Because everything else depends on it. Without good discovery, you pitch blind: you highlight benefits that may not interest this customer, you propose a solution that may not fit their true need, and you look like you only care about selling rather than helping. Conversely, in-depth discovery gives you all the cards: you understand the real need (often different from the need first expressed), you identify the deep buying motives (which you will link to your pitch — SONCAS, section 2.4), you anticipate objections, you learn the decision criteria and the budget. Result: your proposal hits the mark, your pitch is personalised and punchy, and you close far more easily. It is a fundamental sales principle: “diagnose before prescribing”, like a good doctor. A salesperson who skips discovery to “unload” their offer is like a doctor prescribing without examining — often the wrong remedy. And yet it is the most neglected step, because hurried or poorly trained salespeople prefer talking about their product. Mastering it is what most clearly separates good salespeople from mediocre ones. Invest time in it: it is the best return of the whole interview.

Several techniques help open up a reserved contact. First, favour open questions (“how…?”, “what…?”, “tell me about…”) over closed ones: a closed question to a quiet customer yields a “yes/no” that blocks the conversation, while an open question invites them to expand. Next, master silence: after a question, give them time to answer instead of filling the gap — many salespeople, uncomfortable with silence, jump in too fast and stop the customer expressing themselves; patient silence often prompts the other person to say more. Practise active listening and rephrasing: showing you truly listen (nods, “I see”, rephrasing) encourages them to continue. Pick up on what they say (“you mentioned X, can you tell me more?”) to dig deeper. Also create a climate of trust (careful first contact, supportive stance): a customer confides if they feel safe, not judged or rushed. Finally, if the customer stays truly closed, more concrete, factual questions about their daily routine can start things off before going deeper. Patience and authenticity pay: a quiet customer often opens up when they sense someone genuinely interested in them, not in a hurry to sell. Don't force — guide with open questions and silence.