One of the most common challenges I’ve seen in the B2B sales world is that deals have been rushed to close. We see a need we can solve, and as salespeople, we are so excited, we move on to the latter parts of the sales process without fully understanding the landscape.

If we want to win more deals, we need to take the time to build rapport, and really get to know our prospects. In other words, slow down the back to speed up the front. To do this, I put together a guide of questions you can ask your prospect through each stage of the sales cycle, to ensure you cover all your bases.

For the framework, I am using Winning By Design’s SPICED methodology. With all the methodologies available today, I believe theirs is the most suited for our modern, technology-driven landscape.

B2B Discovery Questions Guide:

Situation: Understanding the Current State

• Can you walk me through how this process currently works?
• What led you to adopt this approach?
• How long has this been the standard process?
• Have you explored any alternative methods or tools? If so, what were the results?
• What’s working well with the current setup? What isn’t?
• How do you measure success in this process today?

Pain: Identifying Challenges

• What are the biggest challenges you’ve encountered in this process?
• What do you think is driving those challenges?
• What have you tried to overcome these obstacles?
• What was the outcome of those efforts?
• How do these challenges impact your daily work and your team’s efficiency?
• Have these issues resulted in any lost opportunities, increased costs, or delays?

Impact: Uncovering Business Consequences

• How are these challenges affecting the broader business?
• If nothing changes, what risks or consequences do you foresee?
• What would it mean for the company if you could resolve these challenges?
• How would solving this problem impact your role and responsibilities?
• If this issue was resolved, what would you be able to focus on instead?

Critical Event: Identifying Timelines and Urgency

• Are there any upcoming changes (internal or external) that could impact this process?
• What deadlines or events are driving urgency around this issue?
• Do you have a plan in place to address these changes?
• What happens if a solution isn’t implemented before this change?
• Have you faced a similar situation before? If so, what did you learn from it?

Decision Process: Understanding How They Buy

• If this solution aligns with your needs, who else would need to be involved in the decision?
• What’s your typical decision-making process for solutions like this?
• What criteria do you and other stakeholders use to evaluate potential solutions?
• What concerns or obstacles might come up internally when discussing this solution?
• If I can prove the impact, would you be open to introducing me to the other decision-makers?
• What would make this an easy “yes” for your team?For more insights on mastering the B2B sales process, connect with us at Level180.

There are a few key considerations when looking at this list of questions. For starters, you need to ask the questions in a conversational, genuinely interested manner. Don’t let it sound like an interrogation.

And listen. Listen to what they are saying – ask clarifying questions, and probe deeper into each response.

Don’t expect to get to the core of these details one or even two meetings. If you can, great, but take your time, build rapport and get to thoroughly know your prospects!

If you would like to know more about mastering B2B sales or would like to get a set of discovery questions developed specifically for your business, get in touch and let us know.