Lesson 3: How to Sell a discovery

how to sell a discovery.

Discovery Process Overview

This process is only for those advanced enough with their agency. You must be making at least $10k/month to implement the discovery process.

The discovery process is a foundational step that sets up projects for success, helping clients and the project team align on goals, strategies, and execution needs. This phase is integral to increasing project success rates by minimizing misalignment and maximizing clarity. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Purpose of Discovery

• Clarifying Goals and Scope:
  Discovery is designed to prevent unnecessary work by establishing a clear and collaborative understanding of the project from the start. This process aligns the team with the client’s goals and requirements, resulting in a solid project framework that avoids vague “guesstimates.”

• Client Commitment:
  A refundable deposit is required to initiate discovery. This commitment (typically between $5,000 and $50,000, depending on the project size) signals that the client is ready to invest in defining a project scope, setting both parties up for a high success rate.

2. Workshop Series and In-Depth Analysis

• Stakeholder Workshops:
  After the deposit, initial workshops are scheduled (usually a 60-minute session) with key client stakeholders. These sessions may expand depending on the project’s complexity, allowing experts from design, development, and marketing to collaborate on creating a highly tailored plan.

• Uncovering Needs and Defining Strategy:
  Through these workshops, the team uncovers the company’s strengths, weaknesses, and growth goals. By leaving “no stone unturned,” the team ensures a strategy aligned with realistic objectives, which can boost the project’s success rate to as high as 95%.

3. Internal Strategy Development

• Building the Project Scope and Deliverables:
  After the initial workshops, the team conducts in-depth strategy sessions to define the project’s technical and marketing scope. This phase includes scoping each feature, developing an MVP, and drafting deliverables, all of which are later presented in a Project Brief.

4. Project Brief Delivery

• Presentation and Approval:
  Once all aspects of the project are thoroughly scoped, the team delivers a comprehensive Project Brief. This document includes the finalized scope, timeline, and payment schedule. The client has a chance to provide feedback or request changes, ensuring full alignment.

5. Flexible Workflow with Client Control

• Project Flexibility:
  Throughout the process, clients are in the “driver’s seat,” with deposits going toward future project costs. This engagement model encourages clients to maintain a high level of involvement, leading to an estimated 80-90% conversion rate from discovery to full project execution.

Discovery as a Collaborative Tool

Through the discovery process, clear roles and expectations are established between the team and the client’s team. This clarity minimizes overlap or confusion about responsibilities, leading to smoother execution in the project’s later stages.