context Questions include:

  • How do these issues align to the key strategies or initiatives of your organization?.
  • What has caused the need for (product/service) to come up at this particular time in the organization.
  • Just to make sure I understand the big picture, what’s going on in your organization that affects any action you take?.
Constraints: Why not?.
The impact of any solution is Big, Small, or Not agreed Upon. If the impact is Big what are the constraints: 
  • Current State: What has stopped the organization from successfully resolving these issues before now?.
  • Future State: What, if anything, might stop the organization from successfully resolving these issues in the future?.
There are two types of Constraints:
  • Good: things we can do that the customer cannot.
  • Bad: things that have stopped the customer in the past, which, if uncorrected, will stop them again. 
Take away the Solution if the Impact is small:
  • I could be wrong. It doesn’t sound like this is a substantial problem. Or…
  • Is it likely the organization will fund this when it could fund higher priority projects?.

Ask and Probe if the Impact is not agreed upon.


Structured Conversation:
  • Get a QUICK list.
  • Make sure it is COMPLETE.
  • Find out which is MOST IMPORTANT. 
  • Elicit PROOF.
  • Determine IMPACT.
  • Summarize:
    • Did I get that RIGHT?.
    • Did I leave anything OUT?.
  • Take the KBRs in order of priority.
“The most effective account managers and teams discover how their customers define value, then engage and execute accordingly”. 
             

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