To increase the value of expert calls, investors should use them to validate or invalidate a pre-existing thesis. This structured approach yields more satisfying and insightful conversations than open-ended fact-finding.
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Transcript libraries allow investors to quickly learn industry basics. This elevates the purpose of live expert calls from foundational learning to asking much deeper, nuanced questions that challenge a specific investment thesis.
After a prospect identifies a high-level problem, drill down with another multiple-choice question detailing sub-problems. This signals you've solved similar problems before, elevating your status from salesperson to expert consultant, even if their specific issue is different.
Using AI to generate a pre-call hypothesis about a prospect's priorities is valuable even when it's wrong. Presenting a thoughtful, albeit incorrect, idea demonstrates research. This prompts the prospect to correct you, immediately opening the door to a deeper conversation about their actual priorities.
Propose a link between your solution and a major company initiative. Even if your hypothesis is wrong, the prospect's correction will guide you directly to their most pressing business objective, which is more valuable than their polite agreement.
At the end of an expert call, ask the expert to consider a scenario where your agreed-upon conclusions are incorrect. This prompts them to reveal second and third-order risks and blind spots that may not have surfaced during the main discussion.
Begin calls by expressing uncertainty about whether you're a fit. Stating, "there's some firms where there's just not much we can do," positions you as a detached expert, not a needy salesperson. This sparks curiosity and compels the prospect to prove they are a good fit.
Instead of asking prospects to educate you with generic questions, conduct pre-call research and present a hypothesis on why you're meeting. This shows preparation and elevates the conversation. Even if you're wrong, the prospect will correct you, getting you to the right answer faster.
To test an expert's overall sentiment, ask an unrelated "burner question," such as about company culture. A sudden shift in tone can reveal underlying biases or problems not apparent when discussing business models or market structure.
Shift the first meeting's goal from gathering information ("discovery") to providing tangible value ("consultation"). Prospects agree to meetings when they expect to learn something useful for their role or company, just as patients expect insights from a doctor.
Instead of asking broad discovery questions, present your pre-call research and immediately ask the prospect to correct you. This demonstrates diligence, makes them feel like an expert, and gets to the core issues much faster than starting from scratch.