One of the best ways to be perceived as authentic and natural is to be genuinely curious when doing discovery.
Any time you hear something out of the ordinary, it should make you curious: why are things this way? How did it happen? What is the impact? How much value is associated with making a change?
Being earnestly curious is also a path to being perceived as trustworthy. Reading a list of questions will often sound exactly like what it is: a dry, repetitive, linear review of prebuilt questions. Showing genuine curiosity is an engaging self-rescue that takes you wonderfully off-script!
So, in your next discovery conversations, when you hear something different, say so! “Wow, that’s unusual, how did that happen?” or “Interesting! I’ve never seen that before, why did that take place?” What you learn may provide you with intriguing insights, in addition to building a deeper relationship with your prospect.
Be curious!
[Now, aren’t you curious about what you could learn, apply, and use to your advantage from the Doing Discovery book?]