In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan sit down with Doug May, Senior Vice President of Productivity at Harness, to explore the art of digging deep in discovery and aligning with your buyers. Doug shares invaluable insights from his extensive career, highlighting the importance of thorough pre-meeting research, understanding industry pressures, and developing a compelling viewpoint. This conversation is packed with practical tips for sales professionals looking to enhance their discovery process and effectively align their solutions with the strategic goals of their customers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:01:18] Importance of pre-discovery homework: Leveraging public information and industry insights.
[00:02:20] Crafting a compelling viewpoint: Demonstrating homework to gain customer trust.
[00:03:14] Industry to individual pressure: Building credibility by understanding hierarchical pressures.
[00:05:54] Financial condition and competitive position: Factors influencing customer strategy.
[00:07:22] Value pyramid framework: Aligning solutions with customer goals and strategies.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:01:18] "The richness of information that a seller can use pre-discovery is so powerful."
[00:02:20] "Customers don't really have the time to teach you their business."
[00:02:55] "When you do your homework and come in with a compelling viewpoint, even if it's a bit off, you're in the meat of a discussion."
[00:03:14] "You earn the right to talk about personal pressure by understanding industry, company, and departmental pressures."
[00:05:54] "The trajectory of a business will tell you a lot about that organization and help you find the right people to attach to."
[00:08:26] "When you can connect the dots from your product capability to the customer’s strategy, that's when the magic happens."

Listen to the full episode with Doug May through this link:
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/business-value-assessments-looking-at-opportunities-through-a-value-lens-with-doug-may

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here:
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

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