One of our objectives in discovery is to build trust with our prospects. A simple and effective method is to find common ground – something that is a combination of being relatively unique yet shared.
A small example: During a Zoom call with a prospect I noted a beautiful black and white photo on the wall behind the prospect and commented on it. The prospect smiled and said it was one of his favorite photos, an Ansel Adams reprint (Moonrise Over Hernandez). A brief discussion yielded information that both of us had done black and white printing previously and both used Adam’s Zone System. This wonderful connection of shared interests enabled a richer discovery conversation to take place going forward.
It seems that many (most?) humans seek to find common ground in calls and I wonder if it is ingrained in our nature. In any case, when you do find common ground, you suddenly share something delightfully meaningful. A connection has been established!