AMA: AlphaSense Director of Strategic Sales, EMEA, Brian Tino on Discovery Tactics

When handling objections throughout the sales process, I generally advise first understanding the 'why' behind the objection/question, and then when you are comfortable with your understanding of the objection/question, then use a variation of the ARC Process (shown below) to manage the objection/answer. Understanding the Why behind an objection In sales you never want to answer questions that are not asked, and you never want to answer questions without knowing the intent behind the question/ob ...Read More

Clarity of expectation setting early on is important as it is the foundation of your relationship with a prospect and the rest of the sales process. When I'm operating at my best, I start the conversation by informing the prospect that I view my role as helping them get to a point of clarity as soon as possible to determine if & how our business/product may be able to help them, and then aligning on our social contract outlining what to expect from me and what I expect from them. From me the ...Read More

I'll start with the 2nd question first... Personally, I coach my team that leading with a well positioned "suggestive discovery" question is the most effective at opening a conversation focused to get to pain and uncover value. At AlphaSense, that may sound something like... "Typically when I speak with other EVPs of M&A, they'll usually come to us because they are are either struggling with ensuring they do not 1) miss potential targets that fit within their investment thesis, 2) overlook c ...Read More

Research and preparation are essential to great discovery. When coaching my reps to prepare for discovery, I advise preparation across the dimensions of: Individual: this is broken down into personal & professional... Personal: understand the foundation of the human you're talking to by researching their social profiles to uncover where they live, where they went to school, what do they like to do outside of work, etc. to help build a genuine connection Professional: understand the basis of ...Read More

My two favorite technique to use when you believe a client may not be telling you the whole story is: 1) Humbling disclaimer - you can disarm a prospect who may be withholding information by humanizing the conversation and providing a humorous, self-deprecating "humbling disclaimer". This could sound like, “I’m sorry, but I must need another cup of coffee, because I just don’t get it, can you help me understand why that may be the case?” 2) Suggestive discovery - normalize the situation or state ...Read More

If a prospect is dragging this out, the most important aspect is getting to understand why... Did their priorities change? Is the underlying business case not compelling enough? Are they not convinced of your solution, so they are buying time to consider competitors? Do they intend to move forward but internal circumstances have just pushed out the timeline? Have they decided not to move forward, but don't want to hurt your feelings? Something else? Regardless of the situation, you need to find ...Read More

Customer feedback and insights from discovery serves as the foundation for the business case that will support your deal. Ultimately, the business case is "the story that is being told when you are not in the room" - this means whatever story your prospective customer has crafted based on your conversations, articulated product value proposition, and data/details to support their needs is the narrative they're using to build a case to buy internally. Your job is to leverage what you were able to ...Read More

Firstly, it is important to recognize that discovery is not one stage of a sales process nor is it only the questioning that occurs on your first meeting. Discovery is a continuous journey of leading with curiosity, probing deeper, summarizing your understanding, and validating your takeaways through the sales process and with each new individual in the sales process. To ensure your discovery is efficient & effective... Do Your Research & Prepare: the better you prepare for the conversat ...Read More