Most vendors’ discovery questions focus on uncovering and understanding “pain,” and a few examine impact and tangible value. But it is the rare vendor who explores cultural prospect attributes. These can provide a wealth of surprisingly valuable information!
For example, your prospect’s position on the Technology Adoption Curve is a leading indicator of the amount of proof they will require. Innovators may never need proof, and a crisp demo may satisfy Early Adopters. Late Majority prospects, on the other hand, are likely to publish extensive RFPs and then require multiple demos, POCs, and POVs, and are still at risk of yielding a No Decision outcome!
Implementation strategies give another clue to culture. Do they prefer an initial test group followed by tuning, or rollout in waves, or all at once? How frequently do they onboard new applications? Do they embrace new technologies or avoid them? Do they perceive themselves as a leader, “fast follower,” middle of the pack, or reluctant to change? Note that the age of their workforce may provide clues, as well.
Along similar lines, inquire about your prospect’s prospects! Companies that are most comfortable selling to the Late Majority are likely to have a similar culture.
Here’s another important cultural attribute: Organizations that have suffered a failed implementation or purchased a product that did not generate the expected ROI may be shy to pursue new solutions. They are “Burn Victims” who require additional investigation into “what happened?”
Hospital Analogy: Don’t go to a rural clinic if you need heart surgery!
Solution? Ask! Ask how they perceive themselves. Ask about their customers. Ask about their purchasing history and technology adoption habits. Ask if they’ve had a bad experience or suffered unsatisfactory performance with a prior purchase.
The information you learn may be extremely important in your sales process and in supporting your buyers’ processes!
This is #11 from The Dirty Dozen of Discovery Don’ts – you can find all twelve here! https://lnkd.in/evUnp8YV
You can find the full set of DO’s and DON’Ts in Doing Discovery:
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