Discovery Plan: Key Techniques to Transform Your Prospects into Customers

Knowing how to ask the right questions to sell a product is an art that every salesperson must master, especially during the discovery phase where it can be decisive. ‍

As an integral part of the sales steps for an area manager, the discovery phase sets the foundation for a healthy negotiation. To do this, experienced salespeople know how to ask the right question at the right moment to tilt the discussion in their favor.

Beyond identifying the prospect's needs, asking the right questions also reveals their deep-seated motivations, the obstacles they face, the appropriate solutions, and upcoming challenges…

All the answers collected are precious because, in addition to providing information, they will save you a lot of time! You will quickly understand if a prospect is ultimately not qualified for your product or if they are not ready to buy it.

For this reason, the discovery plan is a fundamental element in the sales process. Let's explore together the key techniques to convert your prospects into customers.

What is a discovery plan?

A discovery plan is a structured method used by sales professionals to deeply understand the needs, challenges, motivations, and goals of a prospect or customer.

This approach involves a series of targeted questions and interactions that allow the salesperson to gather crucial information about the prospect.

The importance of the discovery plan in sales strategy is considerable because it:

1. Promotes understanding: it allows the salesperson to grasp not only the prospect's explicit needs but also their underlying challenges and motivations, which is essential for proposing truly tailored solutions;

2. Creates a Consultative Dialogue: it transforms the sales dynamic from a transactional exchange into a consultative conversation. In retail, department and store managers know their market and customer base. However, they do not know your products. By understanding their needs, you are in a position to better advise them both on your product lines and on potential sales promotions;

3. Builds trust and relationships: By showing a genuine interest in the challenges and goals of the store or retail chain, the salesperson establishes a relationship of trust, which helps to build a lasting business relationship;

4. Increases the chances of success: By better understanding the department manager, the salesperson can tailor their sales pitch to address specifically the points that matter most to them, thereby increasing the chances of closing a sale.

The discovery plan is an essential tool in any salesperson's toolkit, as it allows for a more targeted, consultative, and effective sales approach.

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The benefits of a structured discovery plan

A structured discovery plan offers several key benefits in the sales process, significantly contributing to the efficiency and success of sales interactions:

• Better understanding of your customers' needs: A well-designed discovery plan allows you to precisely define the customer's needs, challenges, and goals. For example: “I want to introduce more local products to meet the growing demand from my customers.“;

• Identification of underlying problems: It helps uncover challenges that the customer may not have identified themselves, adding value to the business relationship;

• Improvement of the supplier-retailer relationship: By showing a genuine interest in the needs of your retailers or client stores, the discovery plan strengthens trust and credibility in your brand and salesperson. This fosters a consultative dialogue, converting the sale into an experience where the customer feels heard and understood. If you have good relationships with your retailers, it will make it easier for you to negotiate better product placement or more shelf facings;‍

• Understanding client motivations: The discovery plan helps to understand what truly motivates the client, allowing you to create more impactful value propositions aligned with their needs. This subsequently enables you to propose sales promotions and merchandising that match their expectations. These elements help strengthen the commercial relationship, thereby increasing the chances of gaining better visibility and prime placement on the shelves;

• Optimization of the sales strategy: The information gathered helps align the proposed products (both mandatory and optional assortments) with the needs and specific characteristics of the client store(s);

• Increased efficiency: By quickly identifying potential clients and filtering out those who are not, the discovery plan optimizes the salesperson's time and resources;

• Targeted answers: The ability to respond more precisely to the customer's needs increases the conversion rate;

• Anticipation of objections: A deep understanding of the customer allows you to anticipate and prepare responses to potential objections.

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How to make a customer discovery plan?

Methods for creating a customer discovery plan

An effective discovery plan relies on the effective and clear formulation of your questions. To build your pitch properly, several methods exist.

These methods include thorough preparation, a clear understanding of the meeting's goals, and an adaptive approach based on the customer's answers:

• Preparation involves researching the customer and their industry, while setting goals helps guide the conversation toward relevant information;

• The adaptive approach allows you to adjust questions based on the flow of the conversation for in-depth exploration.

Here are different methods that will help you better understand and analyze your prospects/customers:

The FARP method

The FARP method is used to deeply identify and understand the needs and expectations of a prospect or customer, and to offer adapted solutions.

FARP is an acronym for:

• Facts: gather objective and concrete information about the client (store data, retail chain data, typology, geographic area, clientele...);

• Advantages: align your brand's goals with the customer's needs. What advantages do they get from selling your product(s)?;

• Risks: identify potential risks that the client might face in selling your products;

• Potential: identify the opportunities that your product or brand can offer them.

The MEDIC method

The MEDIC method is particularly effective for complex sales, helping to understand the client's decision criteria and pain points.‍

MEDIC is an acronym for:

• Metrics: understand the key performance indicators or results that the client hopes to achieve by selling your product (increase in sales volume or value of the department/category, attracting new customers...);

• Economic Buyer: If you are dealing with an independent owner, identify the person who has the financial power to make the purchasing decision;

• Decision Criteria: identify the criteria the customer will use to evaluate and choose products (innovation, price, delivery times, merchandising...);

• Identify Pain: uncover the challenges, problems, or 'pain points' that the customer is facing;

• Champion: The champion is a person within the customer's organization who actively supports and promotes your brand. Identifying and nurturing a champion can be crucial for positively influencing the decision-making process;

• Competition: know which other brands you are competing against. Since shelf space is not infinite, this helps position your products more strategically and highlight their advantages—and your brand's advantages—over others.

The BEBEDC method

The BEBEDC method is a structured approach used in sales processes, particularly for managing complex sales and interactions with multiple decision-makers.‍

BEBEDC is an acronym for:

• Bilan (Assessment): evaluate the client's current situation;

• Etapes (Steps): identify the different steps the client must take to move from their current situation to achieving their goals (adding innovation or novelty, reworking the market share of current products, modifying the merchandising...);

• Blocages (Obstacles): understand the obstacles or challenges preventing the client from reaching their goals (internal, external, or both reasons);

• Echéance (Deadline): know the timeline for the purchasing decision to plan actions (annual negotiation, targeted sales drive...);

• Décideurs (Decision-makers): Identify the key decision-makers involved in the purchasing process (at the retail chain level, store level...);

• Conséquences (Consequences): assess the consequences for the client if they do not resolve the identified problems or if they do not seize the presented opportunity. This helps emphasize the urgency of listing your brand or one of your products.

Other methods exist such as the ANUM method (Authority, Need, Urgency, Money), the CHAMP method (Challenges, Authority, Money, Prioritization), or the SPIN method (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff).

Beyond asking questions, certain methods can help you construct the conversation with your prospects:

• The SIMAC method can help you build your sales pitch;

• The ADERA method can help you address objections from your prospects.

The choice of method often depends on the sales context, the type of product or service offered, and the specific characteristics of the customer or target market.

Types of questions to include in a discovery plan

Questions play a crucial role in the discovery plan. They come in several types:

‍Open-ended questions encourage the customer to share detailed information about their needs, goals, priorities... For example:

• "What are the key criteria you look for in a new supplier to enrich your product range?"

• "Can you tell me about the current consumer trends you are observing and how our brand could respond to them?”

• "Faced with market developments, what are the main challenges your retail chain encounters in product categorization?"

• "What are the specific expectations of your clientele that you find difficult to satisfy with your current offer?"

Closed-ended questions are useful for obtaining specific and concrete answers (a confirmation or denial, a sales volume, revenue, etc.). For example:

• "Does your retail chain follow a specific policy regarding pricing or margins for newly listed products?”

• "Have you listed products similar to ours that are underperforming in your stores? Would you like to replace them?”

Alternative questions offer the customer options to choose from, thus facilitating more precise answers. For example:

• "For the introduction of new products, do you prefer temporary promotional campaigns or regular shelf placement?"

• "Is your retail chain focusing more on expanding existing ranges or on introducing entirely new product categories?"

• "As part of our collaboration, would you be more inclined to opt for regular orders of moderate volumes or larger, but less frequent orders?”

‍Steps to create a personalized discovery plan

To develop a personalized discovery plan, follow these steps:

Step 1: Preparation and research on the customer and their sector.

• Start with a deep analysis of the industry sector (market trends, industry challenges, opportunities);

• Gather information about the retail chain or store, its history, culture, organizational structure, brand image;

• Identify its main competitors and understand how it positions itself relative to them.

‍Step 2: Definition of the meeting goals.

• Determine what you want to accomplish during the meeting: identifying the customer's needs, presenting your brand, or presenting a specific product;

• Plan how you will communicate the value and benefits of your brand;

‍Step 3: Development of a list of questions based on the question types mentioned above. Adapt the questions to the customer's context;

‍Step 4: Adaptation of the approach based on the customer's answers. Practice active listening to capture nuances and undertones;

‍Step 5: Synthesis of the information gathered to personalize the sales proposal.

• After the meeting, summarize the customer's needs, concerns, and goals as you understood them;

• Use this information to adjust your proposal;

• Determine the next steps.

Tips for asking the right questions

To maximize the effectiveness of your discovery plan, active listening is important.  Be fully present in the conversation, listen carefully, and respond thoughtfully.

You are no longer a seller, but a consultant.

Generally speaking, asking questions gives you a more professional image. But playing the card of transparency establishes trust, and even respect for the interlocutor, who is treated as an equal.

In this way, you do not position yourself as a salesperson who just wants to make their numbers, but as a consultant who brings their expertise.

The discovery phase is not an interrogation but a meeting. You are trying to understand if your potential collaboration is as advantageous for the prospect as it is for your brand.

Questiology, the new sales weapon

Questiology is the art of asking questions strategically to uncover the client's deep-seated needs and motivations.

This approach transforms traditional sales into a consultative conversation, where the salesperson acts more like a partner than a simple supplier.

‍Mastering questiology allows you to guide the customer through introspective reflection, thereby revealing needs and opportunities that were not obvious at first glance.

‍More concretely, faced with an objection, there are two types of responses:

‍The beginner's response that kills your prospect's trust:

‍“Your product does not have the quality our company is looking for” → “But, you have nothing to worry about on that point”

‍The expert's response that asks a question:

‍“Your product does not have the quality our company is looking for” → “That's true, it depends on your usage. How are you planning to use it?”

‍Tip: experienced salespeople ask a question after making a statement that is likely to become an objection.

‍The true strength of questiology lies in leading the prospect to identify their own weaknesses and consider the relevance of your solution. Moreover, you involve the prospect in the sales process and lead them to imagine moving forward with your proposal, which proves extremely positive for the sale.

‍Asking questions prevents you from imposing your solution and putting the prospect on the defensive. Naturally, when you try to sell something insistently, the other person goes on guard.

‍For all these reasons, knowing how to ask questions to your prospects keeps the process moving forward, and the best salespeople even ensure that prospects are requesting their solution, rather than the other way around.

‍Now, let's look at the strategic questions to ask during the discovery phase to accelerate your deals.

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Questions to ask in a discovery plan

Experienced salespeople understand the importance of asking the right question at the right moment. Beyond identifying needs, asking the right questions reveals deep-seated motivations and obstacles that the prospect faces. This information is vital because it allows you to save time and quickly evaluate if the prospect is a good fit for your product.‍

These categories of questions help build a complete picture of the prospect's needs and goals, allowing you to tailor your sales approach more effectively.

‍Questions that reveal the problem

First, the key is to focus on the prospect's problems. Their need is the factor that determines the signature at the time of closing.‍

If your solution does not solve one of their main problems, the prospect will not buy your product. However, if your solution fits the prospect's needs, you can then offer your product as a help and present it as a solution using the right words.

But for that, a few questions are necessary:

• How did you hear about us?

• What challenges/problems are you facing?

• How are you managing [the problem]?

• Are the solutions you have put in place effective?

• What is working or not working?

• What results would you expect from a new solution?

• When would you like to achieve these results?

• Why is this a priority for you? Why now?

‍With these questions, you can judge if your solution answers the prospect's problems. These are qualifying questions that will tell you if you have a good chance of closing the sale or if it is a waste of time.

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Questions that lead to your solution

‍Now that you have all the information and thanks to your active listening, you have the keys in hand to highlight your solution in relation to the problem.

‍Asking questions at this point emphasizes the importance and urgency of choosing your solution. The prospect must realize on their own the consequences of not buying your product sooner!

‍Today, it is proven that talking about the prospect's problems sells more than talking directly about your product.‍

The questions will therefore be:

• What do you like about your current system? And what would you like to change?

• If you don't find a solution to [the problem mentioned], what will happen to your company?

• How might this situation affect your teams?

• How much money would you be willing to spend if you had to resolve [the problem]?

• If you find the right solution, what will be the impact on your numbers?

• What would your success look like with a new solution?

• What do you particularly like about our product?

• If we work together starting today, what will have changed in 6 months?

‍These questions have prepared the ground for the negotiation phase: the prospect realizes the time and money they are losing without a suitable solution. You asked them about the worst-case scenario that could happen to their company, then how to avoid it, and the last questions allow them to project themselves working with you and your product.

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Questions that prepare the next steps

‍You know the ins and outs of your prospect's challenges. And, if you have done it well, they have realized the urgency of their problem and the benefits of your solution.

‍Now, you should not be afraid to ask the questions that will help YOU in the rest of the sales process.

‍You can obtain a lot of information with questions like:

• Where does the problem stand on your list of priorities?

• What are your company's goals?

• What is the main obstacle to your goals?

• Who makes these kinds of decisions?

• Who else is involved in looking for this solution?

These questions will give you an idea of the sales process within the company and whether you will need to convince other people before the signature. But normally, during prospecting, you targeted the final decision-maker to avoid losing time.

‍If that is not the case, we highly recommend closing the exchange by scheduling the next step with your prospect.

‍In the competitive world of sales, knowing how to ask the right questions is crucial for converting a prospect into a customer. The discovery phase is a decisive moment, where the art of the question - or 'questiology' - can make all the difference.