Engage buyers better

Samantha McKenna stresses the importance of strong buyer conversations during discovery calls.

Improve yours with these three steps:

Start with a stronger opening

• Avoid generic questions like, What interested you in taking this call?

• Instead, say: I could tell you a million things about us, but I’d love to hear about you first. I know [specific pre-researched details], but I’d like to understand your goals and challenges. Is that okay?

This approach puts the focus on the prospect and encourages meaningful discussion.

Uncover urgency

• Ask questions to understand the “why” behind their needs:

  • What’s driving this urgency?

  • Why now?

  • Who else is impacted?

Their answers help guide the conversation and reveal true priorities.

Listen more than you talk

• Watch for signals that someone else wants to speak and let them.

• Keep your input brief to build trust and engagement.

Less talking in the first call often leads to better outcomes.

Frame ROI in measurable terms

Mark Neitzel outlines actionable strategies to improve discovery calls by focusing on outcomes, calculating value, and asking industry-specific questions.

1. Set clear outcomes

⇢ Define and communicate the goal of the meeting.

• For inbound deals: “By the end of today, you’ll know if this product solves your challenges, and we can discuss terms.”

• For enterprise deals: “Our goal is to assess fit and decide if continuing the conversation makes sense.”

⇢ Revisit the outcome at the end: “Do you think this is worth continuing to explore?”

2. Calculate value with metrics

⇢ Connect ROI to their numbers:

• “Most contractors lose 10-20% on change orders. Is that similar for you?”

• “Improving labor productivity by just 0.5% would cover this investment. Does that seem achievable?”

⇢ Confirm ROI: “Do you see this addressing [specific challenge]?”

3. Replace vague questions with tailored ones

• Avoid questions like “What keeps you up at night?”

• Reference common pain points:

  • “Many contractors struggle with rework or lost paperwork. Are these issues for you?”

  • “Most companies focus on cutting inefficiencies in [specific area]. Is that the case for you?”

4. Be transparent about your role

⇢ Own your position as a salesperson:

• “Let’s figure out together if the value justifies making a change.”

⇢ Address objections openly:

• For pricing: “It’s typically X% of revenue depending on the modules you need. Let’s confirm fit first.”

From checklist to conversation

Leslie Venetz highlights a powerful concept from Jill Konrath’s SNAP Selling: your discovery calls should be so valuable that prospects would pay $500 to attend.

If they aren’t, you’re not just risking the deal—you’re missing an opportunity to build trust and credibility.

Most ineffective discovery calls focus on surface-level questions like timelines or budgets.

Here’s how to make yours stand out and deliver real value:

• Ask deeper, open-ended questions. Replace generic ones like “What keeps you up at night?” with context-driven ones like, “CIOs often mention cybersecurity and AI as top challenges. Are those similar to your priorities, or are you seeing something different?”

• Do your homework on the prospect to tailor your approach and show you understand their business.

• Offer a unique point of view and connect their challenges to actionable solutions.

• Prepare to ask 11-14 needs-based questions that uncover their true goals and motivations.

When your discovery call feels like a meaningful conversation—not an interrogation—you create a two-way dialogue that prospects value.

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