The Complete Guide to a Successful Discovery Meeting

A discovery meeting is a special meeting that helps people understand each other better and figure out what they need to do to be successful. It's like a puzzle where everyone has to put their pieces together to see the big picture.

During a discovery meeting, the client discusses their goals, problems, and what they need to do to achieve them. On the other hand, the team introduces themselves, and their roles, explains what they can do to help the client achieve their goals, and answers any questions they might have.

Ideally, it's a chance for both parties to know each other better and get on the same page.

Discovery meetings are crucial when working with someone for the first time. They help build trust and establish a solid foundation for a relationship.

The concept is closely related to the Japanese philosophy of kaizen, which means "continuous improvement." Kaizen is all about creating small changes that can significantly impact your business. As such, a discovery meeting is a great way to identify areas for improvement and keep moving forward.

This article will take a closer look at discovery meetings, why they're essential, and how you can run an excellent one. We'll also explore some tips to help you get the most out of your discovery meetings and make them as productive as possible.

What Is a Discovery Meeting?

A discovery meeting, also known as a business discovery or sales discovery meeting, is a focused conversation between two or more people to uncover important information about a particular topic.

Discovery meetings are generally between a buyer and seller, but they can also be a way to discuss collaborative projects. For example, when two or more people work together to create something new, such as an app or website, they will often meet to figure out what the finished product should look like.

In a discovery meeting, you might use a discovery session template or discovery meeting agenda to guide the conversation and ensure you cover all of the critical aspects of the project. The goal is to discover what the other person needs or wants, find out more about their business or project and offer a solution tailored to their specific requirements.

A discovery meeting agenda is essential for keeping your meeting on track and ensuring everyone involved has the necessary information. It's also a great way to ensure you have everything you need to prepare for your next meeting.

What Is the Purpose of a Discovery Meeting?

The purpose of the discovery meeting is in three folds:

• Uncovering important information: The meeting allows one to ask questions and dig deeper into the other person's business or project. By learning more about their goals, challenges, and preferences, you can better understand how to help them and what they need from you.

• Building trust and rapport: The meeting presents an opportunity to build trust and rapport with the client. By showing that you're interested in their needs and willing to listen and learn, you can establish a strong working relationship that will set the stage for future collaboration.

• Iron out potential stumbling blocks: The meeting provides a chance to find out if there are any possible stumbling blocks before starting to work together. It also presents an opportunity to discover the different ideas shared by the other party and the various ways to address them. Reviewing the client's timeline and budget is also a good idea. For clients with a low budget cut, consider offering a less comprehensive package or find ways to reduce your fees.

During a discovery meeting, it's important to ask clarifying questions and listen actively to ensure that both parties clearly understand each other's needs and expectations. This can help build trust and establish a strong foundation for a successful partnership or sale.

How to Run a Discovery Meeting (With Examples)

To plan and run a successful discovery meeting, follow these nine steps:

• Create an agenda: Having an agenda makes a discovery meeting more productive. Using a discovery session template or a discovery meeting agenda to guide the conversation ensures all critical points are covered. Airgram has various meeting agenda templates you can use, including ones for marketing, planning, project kickoff, and customer success meetings.

• Focus on pain points: One of the key goals of a discovery meeting is to find out what the other person needs or wants. You can get valuable information by asking questions about their pain points or challenges. What problems are they trying to solve? What do they wish they could do better? Once you identify their pain points, you can tailor your solution to their needs.

• Ask questions: In a discovery meeting, it's important to ask open-ended questions that encourage the other person to share more information. Avoid yes/no questions, and instead, try to ask questions that will help you understand their business or project better. For example, "How do you currently handle this process?" or "What are the biggest challenges in your business right now?" Don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions. Once you've asked an initial question, please wait for the other person to answer it before moving on. This will allow them to expand on their response and help you better understand what they mean.

• Leverage your expertise: A discovery meeting is also a chance to showcase your expertise. Sharing your knowledge, insights, experience, and suggestions with the other person can help them solve their problems or achieve their goals.

• Present your offer: After gathering information and building rapport, present your offer to the client. This could be a product or service that can help them or a proposal for a project you'd like to work on together. Explain how your offer aligns with their needs and how it can help them achieve their objectives.

• Discuss costs and challenges: Be upfront about any fees or challenges associated with your offer. If there are any potential roadblocks, it's better to address them sooner rather than later. Discussing costs and challenges openly and honestly can help the other person understand what to expect and make an informed decision.

• Ensure commitment from prospects: After presenting your offer, follow up and ensure that the client is interested and committed. Ask if they have further questions or concerns, and clarify the next steps or deadlines.

• Set clear expectations for the next steps: After the meeting, it's a good idea to follow up with a summary of the discussion and the next steps. This could be in the form of an email or a meeting notes document. By creating clear expectations, you can avoid miscommunication and ensure that both parties are on the same page.

• Know when to diverge: Don't be afraid to go off-script if the conversation takes an interesting turn or you uncover something unexpected. This is a chance to learn and explore, so be open to deviating from the agenda if it helps you get the necessary information.

By following these steps, you can plan and run a successful discovery meeting that helps you build relationships, gather essential information, and identify opportunities for improvement.

10 Best Tips for Discovery Meetings

Discovery meetings are essential to the project management process as they provide a quick snapshot of the project at hand, allow assessment of the team's capabilities, and help identify problems early on. Here are ten tips to help you get the most out of these important sessions:

Do your Research

Before the meeting, spend some time learning about the business and the person you'll be meeting with. You can do this by looking at the company website and social media accounts and, if time permits, reading up on any recent news or interviews with key employees. This research can help tailor the conversation to their needs and interests.

Send an Agenda in Advance

A good agenda provides a way to measure a meeting's productivity and determine the next steps after the session ends.

Sending an agenda before the discovery meeting is advisable as it lets the other person know what to expect and come prepared. It also helps everyone stay on-topic and keeps the meeting from going off-track. 

An agenda can be a list of topics or a set of themes.

Start on a Positive Note

Beginning a discovery meeting with a friendly greeting and a positive attitude can set a constructive tone for a conversation and build rapport with the client. Clients are more likely to open up and share their concerns if they feel you are being friendly and helpful.

It is also an excellent way to help both parties stay focused, as starting with criticism or complaints can lead to an argumentative and unproductive conversation.

Focus on Pain Points and Challenges

One of the critical goals of a discovery meeting is to find out what the other person needs or wants. To get valuable information, ask questions about their pain points or challenges. For example, what problems are they trying to solve? What do they wish they could do better? 

Once you know their pain points, figure out how to help solve them. Use this opportunity to show your potential client what they stand to benefit from working with you. 

You can also share examples of how your work has helped other clients like them or present ideas to solve their problems.

Phrase Your Questions to Get Long Answers

Instead of asking yes or no questions, ask open-ended questions that encourage the other person to share more information. For example, ask, "What do you hope to achieve with this project?" instead of "Do you want to increase sales?" 

This will provide a longer answer and likely reveal what the client cares about. This is helpful because it gives you more insight into how to help them. 

You can also try using questions that start with "how" or "why" (e.g., "How are we going to achieve this goal?") to encourage further discussion and obtain more information about what the other person wants from working with you.

Showcase your Expertise

A discovery meeting provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your expertise and knowledge with potential clients. During these conversations, offer insights and suggestions to help them solve problems or achieve goals.

You can further strengthen your bid by demonstrating your ability to execute similar projects successfully.

Ask about their budget 

When discussing a potential project or sale, it is essential to determine the other person's budget upfront. Ask what they are willing to spend, but be sensitive to their needs and concerns. 

If they say they have no budget, consider offering them a free consultation or a low-cost alternative.

Set Clear Next Steps

After the discovery meeting, introduce the conversation about what happens next. Do your potential clients need time to think about the project?

Are there items from the meeting that need follow-up? When would you like to meet again? What are your expectations for the next meeting, and how will you ensure they are met?

Once you establish the context, document the agreed-upon next steps in writing to ensure clarity and understanding for both parties.

Take Thorough Notes

Taking notes during a discovery meeting can help everyone remember important details and ensure no one misses anything important.

Airgram's inbuilt meeting notes feature allows you to take notes, add comments and assign tasks directly within the platform. 

Alternatively, you can use Airgram's voice transcription feature to record the entire meeting and have all the information transcribed for future reference. 

This way, you'll have a complete record of the discussion during the session and can easily refer back at any time.

Follow up 

A follow-up shows that you value your client's time and are committed to building a long-term relationship with them.

After the meeting, send a thank-you note or email including the next steps. This will help establish a relationship with clients and ensure they are comfortable working with you. You can also use Airgram to create a follow-up task list for each meeting, ensuring everyone completes their tasks promptly.

By following these tips, discovery meetings can be more productive, effective, and enjoyable for everyone involved. You'll also be able to understand the clients' needs better and create a more customized plan.

How Can Airgram Help With Discovery Meetings? 

The right tools can make a big difference in successful discovery meetings. One tool that can be particularly helpful is Airgram. Here is how:

1. Meeting notes 

The app allows note-taking, enabling future reference and preventing missing crucial details during a discovery meeting. Users can take notes on a phone or laptop and add tags and highlights for better organization.

2. Meeting agenda templates 

Airgram offers various templates to help plan and guide discovery meetings. These templates assist in structuring sessions, keeping everyone on track, and ensuring nothing is left out. They are also easy to customize for specific needs. 

3. Actions 

The software allows you to create action items or tasks and assign them to yourself or team members during meetings, set deadlines and reminders, and follow up on any crucial points or decisions.

4. Compatibility with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams 

Airgram is compatible with popular video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, allowing you to use it with an existing video conference setup. You can, therefore, take notes and action items during discovery meetings, even when meeting remotely.

5. AI topic feature 

Airgram's AI feature analyzes the transcription and identifies keywords that might be interesting. These could include names of people, places, organizations, dates, and times. The AI topic feature generates a summary of these keywords, allowing you to review the essential points and insights from your meeting at a glance.

6. Share a snippet of the recording 

The app allows you to share a snippet of your meeting recording with others by selecting a specific time range and sending it without additional software. This can be useful for sharing specific points or insights with your team.

Overall, Airgram is a powerful tool that can enhance meetings. It offers features such as taking notes, creating action items and sharing recordings that can make discovery meetings more efficient, effective, and enjoyable. Try it out to see how it can help you discover more.

Conclusion

Discovery meetings are a valuable tool for building relationships, gathering information, and identifying opportunities for improvement. By following best practices and using the right tools, you can plan and run successful discovery meetings that help you achieve your goals and maximize interactions with others.

Whether you're in sales, marketing, or driving customer success, a well-run discovery meeting can build long-term partnerships and create growth opportunities.