“How’s the form?”

“Not too bad, thanks.”

“Any craic?”

“Not much.”

A generic question is designed for a generic answer. Small talk.

Same in sales.

“What keeps you up at night” or “what are your pain points” are only a hop, skip and a jump from “How’s business?”

Small talk.

What discovery is actually for

Discovery is the critical stage of the sales process where, as well as finding out buyer intent, the seller begins the process of relationship building.

Small talk doesn’t sit well with time-poor decision makers.

In a different era, with access to less research and data, small talk might have been the only tool available. Today there is no shortage of information available for a sales person to show they’ve done their homework.

In a heartbeat, Google or AI will give you access to specific information on the company, industry sector, new product launch, new legislation, technology or industry trends that impact the buyer.

The time you spend researching this sort of information is directly proportionate to your desire to sell and the interest you have in your role — but that’s another story for another time.

If you are genuinely curious — or even if you can fake curiosity — the discovery process becomes something more joyful, interesting and stimulating for everyone involved.

It’s not a list of questions

It’s not about having a list of questions prepared.

It’s about understanding what the buyer needs and what you need, in order to determine if you have value to offer or if it’s all just a waste of time.

You’re gathering information, so of course you need to know what to ask and when — but more than that, you need to know what you’re looking for. Sometimes what remains unsaid is more important than what is said.

You can talk all day about “problem solving,” “current v future state,” or “the cost of action v the cost of inaction,” but you also need to be mindful of the pace of engagement required to build a meaningful relationship.

In these moments the role of the sales person shifts back and forth — curious consultant, storyteller, navigator, confidant — all with the desired outcome of creating the circumstances for flow state in conversation.

Pauses for thinking are good. Extended silences, not so much.

Why rehearsal matters more for the seller than the buyer

The buyer enters these discussions without needing to prepare so much for the engagement — they’ll know what they know, their title giving them authority even when they don’t.

The successful seller, on the other hand, needs to prepare, practise, rehearse, train — to be ready for every and any eventuality.

For sure, have your questions ready, but consider different ways of asking: language, tone, pausing, chronology, Plan B alternatives.

Work to a process that you know works for you, so you can quickly get to know their reality without assumption.

Another changing role for the sales person: become a facilitator, allowing the buyer to speak in depth about their world — their current state. Find a comfortable way to challenge anything that sounds vague, rather than letting it go.

To do that, you need the confidence of deliberate practice under your belt. Do it right and it won’t feel uncomfortable for anyone.

There is only one way to do it right — do you know what that is?

There’s nothing worse for a sales person than finding out later that you were the third quote on the table. All that hard work — just for balance?

The Guinness ratio

My go-to analogy for the diagnostics phase is a pint of Guinness.

Sales coaching and training in Belfast — Shift Control discovery call skills

The white stuff is you talking. The black stuff is the buyer talking.

That 95:5 ratio can’t be achieved by small talk — to get meaningful answers you need meaningful questions.

Don’t accept anything vague — on timing, on budget, on buying process. Very little in the world of a successful target business has been caused by ambiguity and vagueness.

Get comfortable asking the uncomfortable questions — understanding emotional intelligence will help.

Always be curious. Usually the problem that needs solving is hidden deep beneath the words used by the buyer as they seek to protect themselves from people just like you.

If you are different from the others, prove it.

Discovery is not a script or a list of AI-generated questions. It’s a conversation that has depth and meaning to both parties involved.

Frequently asked questions

Why do so many B2B discovery calls fail?

Most fail because they rely on generic, script-led questions that produce generic answers. Without genuine curiosity and preparation, discovery collapses into small talk.

How do you get better at sales discovery calls?

The same way actors get better at a scene: deliberate, rehearsed practice — not winging it, and not relying on a fixed script either. Practising different phrasings, pacing and follow-up questions builds the confidence to handle whatever the buyer actually says.

Does Shift Control run sales discovery and B2B sales training in Belfast?

Yes — Shift Control is a sales training and coaching consultancy based in Belfast, working with B2B teams throughout Ireland and the UK on discovery, negotiation, sales process and much more…

If your team’s discovery calls are running on small talk rather than genuine curiosity, get in touch about sales training and coaching in Belfast and across Northern Ireland or just message on info@shift-control.co.uk

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