Virtual Assistant Skills

I've spent 10 years perfecting the art of discovery calls: - reviewed over 2,500 discovery recordings - analyzed millions of discovery calls with AI - personally run (estimated) 3,000 disco calls Here's 5 of my best discovery call tips for 2023: 1. Discovery is a process. Not an event. It’s not a STAGE during the sales cycle. It’s a process. Your buyer’s situation is in flux. If you do “set it and forget it” discovery, you lose. Bad salespeople treat discovery as “check the box." They "front load" discovery. Great salespeople do continuous discovery. Don't set it and forget it. 2. The best discovery CREATES value. It makes buyers THINK. "Most" discovery CONSUMES value. It merely gathers info. Yes, you need to uncover things. But if that's ALL you do? You build a transactional relationship. Don't settle for transactional. Settle for transformative. - challenge your buyer - diagnose the cause of issues - make them consider new angles $500k+ earners do that. 3. Uncover the 'need behind the need.' For whatever reason: Most buyers share surface-level info. I'm not sure why. I suspect it's just how humans crystallize thoughts. Try asking this: "Thanks for sharing that. Do you mind if I ask what's going on in your business that's driving that to be a priority to begin with?" Or, ask them to take you back in time. Your buyer once had a meeting with colleagues to discuss the issue they're trying to solve. That triggered them to reach out to you (among other actions). Ask them about that: "I have to assume you had a meeting with colleagues where you discussed the issue, and agreed to act on it. What did that meeting sound like?" There's gold behind that question. 4. Re-validate everything. Never assume that what you uncovered remains true. Priorities change. Buyers’ needs are transient. When things change, you’d better know. If you followed the last tip, you’ll uncover priorities. But if you treat discovery as “set it and forget it," you’ll miss. Here’s how to re-validate: Start every follow up sales meeting with this: "What’s changed since the last time we talked?" 5. Phrase questions to get LONG answers Hate it when buyers answer with one-word responses? It sucks. According to data, successful salespeople get LONG answers to questions. Here’s how: SIGNAL to your buyer that you want a long response. Do that by phrasing your questions the right way. Start your question with one of these phrases: - help me understand... - walk me through... - talk to me about... This phrasing signals that you want your buyer to answer in depth. You’ll get richer answers. I'm out of space. If you want more, let me know? Until then, know this: Questions are the most powerful tool you have to sell. I spent 10 years collecting the best sales questions in a Google Doc. I tested them. I refined them. Now you can use them. Here's the mega list sales questions: https://lnkd.in/g-VRcCsq

I’ve done 350+ discovery calls in the past 3 years and closed 7+ figures in contract value. I always structure my 1st call in the same 5-step format: Great sales is nothing more than a structured approach to help prospects make a decision. It shows them that I’m understanding and have their best interest at heart. I consider sales to be part of the service. It’s consulting. Here's how my discovery calls look: 𝟭. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 I want to find out as much as possible about them. My goal is to understand their journey & personality, and also make them feel heard & understood off the bat. They talk, I shut up. If they jump straight into business, I gently steer them back. ___ 𝟮. 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘁 Next, I dive into their business model, bottlenecks, and top goals: • Who’s your ICP? • What do you offer? • What’s your marketing status quo? • etc. I figure out if a collaboration makes sense and whether they need our help or something else entirely—like coaching, a new tool, a different vendor, or just advice on improving their current setup. ___ 𝟯. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 I recap what they’ve shared and then introduce myself. Here, I try to mirror how they shared their story: • what topics did they focus on? • how far back did they go? • what did they highlight? At the same time, I look for similarities between us to create relatability. Then at the end, I explain what I do on a high level. ___ 𝟰. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 From there, I introduce the 3 key theses they need to believe for us to work together. • Thesis 1: The decisions we make are influenced by the people we trust and the content we consume. • Thesis 2: Content helps build relationships & trust at scale. • Thesis 3: Content is an infinite game If they're not aligned with this thesis, it usually indicates we're not a fit. At the same time, I also discuss the rough budget range to make sure we're on the same page about expectations early on. ___ 5. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 If it feels like a fit, I lock in a follow-up call right then. I never leave this for later—it just adds uncertainty and hassle. If it’s not a fit, I still try to offer value—maybe I send some free resources or give advice. ___ 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄: • I call out any elephants in the room. • I recap what they say to confirm my understanding and give them a chance to add details. • This also helps me process what they’ve shared. • I always leave room for their questions. • Their needs are #1 priority. #b2bsales #founderledsales #consultativesales

Most discovery calls feel like an interrogations. Question. After question. After question. “What are you measuring?” “What is it today?” “Where do you want it to be?” “What happens if you do nothing?” “What’s the value of the difference?” Prospects leave lighter, but none the wiser. Want to disrupt the status quo? Bring a point of view that rattles the tray. Look at Enzo Avigo, CEO at June.so. He doesn’t just ask founders about churn. He says, “Your activation metric is lying to you.” Then drops a new lens that reframes the whole dashboard. Suddenly SaaS leaders see a problem they didn’t even have a name for. And June is the only company talking about the cure. You can do the same in discovery calls. Step one: expose an assumption. “Most teams treat last touch attribution like gospel.” Step two: swap in a sharper frame. “The problem is data shows that first‑encounter moments predict revenue far better.” Step three: invite them into the story. “Would you be open to hearing a different perspective on how teams capturing those moments and CAC by up to 30%?” Now you’re not probing; you’re teaching. You’re the guide who names the monster hiding under their bed and flips on the light so they can finally see it. Questions still matter. But when they ride shotgun with a clear point of view, you stop sounding like every other rep and start sounding like the partner who rewrote the playbook. That’s how you win. Not by gathering answers, but by giving people a new question they can’t stop asking themselves

After running 600+ discovery calls over the last 3 years here’s whats obvious Most reps still treat discovery like a script not a conversation 🤷♂️ Thats why deals stall, go dark or never even get off the ground I’ll be honest Early in my career “discovery” felt like just another step in the process Go down the list, ask the questions, move on But every time I did that it backfired → Deals slipped → Buyers went silent → I’d get feedback like “just not the right time” or worse no reply at all It wasnt until I flipped the script that things changed Discovery became the make-or-break moment Not the “qualification round” Not the interrogation Its where trust is built or lost Where you either see the real problem or chase the wrong one So I got obsessed with the basics How do you make discovery feel like a conversation not an interview? Here’s what actually works → 𝗗.𝗜.𝗦.𝗖. 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (my not so secret weapon) → D: Discover their world “Whats on your plate right now?” “Whats the big picture for your team?” → I: Identify pain, real pain “Whats slowing you down?” “If you could wave a magic wand what’s the headache you’d get rid of?” → S: Scrutinize decision & landscape “How do you usually tackle stuff like this?” “Anyone else who needs to be looped in?” → C: Clarify success + next steps “What does a win look like here?” “What would make this call worth your time?” I started setting expectations up front “This isnt a pitch. I’m just here to see if there’s an actual problem worth solving together” and closed with clear next steps always What happened? Deals stopped going dark People opened up (sometimes with things they’d never told a vendor before) And my pipeline became real. Full of opportunities that wanted to talk 146 folks tuned in to my Sell Better session with Will Aitken today and the messages after? “Thanks for the great talk!” “Learned a lot & got some great take aways” “I love how you use video for your recap!” The right discovery call doesnt feel like a step in the process. IT is the process So if you’re stuck running scripted calls try making it a conversation Try asking questions you actually care about the answers to Because that’s what opens the door Curious Whats your go to move to make discovery feel human? Drop a comment or DM me if you want the full D.I.S.C. deck or just want to jam on sales process. Always down to talk shop

I’ll judge some of my discovery calls by what the prospect does between that call and the demo.  You can start to look out for signs. If you did a poor job, didn’t build rapport, came unprepared, you MIGHT get a next step, but it will be a solo next step with just your initial contact (most of the time). If you did good discovery, had a real conversation, and showed up prepared, you’ll start to notice things.... - They're more responsive via email - They add additional folks to the call - They will potentially coach you on what's best to cover Ultimately, you can gain real deal momentum even after just ONE discovery call. It's never too early! Come to your discovery calls knowing: - Who the prospect is and what they care about - Who they might report to, people on their team, and others in the org that may be relevant - What the business does - What the business might be focused on, strategically - A hypothesis of what they could be focused on and how you might be able to help When you do this, you show the prospect you actually care. When you care, you're already way ahead of the game. OH and BTW, there's no excuse for not doing this because now we have AI.....

Your prospect just uploaded your discovery call to ChatGPT and asked what red flags it noticed. You thought the call went great. Good rapport. They asked questions. Said they'd discuss internally. Then they did this: "I just had a discovery call with a vendor. Here's the transcript. What did I miss? What red flags did you notice?" "Red flags: Avoided direct pricing question three times. Changed implementation timeline from 6 weeks to 8-10 weeks. Vague language around success rates. Didn't ask about budget or decision process. Mentioned feature as "coming soon" without timeline." Your buyer now has a list of everything you glossed over. A rep from one of our Sales Assembly member companies had this happen last quarter. Thought discovery went well. Buyer seemed engaged. A week later, buyer came back with six specific questions...all from ChatGPT's analysis: "You said 6 weeks but later said 8-10 weeks. Which is it?"  "You said 'most customers see great results.' What's the actual rate?"  "That feature you mentioned - when exactly will it be available?" The rep was caught off guard since they were being held accountable for every word. Deal didn't die. But trust took a hit. Best to presume your buyer is studying your calls as closely as your manager is. Here's how to speak knowing AI will analyze later: 1. Be consistent throughout. Don't say "6 weeks" early and "8-10 weeks" later. If it depends on variables, say that upfront: "Implementation ranges from 6-10 weeks depending on your tech stack. For a company like yours, I'd estimate 8 weeks." 2. Don't deflect questions. When a buyer asks about pricing and you say "we'll get to that," AI flags evasion. Instead: "Pricing typically ranges from $X to $Y depending on [factors]. Based on what you've shared, you'd likely fall in [range]. Happy to build a precise quote after we dig into requirements." 3. Replace vague claims with specific data. Don't say: "Most customers see great results."  Say: "87% of customers in your industry see [specific metric] within 90 days." 4. Clarify timelines for everything. "Coming soon" is a HUGE red flag phrase. Say instead: "That feature launches August 15th. I can send you the roadmap." Or be honest: "That's on our roadmap for next year. If that's critical now, we won't have it for at least 9 months." 5. Summarize at the end Before you hang up: "Let me make sure I captured everything: You need [X], timeline is [Y], budget is [Z], and you'll loop in [stakeholders]. Did I miss anything?" This lets you correct inconsistencies before the recording gets uploaded. Now, buyers aren't trying to catch you lying. But the ARE using AI to make sure they didn't miss anything. So if your call has inconsistencies, vague claims, or deflected questions, AI will find them. And your buyer will start the next conversation wondering if you're full of shit. Assume every word is being transcribed, analyzed, and flagged. Because it probably is. 🫣

How does a perfect discovery call start? There you go: You: “Great to meet you, Amanda - are you currently in Copenhagen as it says on your LinkedIn profile?” Amanda: “Morning. Yes, I am. Have you been to Copenhagen?” 📝 Learning 1: Some crisp small talk that shows you have done some research (max. 3 min) You: “Amanda, shall we dive into the topic we want to cover today?” Amanda: “Let’s do it” You: “Great. Do you have a hard cut at 11:45?” Amanda: “No, I have the next meeting only at 12:00 but need to prepare 5 min” You “Sounds good. Is it okay for you if we record this call? I will send you an automatically generated summary and a link to the summarized version of the discussion we have today?" Amanda: "Sounds fancy, let's do it" 📝 Learning 2: Always ask for the time in the beginning and record every call You: “Can I make a suggestion for today’s agenda Amanda?” Amanda: “Sure” 📝 Learning 3: If you ask for permission, people will follow your proposal You: “Let’s do a quick introduction round. I know already a lot about you but maybe you have some important things I need to know for the call today. Then, I would like to understand the reason you are taking time today so that I can give you very precise information in a third step on whether and how we can help. This way, we do not waste each other’s time. Ok with you?" Amanda: “Yes" 📝 Learning 4: Set an agenda and give reasons why it is beneficial for everybody. Amanda unlikely will follow up and say “I want to see the product” You: “Okey, I will start with my introduction...." You “My goal for today is simple: I would like to find out together whether it is worth spending more time together” 📝 Learning 5: Talk about how you got to the company and why you love selling the product. Then, state your goal of the meeting You: “I already know that you are the CSO at Acme and have around 30 salespeople according to LinkedIn. What else is necessary for me to understand?” 📝 Learning 6: Show that you have done your research. Never say “Can you introduce yourself” without giving more context. You will miss a huge opportunity to build trust and show your preparation Amanda: “So the reason I am taking this call is….” If they don’t state that reason, that is the first question you need to ask yourself: You: “What are your reasons why you are taking the time today Amanda?” The success of the call will be decided right here. Amanda will talk about her reasons for taking the call. She will make some shallow statements like “I want to make onboarding faster” or “We realized that our methodology is not followed properly” If this happens, make sure you always have three tactics in mind: 1️⃣ Ask “What else comes to mind Amanda?” Do not stop until they say “that is all” 2️⃣ Think and ask IMPACT: “In case you cannot solve that issue in due time, what would happen?” Most salespeople assume impact but never explicitly ask. 3️⃣ Summarise regularly what you have understood

I audited 47 discovery calls so far this month. 23 were inbound and 24 were outbound. Some of the AEs used identical approaches on both and their close rates for inbound were ≈ 45% for inbound and ≈ 17% on outbound. They forgot the most important part of discovery: You should not treat inbound and outbound leads the same way. Inbound prospects: - Raised their hand - Have a problem they're trying to solve - Expect to be challenged and questioned You can be direct: "What's broken that made you reach out?" Outbound prospects: - Didn't ask to talk to you - You're coming to them - Need context before they'll engage - You have to earn the right to ask questions The principle: Your approach should match their entry point. Inbound = Permission granted They gave you permission by raising their hand. Use it. Outbound = Permission required You need to earn the right to dig deeper. Example: Wrong way with outbound: → "What challenges are you facing with your current system?" (They're thinking: "Who is this person and why should I tell them anything?") Right way with outbound: → "When I speak with [personas], they tell me they're dealing with [problem A], [problem B] or [Problem C]. So when I did some research, I noticed [relevant trigger] and was wondering if any of that is also something you're experiencing too?" The lesson: Stop using the same playbook for different situations. Read the room. Match your energy to theirs.

I reviewed 15+ hrs of discovery calls. Here's the strategy that converts: ⤵️ My call closing rate is ~70% - that’s outrageously high. Last week 2 of my clients shared recordings with me. I dissected every word. Try the advice I gave them, if you want to close more deals: 1. 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐄𝐆𝐀 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝: ➝ Ask the lead to fill out a pre-call form.* ➝ Research their position through your PRO perspective. ➝ Compare your review with their form responses. 2. 𝐁𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:** ➝ Ask open-ended questions. ➝ Be curious. Help them unpack root challenges. ➝ The lead speaks 70% of time. You speak 30%. 3. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: ➝ FIRST: "Here’s how we’ll structure the call to ensure it’s valuable for you." ➝ THEN: What I’m hearing is [core challenge]. Do you feel this is accurate?” ➝ FINALLY: "This is what we’d need to address to get results…" (𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐩: don’t ever say “I think…”. Speak from experience. When you suggest ideas, tie it to case studies you have under your belt.) Your leads deserve clarity, confidence, and solutions. Give them that & they’ll gladly say yes. P.S. * I’ve dropped pre-call question ideas in the comments + more tips. P.P.S. ** Don’t be pushy. You don’t even have to pitch. The star of the call is your potential client. Show them you understand their position. 📌 I can talk about this for days. Do you want more posts like this?

Most buyers don’t  know exactly what they need in the first few calls. That’s what I’ve learnt from 500+ successful discovery calls. And yet too many discovery calls start with: “So, tell me your requirements.” But what if… they don’t know? A great discovery call isn’t just asking questions, but understanding context. Inbound ≠ Outbound ≠ Referral. Different entry = different energy. Here’s how we run discovery at Leadle 👇 1. Outbound leads (aka: you showed up uninvited) You interrupted their day, not the other way around. They’re likely 3 steps behind in awareness. So… ❌ Don’t: “Here’s what we do” ✅ Do: “Here’s what we often see [people like you] struggling with, does that ring a bell?” Then: → Dig into what resonates → Ask: Why now? What’s the cost of ignoring this? Would they invest in fixing it? → Share a relevant use case → Lock in next steps (incl. who else should join) 📌 Call #2 is still semi-discovery. Don’t rush the pitch. 2. Inbound leads (aka: they came to you) They want to solve something. You just need to uncover what. Start with: “Hey - saw you filled out the form for [X]. Mind sharing what you’re hoping to solve?” Then: → Unpack their “why now?” → Clarify ideal outcomes → Dig into past failures (if any) → Share a focused story of how you’ve solved this before → Invite stakeholders for a deeper dive 📌 Your job: match interest to the right solution. 3. Referrals or partner leads (aka: the warm handoff) Trust is already there. Don’t ruin it with a hard pitch. Instead: “Appreciate you reaching out - always grateful for [Referrer]’s trust.” Then: → Ask what they’re exploring → Validate what’s working / what’s not → Be honest if they don’t need you → Proactively share references 📌 They’re hopeful. Treat the trust with care. No matter where they come from, a good discovery call does one thing well: Meet people where they are, not where you want them to be.