What Is a Discovery Methodology? Why Is It Important?

 

A handful of questions is not sufficient!

 

Effective discovery requires knowing when and how these questions and skills should be applied.

 

Should a discovery conversation begin with an exploration of pain? Are there best practices for timing and flow? How do you change topics; when do you dig deeper; when and how do you demonstrate empathy; how do you know when you’ve covered enough?

 

And how does an organization ensure that the output of their discovery conversations is consistent across the team? How do you avoid CRM discovery notes that consist of “Prospect confirmed pain”?

 

The answer is that discovery must be perceived as an integrated, cohesive methodology, where individual skills are applied in a structured, repeatable process.

 

An Analogy: Let’s Build a House!

 

Contemplate construction skills: The ability to hammer nails, drill holes, saw wood, pour cement, connect wiring, plumb sinks, install drywall, paint, etc. Each of these skills takes time to learn and master.

 

Building a house requires these skills and coordinated timing and flow.

 

In order to know what to build, an architect generates plans that include pages for the foundation, framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, painting, cabinetry, and more.

 

The contractor takes the plans and coordinates the timing for each step: That’s the methodology of construction! You can’t install wiring until the framing is in place, but you also need to do the electrical before internal drywall.

 

Imagine the disaster if a concrete foundation is poured and then the contractor realizes that plumbing and electrical conduits should have been installed first!

 

Methodology is what coordinates individual skills with the correct timing and flow.

 

Discovery as a Methodology

 

Experienced construction contractors have acquired the knowledge to lay out the timing, assemble the appropriate skilled workers, and direct them.

 

Similarly, customer-facing practitioners with years of experience build their own, personal discovery skills sets, but each will have strengths, weaknesses, and gaps based on their experiences. What is needed is an organizational discovery methodology!  

 

At the simplest, this means that vendor teams need discovery outlines or templates predefined with recommended flow and timing. A completed discovery document for a prospect is the output of the process and completed discovery documents should look similar from rep to rep.

 

A successful discovery methodology works well for both prospect and vendor. At the end of the conversation, your prospect feels fully heard and you are fully enabled to propose a precise solution.

 

Want to master discovery skills as a methodology?

 

Books:

https://www.amazon.com/Doing-Discovery-Important-Enablement-Processes/dp/B0B8RJK4C2/

 

Workshops:

https://greatdemo.com/training/workshops/doing-discovery/