The sales discovery call is one of the most important conversations during the sales process. During this two-way conversation, you can qualify or disqualify a prospect and move closer to sealing the deal. If you have a productive sales discovery call with a prospect, it's important to keep things moving in the right direction.

That's why, before celebrating a win, Sujan Patel, a partner at Ramp Ventures, says sales professionals should take a few extra steps to ensure they get maximum value out of every sales discovery call. Keep reading this issue of Promotional Consultant Today for Patel's guidance on how to move deals forward.

Record the information. Before doing anything else after a sales discovery call, you should note the important details from the conversation. Patel recommends adding the following information to your CRM:

  • Whether your contact has purchasing authority
  • Timelines, buying committee details and any other information the decision-making process
  • Details that highlight how urgent they need your product or service
  • How responsive they appeared toward making the next step

Evaluate how you can add value. After inputting data and reviewing the call, Patel says you likely have enough information about the prospect's needs to assess whether or not you can help them. To standardize the process, ask yourself questions such as:

  • How significant is the prospect's pain point?
  • Is the prospect actively looking for a solution?
  • Can my company help provide a solution to meet the prospect's needs?

Follow up via email. Even if you can't necessarily add value to the prospect at this time, it's still a good idea to send a follow-up email after the sales discovery call. This is an example of having good manners, says Patel. Depending on what you learn during the call, your follow-up could include elements such as:

  • A confirmation of next steps or action items
  • A summary of important points mentioned during the conversation
  • An invitation to connect on social media
  • A note of appreciation. Even if a discovery call does not end in a sale, you can still show your gratitude for the prospect's time.

Pinpoint ways to improve future calls. According to Patel, sales professionals should take time after each sales discovery call to reflect on what happened and what they could do better next time. For example, consider:

  • What made the call successful?
  • Did you achieve success by doing more research than normal?
  • Did you call at a different time of day than you typically do?
  • Did you book more time so the call wasn't rushed?
  • Did you apply any new sales techniques?

After a sales discovery call, don't rush into calling your next prospect. Take some time to follow the steps above to ensure you make the most out of the experience. Start by identifying crucial information, reflecting on how the call went, and communicating with the prospect via email. To refine your sales skills, always close the process by considering how you can improve on future calls.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Sujan Patel is a partner at Ramp Ventures and co-founder of Mailshake. He has over 15 years of marketing experience and has led the digital marketing strategy for companies like Salesforce, Mint, Intuit and many other Fortune 500 companies.