Breaking Free from a Painful Discovery Process and Seeing the Product Quickly

Love them or hate them, you cannot escape sales discovery calls. Chances are, you've probably sat through a gazillion of them, trying to make it out alive just so you can finally catch glimpses of the product you want to purchase.  

This leads us to today's buying bottleneck - 

Inability to see the product without going through a painful discovery process

Hang tight, because here are 3 ways to overcome this roadblock and ensure a smooth buying experience:

Playing the Devil's Advocate

Amarpreet Kalkat (Founder, Humantic AI) recommends that if you know exactly what you need, then it makes sense to ask for a demo right away. Let the seller know that you don't have to be educated about the problem or qualified as a lead because you're ready to immediately purchase the solution.  

On the other hand, when you might not be solution aware, then it doesn't make sense for you to see the product because you'll not be able to really grasp and imagine what it can do for you. 

It's like being handed a hammer and instructed to 'go find the nails that you want to hit with it’. In such cases, let the seller guide you through a process and then show you the product. 

Self-Serve is the Way to Go

According to Shruti Kapoor (Head of International Business, Clari), the purpose of discovery calls is to:

1. Make sure the product is right for you and vice versa
2. Help sellers understand how to run the sales process 

“As a buyer, to assess whether the product is the right fit for you or not, look for self-serve signup, demo video, or a virtual walkthrough so you can eliminate any friction in the process later on". 

Look for Quicker Value Realization

Sanjeev NC (Co-Founder, Supermeme.ai) recommends that while shortlisting vendors for a tech solution, look for companies that have designed experiences where the buyers can quickly realize the value they can get from the product. This can come in different ways such as:

• A free all-access trial of the software with optional guided tours that communicate the product's value. Informed buyers like you usually know where to go so will need minimal help
• A well-produced short (< 90 seconds) video with a focus on how it helps you and can make your life better
• Interactive product demos on the website are a good middle ground where it's not as broad as a free trial but not as passive as a video

With that, it’s a wrap for today’s edition of Buying Bottlenecks!

Which of these solutions are you going to be using in your next software purchase? Join the conversation on LinkedIn using #BuyingBottlenecks and let us know!