Discovery is a crucial stage in the sales process for SaaS companies. It involves understanding the customer’s pain points and requirements to identify whether the product/service being offered can help solve their problems. In essence, discovery is the foundation of successful sales, as it allows sales representatives to tailor their messaging and offerings to the customer’s specific needs.

The process of discovery typically involves a series of steps that the SDR and AE should follow to ensure that they gather all the necessary information to move forward in the sales process. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what they should do:

1. Prepare for the discovery call: Before making the call, the SDR should research the company, industry, and the individual they will be speaking with. This will help them to identify potential pain points, common challenges, and key decision-makers.
2. Build rapport: Start the conversation by building rapport with the prospect. Ask about their role, what they’re responsible for, and what their goals are. This will help to establish trust and show that the sales representative is interested in helping them.
3. Ask open-ended questions: Ask questions that require the prospect to provide detailed answers. Open-ended questions are an effective way to get the customer to share their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Examples of open-ended questions include “Can you tell me more about how you currently handle this process?” or “How has this problem affected your business?”
4. Listen actively: Listen to the prospect’s responses and take notes. Active listening shows that the sales representative is interested in what they have to say and can help identify key pain points and requirements.
5. Dig deeper: Once the prospect has shared their pain points and challenges, ask follow-up questions to clarify and deepen your understanding. For example, “Can you tell me more about how this issue affects your business?” or “What are the key criteria you’re looking for in a solution?”
6. Provide insights: Use the information gathered during discovery to provide insights that demonstrate the value of the product/service being offered. For example, “Based on what you’ve told me, our solution can help you save time and money by automating this process.”
7. Confirm understanding: Summarize the information gathered during discovery to confirm understanding. This helps to ensure that the sales representative has accurately captured the prospect’s pain points and requirements.
8. Next steps: Based on the information gathered during discovery, the sales representative should propose next steps. This could include scheduling a demo or arranging a follow-up call.

Discovery is a critical stage in the sales process that requires careful planning and execution. By following the steps outlined above, SDRs and AEs can ensure that they gather all the necessary information to move forward in the sales process and increase the chances of closing a deal.