Discovery with ARQ
The ARQ Method
Ask Discovery questions in the moment, based on the flow of the conversation, and with the end goal in mind. This approach keeps your prospect engaged. Asking every prospect the same set of stock questions will feel like an interrogation.
A - Affirm/Acknowledge
Acknowledge or validate what the prospect is saying. This shows you’re listening and understand their perspective.
Affirm → Positive validation ("That’s great to hear.")
Acknowledge → Neutral recognition of a statement ("Okay. That makes sense.")
R - Repeat
Restate their point in your own words to ensure clarity and confirm understanding.
Q - Question
Conclude with a question that digs deeper or to transition the conversation to a new topic.
Example
Acknowledge/Affirmation: “That’s really helpful context.”
Repeat: “It sounds like cost is very important to you.”
Question: “What is your budget?”
Tips for Affirm/Acknowledge
Keep Affirmations Genuine and Concise
When first learning the ARQ Method, I’ve seen a lot of sellers throw around Affirmations like “That’s great!”, “Awesome”, etc. Often said reflexively and with little emotion. Or way too many “Thank you for the context”’s during discovery.
Only affirm when it’s genuine. If it’s not great, don’t pretend it is
Know When to Acknowledge Rather than Affirm
Sometimes prospects share things that are genuinely not great. Things you don’t want to hear. Do not use an affirmation for this. I often hear sellers insincerely affirm things they shouldn’t.
Classic Example: The “I’m still shopping around” objection
You go to Best Buy (is that still a thing?) for a TV
You tell the salesperson, “I’m going to keep looking around at other stores before making a decision”.
Salesperson responds with something like, “That’s good. I always encourage people to shop around before making a decision.”
This is nonsense. It’s inauthentic. Salespeople don’t want their prospects to shop around. It’s not effective.
Instead say, “Okay. Sounds like you’re not ready to make a decision. Why is that?”
Tips for Repeat
When repeating, rephrase in your own words to avoid sounding robotic
Do playback words that the prospect uses though
If the prospect has shared a lot (they will if you use ARQ), do not repeat everything. A lot of salespeople also trip themselves up by thinking that they need to have really insightful or thoughtful repeats. You don’t.
Pick out the main points and give a very succinct repeat.
Tips for Question
Simple, succinct questions win the day
Avoid Ask & Answer questions
Ask & Answer questions are when a seller asks a question and immediately answer it for them- it limits their response.
Example: “What’s most important to you? Is it budget or features…”
Always conclude your ARQ with the Question: “What’s most important to you?”
The question does not have to follow from the repeat if you want to change gears or shift topics to guide the conversation in another direction.
