Discovery plan: How to qualify a prospect effectively?

What is the discovery plan and qualification

Before diving into the discovery plan methodology, it is essential to understand how this approach is inseparable from the qualification of a prospect. In B2B, each interaction with a potential customer must make it possible to answer a key question: Is this opportunity worth an investment of time and resources?

Qualification is the stage where we assess the relevance of a prospect, and that is precisely the role of the discovery plan: to structure this assessment so that it is effective, methodical and actionable.

What is the qualification of a prospect?

Qualification is an analysis process to determine if a prospect corresponds to your ideal target and if it has interesting commercial potential. It is based on several key criteria:

• The match between the needs of the prospect and your solution
• The decision-making and budgetary capacity of the prospect
• The urgency and priority granted to the project
• Motivations and potential obstacles

A good qualification makes it possible to avoid wasting time on unpromising leads and to optimize your commercial efficiency.

The discovery plan: a strategic tool to qualify effectively

The discovery plan is the implementation of this qualification. It is not a simple fixed questionnaire, but a structured approach that allows you to:

• Gather the right information: understand needs, identify issues, and anticipate objections
• Validating the maturity of the opportunity: detecting strong and weak signals that influence decision making
• Laying the foundations for a trusting business relationship: establishing an authentic exchange rather than a rigid questioning

In other words, a good discovery plan does more than just answer the question “is this a good prospect?” , it also prepares the rest of the sales cycle by giving you the key deadlines to build a relevant value proposition and improve your sales statistics.

How to carry out your discovery plan?

As you can see, qualification is not a simple questionnaire to be completed mechanically. It is a structured approach that aims to deeply understand the challenges, needs and constraints of your prospect. To be truly effective, this approach must be based on a rigorous methodology adapted to your commercial context.

The conversational approach for effective qualification

Unlike traditional approaches based on standardized questionnaires, effective qualification relies on authentic and engaging conversations. These exchanges, with high added value, make it possible to create a climate of trust and to obtain richer and more nuanced information.

The Q2C selling conversational model offers a particularly suitable framework for structuring your qualification process. This model is built around six key conversations, each exploring a specific dimension of the opportunity.

Three conversations to frame the opportunity

These first conversations make it possible to establish the general context of the opportunity and to create favorable conditions for the rest of your approach.

1. The identity conversation

This initial conversation aims to understand who your interlocutor is, their role in the organization and their vision of the issues.

It allows you to:

• Understand the professional background and responsibilities of your contact
• Identify your level of expertise and specific concerns
• Establishing a first level of personal connection
• Present your own expertise in a relevant way

2. The probationary conversation

This conversation assesses the legitimacy of each party in the sales process:

• Does your interlocutor have the authority or influence to move forward with the process?
• What is their level of involvement in decision making?
• Do you have the legitimacy and credibility to offer a solution to this prospect?
• Are your company's resources and skills suited to this opportunity?

3. The conversation about the course

This conversation explores the journey that led the prospect to consider a solution like yours:

• What events or changes triggered this reflection?
• What approaches or solutions have already been explored?
• What are the expectations for the buying process itself?
• What is the envisaged timeframe for decision-making and implementation?

Two conversations to understand the issues

These conversations deepen your understanding of the prospect's issues and their strategic importance.

4. The conversation about the problem

This conversation explores in detail the current situation and the challenges the prospect is facing:

• What are the visible symptoms of the problem?
• What are the root causes?
• How does this problem affect different parts of the organization?
• What obstacles are currently preventing this problem from being resolved?

5. The conversation about the value of the problem

This essential conversation aims to quantify the economic or strategic impact of the identified problem:

• What are the direct and indirect costs associated with this problem?
• What is the impact on operational performance, customer satisfaction or competitive position?
• What opportunities are being missed as a result of this issue?
• What would be the value of resolving this problem effectively?

A conversation to plan for the future

6. The conversation about the common future

This last conversation invites the prospect to project themselves into a future where your collaboration is established:

• How do you imagine our collaboration in the coming months and years?
• What concrete results do you want to achieve with our solution?
• How will you measure the success of this project?
• What is your ideal vision of the situation once the problem is resolved?

This conversational approach allows you to methodically explore all the essential dimensions of the opportunity, from understanding the context to projecting into a shared future.

The strategic place of the budget in the discovery plan

The budget issue is often perceived as a delicate issue in the qualification process. However, it is fundamental to assess the viability of an opportunity.

Unlike the direct approach of asking head-on, “What is your budget?” , a more subtle approach consists in integrating the budgetary dimension into your various conversations:

• In the conversation about the journey, explore investments already made for similar projects
• In the conversation about the problem, assess the costs associated with the current situation
• In the value conversation, quantify the economic impact of the problem to establish a baseline
• In the probationary conversation, explore the organization's budget approval processes

This integrated approach allows you to get a clear picture of budgetary considerations without creating unnecessary tensions. It also helps you assess whether the prospect values solving their problem enough to invest accordingly.

How do you adapt your discovery plan to different business contexts?

The discovery plan must be adapted according to the complexity of your offer, the nature of your market and the profile of your prospects. Here are some principles for customizing your approach.

Adjust the depth of your qualification according to the complexity of the sale

The depth of your qualification process must be proportionate to the complexity and scope of the planned sale.

For transactional sales (low value, short cycle, simple decision):

• Focus on the essentials and triggers: need, budget, authority, and timing
• Adopt a more direct and synthetic approach
• Aim for a quick qualification to move forward effectively in the process

For complex sales (high value, long cycle, multiple decision makers):

• Dig deeper into each dimension of the opportunity
• Explore organizational context and decision dynamics in detail
• Invest more time in fully understanding strategic issues

This adaptation allows you to optimize your investment in time and resources while maximizing your chances of success for each type of opportunity.

Integrate other methodologies to enrich your discovery plan

Depending on your business context, you can enrich your discovery plan by integrating other qualification methodologies. Rather than applying them in isolation, think of them as complementary to your conversational approach.

Each methodology has its strengths and can be particularly adapted to certain aspects of the qualification:

• MEDDIC is particularly effective for mapping the decision process and identifying key stakeholders in complex sales.
• SPIN Selling offers a logical progression of questions to explore the issues and their implications in depth.
• BANT provides a simple and effective framework for more transactional sales where essential criteria need to be quickly validated.

The key is to adapt these methodologies to your specific context and integrate them fluidly into your conversational approach, rather than applying them mechanically.

Adapt your conversational style to the profile of your interlocutor

Beyond the structure of your discovery plan, your conversational style must also adapt to the profile of your interlocutor. Les sales techniques suchlike SONCAS or DISC can help you identify your prospect's communication preferences and adjust your approach accordingly.

For example:

• A “Security” oriented profile will appreciate a methodical and documented approach
• A “Novelty” profile will be sensitive to innovation and original approaches
• An analytical profile will prefer exchanges based on concrete and verifiable data.
• A relational profile will better value the human dimension and the quality of the exchange

This adaptation contributes to creating a climate of trust and makes it easier to obtain information relevant to your qualification.

Common mistakes to avoid in your discovery plan

Even with a structured methodology, some errors can compromise the effectiveness of your qualification process. Here are the most common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Accelerate the qualifying phase

One of the most common mistakes is to rush the qualification phase in order to quickly move on to the proposal or the Closing.

This precipitation generally results in:

• A superficial understanding of the issues at stake
• A proposal that is poorly adapted to real needs
• A paradoxical lengthening of the sales cycle
• A decrease in the conversion rate

Take the time needed for a thorough qualification. This initial investment will result in a smoother and more efficient overall process.

Transforming qualification into an interview

Unlike haste, an approach that is too rigid or mechanical can turn your discovery plan into an unpleasant interview for your prospect.

Avoid:

• The lists of pre-established questions debited without adaptation
• The mechanical sequence of subjects without taking into account precise answers
• The lack of active listening and bouncing back on shared information
• The lack of genuine interest in the problems of the prospect

Always use a fluid and authentic conversational approach, where each question comes naturally from previous exchanges.

Overlooking weak signals

The most valuable information is not always the information that is explicitly expressed. Weak signals — hesitation, facial expressions, nuanced formulations — can reveal underlying issues that are crucial to your understanding of the opportunity.

Develop your ability to detect and interpret these signals:

• Pay attention to non-verbal language
• Write down topics that your interviewer is avoiding or reluctantly addressing
• Pay attention to inconsistencies in speech
• Observe subtle emotional reactions to certain topics

This sensitivity to weak signals will allow you to delve into the really important aspects and identify unexpressed concerns.

Stick to rational aspects

Effective qualification is not limited to rational and quantifiable aspects. Emotional and relational dimensions play a crucial role in decision-making, even in a B2B context.

Explore these dimensions in your discovery plan:

• What are the personal motivations of your interlocutor?
• What are the reputation or credibility issues associated with this project?
• What past experiences influence current perception?
• What are the relational dynamics within the decision-making team?

This holistic understanding will allow you to adapt your approach to both rational and emotional dimensions of the opportunity.