Unlocking Insights: The Power of Chairsides for Deeper Discovery

What if I told you that sitting down next to your prospect, literally, could unlock insights you’d never uncover during an online meeting? That’s the beauty of the?chairsides?method. It’s not about asking endless questions or relying on canned surveys; it’s about immersing yourself in their world and seeing their challenges as they experience them. Traditional discovery methods might scratch the surface, but chairsides take you deeper.

Chairsides are exactly what they sound like, sitting beside someone in their work environment and observing their processes in action. It’s an unfiltered, real-time look into how they work, the tools they use, and the challenges they face. For all of you working on complex deals, chairsides can be a game-changer. Let’s explore why this tool is so powerful and how you can use it to uncover deeper insights.

Why Chairsides Matter

Imagine this: you’re pitching a software solution to a logistics company. In your discovery calls, their leadership team tells you their biggest challenge is managing delivery schedules. Sounds straightforward, right? But during a chairsides session, you sit next to a dispatcher and watch them juggle five different systems, scribble notes on sticky pads, and spend half their day fielding calls about missed deliveries. Suddenly, the picture becomes much clearer.

This is the magic of chairsides. They:

• Reveal Unspoken Challenges: People often don’t think to articulate what feels normal to them. By observing their workflow, you can spot inefficiencies or workarounds they’ve accepted as “just the way things are.”
• Provide Context: You get a front-row seat to see how tools, processes, and people interact in real time.
• Build Empathy: Sitting beside someone as they work fosters understanding and builds stronger relationships with your prospects.

How to Conduct a Chairsides Session

Now that we’ve established why chairsides matter, let’s talk about how to do them effectively. Like any discovery method, preparation and execution are key.

1.?Set the Stage

Start by explaining the purpose of the chairsides session to your prospect. Emphasize that you’re there to observe, not critique. Let them know your goal is to understand their day-to-day experience so you can offer better solutions.

2.?Observe, Don’t Interfere

During the session, resist the urge to jump in or offer solutions. This is their time to work as they normally would. Take detailed notes about:

• Tasks they perform frequently
• Tools they use and how they use them
• Points where they seem frustrated or slowed down

For example, if you’re shadowing a customer service agent, you might notice they spend a lot of time switching between screens to find information. That’s a signal that their system might lack integration.

3.?Ask Open-Ended Questions

After observing, ask questions to clarify what you’ve seen. For instance:

• “I noticed you spend a lot of time navigating between platforms. Can you tell me more about why that is?”
• “What’s the most frustrating part of this process?”
• “If you could change one thing about this workflow, what would it be?”

These questions help confirm your observations and uncover additional insights.

4.?Synthesize and Share Insights

Once your session is complete, organize your findings into actionable insights. Focus on connecting the dots between their challenges and your solution. For example, you might say:

• “I noticed your team spends 30% of their time on manual data entry. If we streamline this process with [solution], they could redirect that time to higher-value tasks.”

Real-World Example: Chairsides in Action

Some time ago, we worked with a SaaS company targeting financial institutions. One of their prospects mentioned that their back-office operations were “slightly inefficient.” During a chairsides session with their loan processing team, we observed a startling workflow: applications were printed out, walked across the office for signatures, and re-entered into a different system. This manual process took hours.

By sitting beside the team, we uncovered an inefficiency that even the leadership team hadn’t fully realized. We proposed an automated workflow solution that not only eliminated paper trails but reduced processing time by 60%. Needless to say, the deal closed quickly.

Why Chairsides Are a Must for Complex Sales

For deals with multiple stakeholders and long sales cycles, the insights gained from chairsides can shorten the path to a close. Here’s why:

• Stakeholder Buy-In: When you understand the challenges faced by front-line employees and propose solutions that benefit them, it’s easier to get leadership support.
• Tailored Proposals: Chairsides give you the specificity needed to craft proposals that address real-world pain points, making your pitch far more compelling.
• Differentiation: Most salespeople don’t take the time to observe their prospects in action. Chairsides set you apart as someone who truly cares about solving problems.

Overcoming Objections to Chairsides

You might face some resistance when suggesting a chairsides session. Common objections include:

• “We’re too busy.”?Counter with:?“That’s exactly why this is important. If I can see where your team feels stretched, I can help find ways to ease the load.”
• “Why can’t we just tell you what’s wrong?”?Counter with:?“Sometimes the biggest opportunities aren’t obvious until we see them in action.”

Final Thoughts: Discovery That Goes Beyond the Surface

Chairsides aren’t just about gathering information; they’re about building trust, showing empathy, and delivering value. In a world where so many salespeople rely on surface-level insights, taking the time to truly understand your prospect’s daily challenges can set you apart.

So, the next time you’re deep in the discovery phase, ask yourself:?What would I learn if I simply sat beside my prospect and watched them work?

The answer might just change the game.

Ready to try chairsides? Let’s discuss how this tool can transform your sales process and help you close more complex deals.