How can you ask better sales discovery questions?

1 Use open-ended questions

Open-ended questions are those that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no and can be used to gain more information, opinions, and feelings from prospects. These questions demonstrate that you are genuinely interested in understanding their situation and challenges. Examples of open-ended questions include inquiring about their main priorities for the quarter, how they measure the success of their current solution, what the biggest pain points are that they are currently facing, and how they envision their ideal outcome.

2 Follow the SPIN framework

SPIN is a popular sales questioning technique that stands for Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-payoff. This technique helps you structure your sales discovery questions in a logical and effective way. To use SPIN, start by asking situation questions to establish the context and background of your prospect's current situation. For example: How long have you been using your current vendor? Then, ask problem questions to identify the specific difficulties that your prospect is experiencing. For example: What are the main drawbacks of your current vendor? Following that, ask implication questions to explore the consequences of the problems on your prospect's goals, budget, and performance. For example: How does this affect your customer satisfaction and retention? Finally, ask need-payoff questions to highlight the benefits and value of your solution for your prospect's needs and goals. For example: How would you benefit from having a faster and more reliable vendor?

3 Listen actively and empathize

Asking better sales discovery questions is not enough; you must also actively listen to and empathize with your prospects. Active listening involves paying attention to what they are saying, as well as their tone, body language, and emotions. Additionally, it requires asking follow-up questions, clarifying doubts, and summarizing key points. To empathize with them, you must show that you understand and care about their challenges and goals. Expressing positive and supportive language is also important, such as appreciating their honesty and openness, seeing why something is important to them, being sorry for their issues, or being glad for their successes.

4 Avoid leading and closed questions

Leading and closed questions can make your prospects feel pressured, defensive, or misunderstood. They can also prevent you from discovering new information or opportunities. For example, asking “Don’t you think that your current vendor is too expensive and unreliable?” or “Are you happy with your current solution?” instead of open-ended and neutral questions such as “How do you feel about the cost and quality of your current vendor?” or “What are the pros and cons of your current solution?” To get the most out of your conversations with prospects, try to rephrase leading and closed questions in a more open-ended way. This will help you uncover new insights and opportunities.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?