CST Discovery Call & Needs Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A prospect says, 'We've tried solutions like yours before and they didn't work.' What is the most effective response during a discovery call?
- Defend your product's superiority over competitors
- Ask what specifically didn't work and what a successful outcome would have looked like (Correct answer)
- Acknowledge their concern and move on to pricing
- Suggest the previous vendor was at fault
Correct answer: Ask what specifically didn't work and what a successful outcome would have looked like
Probing what failed previously uncovers hidden criteria and helps you understand what success truly means to this prospect.
Question 2: Which questioning technique involves building on a prospect's answer with a question that digs one level deeper?
- Reflective questioning
- Layered probing (Correct answer)
- Closed-ended follow-up
- Clarifying restatement
Correct answer: Layered probing
Layered probing uses each answer as a springboard to explore underlying causes, consequences, or desires more fully.
Question 3: During needs analysis, a prospect describes a symptom but not a root cause. What should the sales trainer recommend doing first?
- Present a solution that addresses the symptom immediately
- Ask diagnostic questions to identify what is driving the symptom (Correct answer)
- Confirm budget before exploring further
- Escalate to a technical specialist
Correct answer: Ask diagnostic questions to identify what is driving the symptom
Addressing symptoms without diagnosing root causes leads to misaligned solutions and poor customer outcomes.
Question 4: What does 'active listening' require a salesperson to do during a discovery call?
- Prepare the next question while the prospect speaks
- Nod, repeat key phrases, and take notes to signal genuine engagement (Correct answer)
- Interrupt to confirm understanding frequently
- Summarize only at the end of the call
Correct answer: Nod, repeat key phrases, and take notes to signal genuine engagement
Active listening means fully processing what is said before responding, demonstrated through verbal and non-verbal acknowledgment.
Question 5: A CST candidate is coaching a rep who dominates discovery calls with talking. What ratio of talk-to-listen is generally recommended for a discovery call?
- 70% rep / 30% prospect
- 50% rep / 50% prospect
- 30% rep / 70% prospect (Correct answer)
- 20% rep / 80% prospect
Correct answer: 30% rep / 70% prospect
Sales best practices recommend the rep talk about 30% of the time and the prospect 70%, as more prospect talk equals more discovered information.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the purpose of a 'confirmation summary' near the end of a discovery call?
- To transition directly into a product demo
- To verify your understanding of the prospect's needs and gain agreement before advancing (Correct answer)
- To lock in a verbal commitment to buy
- To recap pricing options discussed
Correct answer: To verify your understanding of the prospect's needs and gain agreement before advancing
A confirmation summary ensures both parties are aligned on the identified needs and sets a clear foundation for next steps.
Question 7: When a prospect shares a challenge during discovery, what is the risk of immediately responding with 'We can solve that'?
- It positions the salesperson as too eager to help
- It may cut off further disclosure of deeper or related problems (Correct answer)
- It violates consultative selling ethics
- It implies the product is too expensive
Correct answer: It may cut off further disclosure of deeper or related problems
Rushing to solutions signals the rep has stopped listening, potentially missing related needs that could strengthen the value proposition.
CST Discovery Call & Needs Analysis 2
A prospect says, 'We've tried solutions like yours before and they didn't work.' What is the most effective response during a discovery call?