The discovery plan is a questioning tool used before and during a sales meeting to better understand the client’s needs. Depending on the products being sold, this questioning can be more or less flexible, adapted to the client’s answers and profile. In sensitive sectors, the discovery plan includes specific wording to guide the discussion with the client. Its main objective is to identify the client’s needs and motivations in order to offer a suitable product or service and choose the most relevant arguments to persuade them.
Furthermore, the discovery plan can be used to check sensitive points in high-risk sectors, such as when proposing consumer credit. Sometimes, it is pre-defined by a computer system (as with insurance quotes), becoming a series of standardized questions rather than a genuine exchange with the client. It can be implemented through direct questioning, but also more subtly by giving the client the opportunity to express themselves freely.
A concrete example of a discovery plan has been developed by the Savoie Mont Blanc tourism committee for travel agents, in order to better understand the specific needs of clients for winter stays.
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