Over-explanation in a discovery call

A discovery call can go well for many reasons and go poorly for many others: fit, timing, budget, the prospect’s own readiness to buy. Language is one factor among these, not the explanation for every lost sale. It is, however, one a business owner can actually examine and adjust.

Over-explanation in a sales conversation is the spoken counterpart of the same pattern that shows up in written proposals: adding layers of justification, context or pre-empted objection to a position that may not have needed them.

What it can sound like

Unprompted price justification. Before a prospect has asked about price or reacted to it, some sellers begin explaining why the number is what it is: the hours involved, the results other clients achieved, why it represents value. Each additional justification is added before the prospect has formed a view of their own.

The pre-answered objection. Naming and responding to objections the prospect hasn’t raised, “I know this might seem like a lot”, “you’re probably wondering why it’s structured this way”, tells the prospect which concerns to consider, whether or not they had them.

Qualifier accumulation. Descriptions that stack up qualifiers, “it’s kind of a hybrid approach”, “it varies depending on the situation”, can make an offer harder to picture and a decision harder to make, independent of whether the underlying offer is a good fit.