Good Marketing, Good Business

077: What Really Is A Discovery Call?

• Shannon Stone • Episode 77

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Are your Discovery Calls reliably helping your service business to generate clients and sales? Whether your business is doing $100K, $1million or $10million, service businesses of all sizes can enhance their sales when they have a Discovery Call process that works.

By listening [and taking notes], you’ll learn:

  • How well-crafted Discovery Calls (and processes) increase conversions
  • How your Discovery Calls can build trust, rapport and authority
  • What type of businesses should be doing Discovery Calls

This episode is the first in a series which marks December (2024) as being the month of Discovery Calls. Each Monday throughout we will focus on an aspect of improving your businesses Discovery Calls, as well as a Masterclass on December 16, visit www.shannonstone.com.au/masterclass for more details.

Enjoy!

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If you’d like to work together with me as your 1:1 business and marketing consultant, book a call here.

Shannon Stone:

H ey, welcome to the podcast.

Shannon Stone:

Super, super excited to jump into this episode today where we are talking, or answering the question, what really is a discovery call? So I was starting to write an email actually about this, which then turned into an article, which then turned into this episode, which actually is turning into a whole series. So the month of December is going to be all about the discovery call. There's actually a lot to cover when it comes to talking about discovery calls. Hence what started as a seed is now a giant thing. So in the series, I will be talking about how you can turn your discovery calls into clients and sales, how to get more discovery calls and just some other supporting bits of insight and wisdom to really help service-based businesses with their discovery calls. So we can't talk about this without really talking about what actually is a discovery call, which is what this episode will be about, but there'll actually be a lot of insights around this as well. So, even if you know what a discovery call is or you're already using this in your business, definitely listen in, because sometimes it's one of those things no one really teaches or trains you how to do it and I put in inverted commas properly. The same went for me as well. So there has been a lot of trial and error as far as integrating this piece into my business as well as other people's businesses. So let this series, including this episode, be that somewhat of a masterclass or that training for yourself to make sure you are dotting the I's, crossing all the T's so that you're really using this as a really pivotal asset in your business, really using this as a really pivotal asset in your business. So, whether you are doing $100,000 a year, $1 million a year, $10 million a year, if you're a service-based business, I do believe we can all benefit from having a discovery call in your business. There's going to be a lot of reasons for that and I'll talk about that in today's episode, including higher conversion rates, and that's what any business wants. So, yeah, we'll definitely be talking about this Now.

Shannon Stone:

As I was preparing, it took me back to a conversation I had a couple of months ago with a service provider where I was looking at buying something from their business and I try not to do this, I swear, but you can't pull the business strategist in me out of any situation. But you know, we're in two minds when we're kind of faced with the work that we do in all walks of life. So I kind of got off this call with this other service provider wanting to buy a particular service and thinking, well, one, I bought the service. I knew they could help me with that. That was amazing, so that was all good. But I also left that call thinking or I couldn't help but think they kind of also missed the mark. Like I went into that, like many consumers do, even if you're purchasing a B2B service. I went in wanting to buy one particular thing like a transaction, so you could go to a legal services business, for example, saying that you want a contract written up for your business, or you want one particular thing or you want to buy one website. It was a similar type of thing like that where I just wanted to buy one particular service and they sold me on that one particular service, but where people miss the mark.

Shannon Stone:

And this is where discovery calls can really benefit for your business and all kinds of service businesses. It takes people from buying one single transaction into buying a whole transformation from you. So if you often feel that you get off calls with potential clients, or even clients that do sign up and they buy one particular thing from you, one particular service, but actually you know you could help them with a whole array of different things for an array of different reasons, maybe they don't know about the full suite of services that you provide and another option, and or maybe they don't know about the impact of what it would be working with you or buying your branding services, for example. So this is where discovery calls can get really, really powerful, and that's why I've taken it from being more of one solo article or one solo podcast into a whole series, because I think it is really really helpful, really, really powerful. So December is the month of discovery calls and we will be doing a masterclass or a Q&A. Less of a masterclass, because that's what these podcast episodes are about, but more of a Q&A Zoom session, which I'll share a couple of details about that. It'll be completely free, but if you have questions around discovery calls, definitely come along to that session. Okay, so let's start right at the beginning.

Shannon Stone:

For those who don't know what a discovery call is, or, if you want, the Shannon definition of it, I don't even know if it's actually in the dictionary. There should actually be a business dictionary. Maybe that's something I could create. But what is a discovery call? So I see it as a pre-booked conversation between the business and potential clients. So Usually I find the prospect. They're the ones booking in that call with yourself, with the business, to see whether you can work together, whether working together is a viable solution to whatever problem they're experiencing.

Shannon Stone:

Now, the discovery call itself it gives an opportunity for both parties, so you being the seller and them being the buyer. It gives both parties an opportunity to share and understand the prospect scenario. So, whatever they're going through, it helps them to explain, it, helps you to unpack it, for you to understand it and even for them to understand it a lot more. You, being the expert that you are, are going to be more of the expert in solving that problem. So, even though they're the ones in the problem, in the scenario, you are going to have much more insight into that because you've seen it from so many different verticals, so many different scenarios, so many different circumstances. So the discovery call gives you an opportunity and for them to understand that scenario even more and to discover how the business might be able to help and answer any questions either party has in order to make a well-informed decision. So the way that I see the discovery call is there is definitely a process to it and in one of the upcoming episodes in this series we'll talk about what to talk about, how to have that sales process in there. But overall, I see that discovery call as an open conversation about someone who's got a problem, you who've got a solution, both of you talking about it without an agenda of let me make a sale. I remove that from the whole conversation, even though there is a sales process, but also part of it is vetting for the. Both of you Do we want to work together. Is this someone that A I can help as the service provider and for the person potentially buying from you, them vetting to see do I want to work with this person? So it's an opportunity for the both of you to get everything on the table, generally in under 60 minutes, and to come to an informed decision on that call.

Shannon Stone:

So some people will use discovery calls as the preliminary to doing a proposal. So they'll do that discovery call Then. Yep, I've got all the information that I need, I'll send you a proposal with some of my packages and we can go from there. So sometimes people will do it that way. I don't like to tell people you must do things a particular way, but I will advocate for a really well created, designed and thought out and executed discovery call eliminates the need for doing proposals so you can sell at the end of a discovery call and have clients sign up. So we can eliminate a lot of extra work that you're doing and also it does increase your conversions. So it's one of the big reasons that I encourage people to do it if it's a really good fit for your business, which I would imagine it is.

Shannon Stone:

So there are other names for discovery calls, so essentially, really at the end of the day, it is a sales call.

Shannon Stone:

But who is going to book in for your sales call? If you say book in for a sales call and we'll talk about it, there's not many people that could get away with that. Maybe a sales trainer, you know, or there might be some. It could be on a personality level, but there's not many people that could get away with calling it a sales call. Other names for it could be a clarity call, a breakthrough call, a strategy call, obviously the discovery call, as we've called it here. But also you could create a name that is more relevant to your business. So if you were that web designer, for example, maybe that discovery call is replaced with your website redesign call or your future branding call. Or if you're a mortgage broker, your first home buyer consultation, you know. You can rename that to make it more relevant and applicable to you, to your business, to your industry and the people that you help. So it can go by other names but at the end of the day, internally, as long as you know it is a sales call. I'm not here to waste your time by giving away free conversations with people who are never going to work with you In this episode as well as others in the series, you'll start to understand my approach to sales and it's kind of like that selling without selling, but actually we do really sell even more because we do it so much better.

Shannon Stone:

If that makes sense to you, I think it'll make sense to the people it needs to make sense to. But sometimes when you sell in non-selly ways, you will make even more sales. So there's some other names that we can call discovery calls. Before we get into who should do discovery calls and why we should do discovery calls, I do want to say that even though it's a sales mechanism, even though it's part of the sales process, you can design this in a way that makes sense for your business. So when I share what to talk about, what to take people through on that discovery call, what that sales process looks like, how to follow up with people, how to integrate this into your business so you do generate more clients through discovery calls, make it your own.

Shannon Stone:

The way I do discovery calls in my business, they are literally one of my most favorite things to do with anyone who books in to that call because it ends up being such a pivotal conversation for definitely for me, but I do this day in, day out. But the people that book in for those calls have never, quite often, had someone just talk so openly about their business, their goals, pull it apart, dissect it. I literally feel like an investigator and I just see the light bulbs going off in their mind to the point where they're asking how can I pay you for this call when actually it's a complimentary discovery call, it's a complimentary consultation For me. The way that I frame it, the way that it authentically is in my business, is let me see if I can help you. I'm going to help you on this call regardless. If we work together from this day forward, I would love that, definitely if I think I can genuinely help you.

Shannon Stone:

But if someone has taken the time to book in for that call, I am not holding back. I am definitely helping them and I think of it as I will probably work with this person because conversion rates are very high for discovery calls and the way that I teach and train around them. But also, if I don't happen to work with this person, for whatever reason, it could be not the right time. It could be an array of different reasons. They are going to know people that could utilize my services and if I've given them a brilliant experience, then they're going to take that with them. So that is so much more leverage. I think like it's almost like a marketing ploy in itself. It's an advertising ploy in itself. It's a lot of goodwill that I'm putting out there into the marketplace. And am I doing these calls with anyone and everyone? Absolutely not. I don't recommend you do the same either. That's why you qualify them. You qualify anyone who books in for these discovery calls. So there'll be some of the things that we do talk about.

Shannon Stone:

Okay, so who should be doing discovery calls? So I said at the start service-based businesses. I'm definitely all for automation where it matters, where it makes an impact. But if you're someone who sells project-based services, if you're someone who sells consulting or session-based style services, if you do done for you you're like an expert, maybe a mortgage broker, a finance person where really there's no way you're going to sell those particular services. I think almost any and every type of service-based business should be doing discovery calls. I think as well. If you are and people generally won't describe themselves as this, but you might if I describe it you might say actually, that isn't essentially how we operate.

Shannon Stone:

If you're like that boutique style service business where you want to know your client, you know them by name, you want them to know you by name and you work together quite intimately, quite closely, obviously you go and get the work done. But if you've got that boutique style essence to your business, where you know it's just a really customer service driven organization that you have, discovery calls work really really well and if you think about you know, when you call, like a bank, for example, and it's just these automated phone calls and these days as well, it's a lot of AI that's starting to come into effect they're not really doing discovery calls and we know how we feel when we're clicking buttons trying to get through to whatever department. Imagine if they did a discovery call with qualified candidates or qualified clients, qualified prospects. So, yeah, many service-based businesses should be doing discovery calls in my humble opinion. Definitely, if you want that boutique-style essence where you really want to know your clients, you want them to know you. You're a very client-centered organization.

Shannon Stone:

Now, within the business, who should be doing that discovery call? It depends on the size of your business and it depends on, I guess, a few other variables, but definitely the business owner could be doing, but again, that would depend on your business. Your team could be doing, your whole team could be taking those discovery calls, depending on your business. Or you could appoint one or two people or one particular person the business leader within the organization to be that client contact, to be the face of the business, or that key strategist in your business. Or, for example, if you run a financial firm of some kind or a law firm of some kind, maybe it's that it's the particular person who's going to be dealing with the client. So everyone gets trained in how to lead an effective discovery call. So there can be a lot of people within that organization who, and even in your small business, who do discovery calls. And I will say it's not exclusive to any particular industry. It can be B2B, it can be professional, it can be creative businesses, health business, it, software, finance all kinds of industries could be utilizing discovery calls in their business.

Shannon Stone:

Okay, as we start to wrap this up, why should we be doing discovery calls? Number one it builds rapport like nothing else. So there's nothing more that's going to build rapport with a potential client than actually talking to them. Sure, you can create all the content, create all the videos, do all the emails back and forward, get them through your funnel, but nothing's going to build more rapport than actually speaking to them, and that is something that AI is never going to change or take away from you. Number two is clarity and understanding. So when you do a discovery call with someone, when you ask them questions around their particular problem, even though you would probably know all the answers, it helps them to get more clarity, it helps them to get more understanding and people confused buyers will never buy. Confused people will never buy. Confused people will never buy. So you need to help people to get that off their chest, to explain it, and also it can help you to understand it even more as well.

Shannon Stone:

At the start of today's episode, I spoke about how I went to a service provider wanting to buy one particular thing. It was from a service that would be used in my business. Now they sold me that one thing as a transaction, but had they led it as more of a discovery call, where they're asking questions about what I'm experiencing, I, hands down, would have purchased much more from that business, because I actually know they can help me in more ways than I have bought from them at this point in time. I fully believe in what they do. I know they can absolutely help me, but that's probably a conversation for another day. But there can be lots of ways that when you do a discovery call with someone, it increases the scope of how you work with them. It takes them from just buying one single thing, one single logo, to buying a full package with you. And if it's not today that they're buying that from you, it could be in three months, six months, 12 months time. But it's because you've had that discovery call conversation right in the get-go.

Shannon Stone:

So why should we do discovery calls? Yes, for greater clarity and understanding, but also it increases the dollar value of the clients that you're working with. Which takes me to three and four reason number three and four. Number three is that it is a higher value conversation there's nothing that can replace. Tell me about what you're experiencing and letting them explain it, and then you explaining how you can not only help them now with that, maybe one transaction, but if you painted the picture even bigger to say, yeah, we can redesign your website, but actually here's what I think would be really beneficial for you. Let me explain it and then you can let them make a decision to do that now, not now, later, whatever it have you. So it is a higher value conversation, not now, later, whatever it have you. So it is a higher value conversation.

Shannon Stone:

Fourth and final reason why we should do discovery calls is that it creates a higher return on investment. So there's a lot of ways that you could look at this. So is it a lot of work to spend an hour with someone who is not guaranteed to work with you? Definitely are busy people, but the conversion rates on effective discovery calls is much higher. I generally see 80% higher. So conversion rates of 80% and above and that's not just coming from how you run the discovery call itself. There's some other surrounding features to it, so I'll cover that in the series.

Shannon Stone:

Qualifying them is definitely important. Who you're getting to that call is really important as well, but definitely because you have a higher return on investment Also with that as well. If someone is coming in for that one transaction, they're buying from you and you've asked the right questions. You've gotten to know them so much more. You can actually suggest other services or additional services or follow-on services that they can buy from you once they're through with that transaction or in place of that transactionary type of service, they were thinking they should buy from you. Remember, you are the expert in solving this problem, not them. So if you believe in what you do you know what you do helps people then it's up to you to find the right ways to do that, and discovery calls are definitely a really great solution for this.

Shannon Stone:

Okay, starting to wrap things up now. So one thing or final thing, before we share action steps is I wanted to share for service-based businesses, which are generally remote these days in a lot of ways and often quite faceless in the way or you know, you're not like. There's been so many clients I've never met face-to-face. I've met them over Zoom for sure. Some of them we only ever would do phone. So in this day and age, I see discovery calls as your shop front. It is the front desk of your business, especially for service-based businesses, and we can't take that away from consumers wanting that contact from people. They're not just going to throw away or invest their money in things that they know nothing about or people they know nothing about. So discovery calls, add that element to your business.

Shannon Stone:

Now, if I talk about action steps for you, because this is one in a series for the month of December. The action step is to set up or refine your discovery call. So episode seven and eight I shared a two-part series back then that will really help you to set up and refine your discovery calls. So if you're already doing discovery calls that's amazing Do still listen to episode seven and eight because it will help you to refine that discovery call even more. But if you don't have discovery calls set up in your business and you're maybe just taking inquiries here and there as they come they're kind of being thrown at you in all angles or you've just got a contact form on your website, it's probably time to set up a discovery call. So episode seven and eight will help you with that.

Shannon Stone:

Okay, I did say this is the month of discovery calls December. So some of the upcoming episodes and content pieces in the series are turning your discovery calls into clients and sales. So that's really really important. Three winning messages everyone must be sharing on their discovery calls. So that is actually quite a secret weapon. Another one is how to get more discovery calls. So, practically, how do we actually get more sales calls? That's really really important. And then I've got a couple of others up my sleeve, but if you like this you would like more help with this I am doing a open Q&A session on Zoom on Monday, the 16th of December.

Shannon Stone:

This is where you can come along ask anything about discovery calls. But while you've got me, if you've got other questions around growing your service-based business, definitely bring your question or questions along to that, because it's a ask me anything type of session. So a bit of an open Q&A session. It will be focused a lot on discovery calls because that is the month of December, but if you've got a couple of other questions, you are welcome to bring them along. If you want to come along to that, visit shannonstonecomau forward slash masterclass. Otherwise, the link to that is in the description of this episode as well. That is what I have for you today.

Shannon Stone:

I hope you found this useful. If you have any questions, bring it to the Q&A session on the 16th of December. I will see you there. Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed this series.

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