A discovery call has one job: find out whether there is a real problem you can solve, and what that problem costs the buyer. When these calls go wrong, it is often because of how the conversation was run, not because of the product. Here are five mistakes worth checking yourself against.
Mistake 1: Pitching before diagnosing
The easiest mistake in discovery is treating it like a demo. You get excited and start listing features before you know what the prospect needs. They feel talked at, not heard, and stop volunteering information.
Fix: let the prospect do most of the talking. Your job on this call is to ask, listen and take notes. Save the pitch for when you know what it has to answer.
Mistake 2: Asking weak discovery questions
“What are your pain points?” is vague. It puts the work on the prospect, so it tends to get a vague answer. Better questions are specific and aim at what the problem costs, not only at whether it exists.
Fix: try “When that process breaks down, what happens to the team downstream?” or “How is this affecting your chance of hitting this quarter’s goal?” Then ask one follow-up before you move on: “What happens if that is still true in six months?”
Mistake 3: Missing buying signals
Questions about price, rollout time or how your product fits with tools they already use are signs of interest. They are easy to miss when you are thinking about your next talking point.
Fix: when a prospect asks about specifics, go deeper on that topic. Do not brush past it to get back to your plan for the call.
Mistake 4: Getting flustered by objections
Many objections are really requests for more information. “It seems expensive” can mean “help me justify this internally.” “We already have something” can mean “tell me why switching is worth the effort.”
Fix: do not argue. Acknowledge the objection, ask a question to find out what is behind it, then answer that.
Mistake 5: No clear next step
A call that ends with “I’ll send you some info” leaves the next move with nobody, and those deals tend to go quiet.
Fix: agree the next step before you hang up, with a time attached. Not “would you be open to a follow-up?” but “I have Thursday at 2pm or Friday at 10am. Which works better for a 30-minute demo?”
Before and after the call
- Before: write down the three things you need to learn. If the call ends and you have them, it went well.
- After: send a short recap the same day, in the buyer’s own words: the problem, what it costs them and the next step you agreed.
Where MuteHint fits
MuteHint is a desktop app for macOS and Windows. Its Sales Call profile listens to the buyer’s side of the call, picks out the question or objection that was just raised and puts a suggested reply on your screen. Paste your pitch, pricing and common objections into the context box before the call, so the replies use your own material.
It does not score the call, track talk time or keep a library of objections. It shows you something you can say next. The Sales Call profile is included in paid plans, from $25.