My approach to discovery meetings is continually evolving. To ensure I’m well-prepared, I allocate dedicated time each week for preparation:
- Friday Morning: I review the notes generated by the automation consultant during initial conversations for the following week’s discovery sessions and chase missing ones.
- Monday Morning: I reserve the first two hours of my week to create cheat sheets tailored to each session.
By chasing notes on Friday morning, I give consultants sufficient time to write up and send their notes ahead of my Monday morning preparation slot.
Cheat Sheets for Discovery Meetings
I’ve developed cheat sheets for the common types of opportunities we encounter, as well as a more generic version for unique situations. Here’s how I build them:
- Company Research:
- I Google the company and copy relevant links into my generative AI tool of choice. Using carefully crafted prompts, I ask the AI to collate the information I need, organised under specific headings.
- Attendee Research:
- I search for attendee details, focusing on general web content and LinkedIn profiles. I extract text from profiles, posts, and relevant web links, using prompts to organise the data into a clear format.
This process often reveals shared interests, mutual contacts, or previous workplaces that can help foster dialogue during meetings. It also gives me a solid understanding of the company, enabling me to anticipate their requirements and pain points based on my experience.
- Personal Notes:
- After compiling the profiles, I jot down my own notes, focusing on key questions and considerations that arise from the research.
Framing the Discovery Session
I structure my discovery sessions around three primary objectives:
- Assess the feasibility of our toolset to meet the client’s needs.
- Establish the next steps for subsequent meetings, including demonstrations.
- Collaborate with the client to build a business case.
At the start of the session, I outline these objectives and ask if the client has any specific goals for the meeting. I then recap what we already know and suggest topics to cover, tailoring them to the client’s industry. For example:
- Stockists and Distributors:
- Order and receipt matching
- Unit of measure conversions
- Surcharges
- Discounts
- Part deliveries
- Construction Companies:
- Direct-to-site deliveries
- Hire invoices
- Sub-contract invoices
- Material invoices
- Import Companies:
- Landed costs
- Charge codes
Starting with industry-specific points establishes credibility, demonstrates our relevant experience, and shows that I’ve done my homework.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Many solutions engineers begin meetings by asking basic questions about the client’s organisation or talking extensively about their own. However, clients typically don’t care about your company’s accolades at this stage, nor do they want to spend 15 minutes explaining information that’s easily accessible online. My approach ensures we maximise the value of our time together.
Wrapping Up
At the end of the meeting, I recap key findings, clarify next steps, and hand over to the automation consultants, who may have additional business case or process questions to address. I always follow up with an email summarising the discussion, actions, and timelines.
While different opportunities require tailored questions and approaches, I’ve found that this structured method leads to the best outcomes for both the client and the solutions engineer.
As always: Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance