80% of Sales People Waste Their First Sales Call - Why Discovery Calls Fail
- Matthew Earle
- Jan 30
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 1
Why Discovery Calls Fail
In the world of B2B sales, first impressions and how to open a deal matter. Sales discovery mistakes early in the sales cycle can kill your deal before its even started.
In my 20+ years of selling and sales leadership, I have made these simple mistakes on a first sales call (and more!), and have seen other sellers do the same time and time again. Read on to find out how you can increase the chances of your first sales call being a success using our discovery call framework and following our simple B2B discovery tips.
How you open a deal with a prospect is often the make-or-break moment that determines whether it will move forward or fall apart. Yet, despite its importance, 80% of sales teams waste discovery in their first sales call. I've been on first sales calls that have been littered with sales discovery mistakes. So why do discovery calls fail?
The seller fails to engage the buyer, misses opportunities to build trust, and often leaves the prospect feeling underwhelmed or even frustrated.
The good news? This doesn’t have to be the case. By adopting a problem-centred selling approach and discovery call framework, sales teams can avoid these simple sales discovery mistakes and transform their first sales calls into powerful opportunities to connect, educate, and drive meaningful progress. Here’s how to adopt these B2B discovery tips, drive powerful first sales calls and avoid 80% of your sellers wasting discovery.
The Cost of Weak Discovery
Before diving into solutions, it’s important to understand why so many first sales calls fail to deliver results. Here are the most common pitfalls:
Focusing on the Product, Not the Problem
Many sales teams jump straight into pitching their product or service without first understanding the buyer’s challenges. This product-centric approach assumes that the buyer cares about features, when in reality, they care about solving their problems. As a result, the conversation feels irrelevant, and the buyer disengages.
Lack of Preparation
Salespeople often show up to meetings without doing their homework. They don’t research the prospect’s industry, role, or business challenges, leading to generic conversations that fail to resonate. Using a discovery call framework can ensure preparation is through and effective.
Talking Too Much, Listening Too Little
A common sales discovery mistake is dominating the conversation with a monologue about the company, product, or service. Buyers want to feel heard, not lectured. When salespeople don’t ask enough questions or listen actively, they miss critical insights that could help them tailor their solution.
Failing to Build Trust
Trust is the foundation of any successful sales relationship. Yet, many sales teams focus so much on closing the deal that they neglect to establish credibility and rapport. Without trust, buyers are unlikely to move forward.
No Clear Next Steps
First meetings often end without a clear plan for what happens next. This lack of direction leaves the buyer confused and reduces the likelihood of follow-up engagement.
How to Fix Your First Call
The key to fixing these issues lies in adopting a problem-centred selling approach and discovery call framework. This method flips the traditional sales script by focusing on the buyer’s challenges first and foremost. Here’s how our simple B2B discovery tips can transform your first meetings:
Start with Discovery, Not Pitching
The first sales call should be all about understanding the buyer’s world. Instead of launching into a product pitch, start by asking thoughtful, open-ended questions to uncover their pain points, goals, and priorities. For example:
“What’s the biggest challenge your team is facing right now?”
“How is this issue impacting your business goals?”
“What would success look like for you in the next 6 months?”
By leading with discovery, you show the buyer that you’re genuinely interested in solving their problems, not just selling your product. This builds trust and sets the stage for a more meaningful conversation.
Do Your Homework
Preparation is critical to a successful first sales call. Before the call, research the prospect’s company, industry, and role. Look for recent news, challenges, or trends that could inform your conversation. Use tools like LinkedIn to understand their background and priorities. This preparation allows you to tailor your approach and demonstrate that you’ve done your homework.
Listen More, Talk Less
The best salespeople spend 45% of their calls asking questions (source: Gong). Active listening is a powerful tool for building trust and uncovering valuable insights. Resist the urge to dominate the conversation - this is one of the most common sales discovery mistakes, and something I see on an almost daily basis.
Instead, focus on understanding the buyer’s perspective and validating their challenges. This approach not only builds rapport but also helps you position your solution more effectively.
Reframe Solutions as Outcomes
When it’s time to talk about your product or service, focus on the outcomes it delivers, not the features. Buyers don’t care about what your solution does—they care about how it solves their problem. For example:
Instead of saying,
“Our software automates reporting,” try,
“This solution reduces your reporting time by 80%, freeing your team to focus on strategic initiatives.”
Instead of saying,
“We offer data integration,” try,
“This helps you streamline operations and reduce costs by 20%.”
By framing your solution in terms of the buyer’s desired outcomes, you make it more relevant and compelling.
Build Trust Through Expertise
Position yourself as a trusted advisor, not just a salesperson. Share insights, resources, or examples that demonstrate your expertise and understanding of their industry. For instance, you could say:
“We’ve worked with companies in your industry facing similar challenges. Here’s how we helped them achieve X result.”
“Based on what you’ve shared, here’s a resource that might help you address this challenge.”
This approach shows the buyer that you’re invested in their success, not just making a sales.
End with Clear Next Steps
A successful first sales call should always end with a clear plan for what happens next. Whether it’s scheduling a follow-up call, sending additional information, or setting up a demo, make sure the buyer knows what to expect. This keeps the momentum going and ensures the conversation doesn’t stall.
Practical Tips for Transforming Your First Meetings
Here are some actionable steps to help you implement a problem-centred discovery process in your first meetings:
Create a Discovery Call Framework
Develop a set of open-ended questions tailored to your industry and buyer personas. Use these questions to guide your conversations and ensure you uncover the buyer’s key challenges.
Leverage Technology
Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, CRM systems, and email tracking to gather insights and personalise your approach.
Practice Active Listening
Train your team to listen more and talk less. Encourage them to ask follow-up questions and validate the buyer’s challenges.
Focus on Outcomes
Work with your team to reframe your product’s features as outcomes. Create a library of customer success stories and case studies to illustrate the value you deliver.
Set Clear Objectives
Before each meeting, define what success looks like. Is it uncovering a key pain point? Scheduling a follow-up? Aligning on next steps? Having a clear objective keeps the conversation focused and productive.
How to Fix Your First Sales Call
The first sales call is your chance to make a lasting impression and set the tone for the entire sales process. By shifting from a product-centric to a problem-centred discovery process, you can turn these meetings into powerful opportunities to build trust, uncover needs, and drive meaningful progress.
Remember, sales isn’t about selling anymore—it’s about solving. When you focus on understanding and addressing your buyer’s challenges, you’ll not only stand out in a crowded market but also build stronger, long-lasting relationships that drive results.
Ready to Transform Your Sales Strategy?
If you’re ready to take your sales team to the next level, The Selling Collective can help. Our problem-centred selling approach and discovery call framework empowers sales professionals to connect with buyers, build trust, and close more deals. Explore our free course, The Art of Problem-Centred Selling: Unlocking Sales Success, or contact us for a consultation today.
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