When writing a discovery plan for a project, make sure that every member of the discovery team cooperates and participates during meetings. There are various ways to implement the discovery planning process, especially if the creation of the team centers on the goals of a client. No matter the business or industry the team serves, below is a helpful guide that details a step-by-step process in handling the discovery plan. 1. Identify the Customer Context and Goals Remember that customers and clients require solutions to meet their needs, known as customer problems. During the time that a prospective client reaches out to the company, it is more likely that they have completed various research studies into the possible solutions that they need to satisfy their problems immediately. The organization receives this information through the discovery plan. Knowing the context of the client in pursuing a solution to their problem allows the company to understand the root cause of their needs and their desire to reassess their priorities. As a company offering possible solutions, it is necessary to pinpoint what brought about the desire for change, the utilized action plans of the client, results, and their analysis of the current situation. It is advisable to use the FARP method, in which you gather facts, a record taken actions, obtain results, and present perception. 2. Understand the Customer Needs Researching and identifying the needs of the customer helps the team to identify the changes or improvements they wish to implement. For the clients to have an easier way of deciding, it is ideal for the needs analysis of the discovery team and client to produce similar results. The discovery team must be able to understand what the clients want and need to achieve and understand the importance of their goals. Creating a comprehensive list helps sort their needs, prioritizing the most relevant items. 3. Uncovering the Purchase Motivations of the Client Each client has their motivations when it comes to enforcing changes. The objective of the discovery team is to identify these, allowing the members to develop more creative and effective sales presentations and sales strategies. It is an essential step in the discovery planning process. The more information the team gathers on the motivations of the client, the sales proposal will follow their expectations. In terms of developing the discovery plan, taking notes is the best offense. It lets the client know that you are capable of involvement and professionalism, retrieving relevant bits of information. Most sales teams and discovery teams utilize a method that implements security, pride, novelty, comfort, money, and sympathy to its clients. Through this, sales representatives find quicker and more efficient ways to secure the trust of customers. 4. Formulate a Sales Pitch Empathizing with customers is essential, and sales teams can use storytelling to their advantage. Most clients make their decisions based on similar experiences rather than the proposed solutions that a sales representative presents. It is the reason behind utilizing case studies. The customer feedback and testimonials demonstrate how the company offers its services to clients, helping them solve problems. Use storytelling as an approach and prepare account histories, review recent activities of past clients and contact persons, scan press articles and print journals, and use social media platforms to pinpoint similar contacts whenever necessary. 5. Organize the Following Steps The purpose of creating a discovery plan is for the client to work their way through the funnel and secure the deal. If the sales representative is already positive about closing the deal, it must be in their best interest to summarize that the product or service the company offers is useful. There are two ways to secure an offer. The first one is hypothetical closing allows the sales team to express how they can be of assistance to move towards their company goals and meet challenges. The goal is to instill confidence in the interaction without overwhelming the client. The other option is the prospect buy-in closure, wherein the company invites the client to discuss their challenges and difficulties while asking them which proposed solution is best for their organization.