Top 60 Discovery Call Questions for Sales Success (2024)

Have you ever headed out on a road trip without mapping your route first? 

A discovery call is like getting the directions before you put the car in drive. 

You ask questions to discover where prospects want to go and what roadblocks they face. With that knowledge as your GPS, you can chart the smoothest course for your sales journey together. 

The better you plan the trip upfront, the easier it is to reach your shared destination.

Let me guide you further.

Key Takeaways

1. A set of discovery call questions for sales is the first interaction with a prospect, aimed at understanding their needs and assessing if there’s a fit for the business. It involves qualifying leads and building rapport, setting the stage for future engagement in the sales process.
2. Discovery calls are indispensable in sales for several reasons. They help qualify leads, ensuring resources are effectively focused on good-fit prospects. Additionally, these calls provide valuable insights into customer pain points, goals, and decision-making criteria, guiding the customization of solutions.
3. Effective discovery calls require: 

• Preparation
• An agenda
• Open-ended questions to uncover goals and challenges
• Active listening
• A conversational tone
• Follow-up

What Is a Discovery Call?

A discovery call is the first conversation with a prospect after they show interest in your product or service. This call will uncover the prospect’s pain points, and goals, and help build communication.

According to Marc Wayshak’s study, 50% of prospects will not be a good fit for what you’re selling. This call is your opportunity to get to know the customers to see if they could be a good fit for your business.

What Is a Discovery Call Question?

Discovery call questions are open-ended inquiries that allow salespeople to uncover a potential customer’s needs, challenges, and goals during an initial conversation.

These questions help gather valuable insights about the customer’s business, decision-making process, and pain points. By asking effective discovery questions, salespeople can better tailor their pitch, build rapport, and increase their chances of closing the deal successfully.

Why are Discovery Calls Important?

Discovery calls are essential in sales because they help figure out if someone might be a good customer and understand what they need. They also build trust by showing how our product can help them.

Let’s see why it is important in detail:

Stage	What it’s about	How it helps
Qualification	Identifying if the prospect is a good fit for our product/service	Saves time and resources by focusing on promising leads
Uncovering Need	Discovering what the prospect wants and why they need it	Provides insights to tailor our pitch and offerings
Trust Building	Establishing a genuine connection and rapport with the potential customer	Builds confidence and credibility in our brand
Customize Offering	Tailoring our solution to address the customer’s specific needs directly	Increases the chances of meeting their requirements
Boost Conversions	Demonstrating our value proposition and increasing the likelihood of closing the deal	Encourages prospects to commit and become customers

30 Essential Questions to Ask on a Discovery Call for B2B

When selling to businesses, the discovery call is your opportunity to truly understand the client’s challenges and requirements. It’s a crucial first step to determine if you can provide the right solution. Asking insightful questions allows you to grasp their unique situation from multiple angles. 

Prepare for your next B2B discovery call with these 30 essential questions:

Divisions

About the Prospect Company Background Current Process & Pain Points Goals & Success Criteria Decision-Making Process Wrapping Up & Next Steps

About the Prospect

Inquiring about the background of the individual you’re dealing with can establish a connection. Provide insight into their requirements and obstacles.

1. What is your role at the company? 

This question aims to identify the prospect’s job title or designation within the company. It helps establish the scope of their responsibilities and the level at which they operate.

2. How long have you been in this role? At the company? 

It helps to find out how long the person has been in their position and their overall experience at the company. It helps to gauge their knowledge, understanding of the company procedures, and possible impact, within the organization.

3. What are your main responsibilities? 

This delves into the prospect’s primary tasks, duties, and areas of focus within their role. It helps gauge the extent of their involvement in decision-making processes and the specific aspects of the business they oversee or contribute to.

4. What does a typical day look like for you? 

It aims to understand the prospect’s daily routine, workload, and the nature of their activities. It can reveal their priorities, challenges, and the dynamics of their role within the organization. Asking about a typical day can also help establish a personal connection.

5. How is your team structured? Who do you report to? 

This inquiry delves into the setup of the organization and the hierarchy of reporting, in the client’s team or department. It assists in pinpointing decision makers, and stakeholders and how information and power are circulated within the organization. 

Company Background

Grasping the vision of the organization offers a valuable perspective on how your product might fit in.

6. Can you give me a quick overview of what your company does? 

This lays the foundation by allowing the prospect to briefly explain the nature of their company’s business, industry, and products/services offered. It provides crucial context for the rest of the discussion.

7. How big is the company in terms of employees and revenue?

Understanding the size and scale of the company, both in the workforce and financially, can give insights into its complexities, processes, budgets, and overall requirements.

8. What are the company’s top strategic priorities this year? 

Knowing the key initiatives and goals the company is focused on for the current year can help ensure any potential solution aligns with and supports achieving those priorities.

9. How does your department contribute to those goals? 

This connects the bigger company objectives to the prospect’s specific role and responsibilities, highlighting how their work ties into the larger organizational strategy.

10. What sets your company apart from competitors? 

The prospect’s perspective on their competitive differentiators can reveal unique needs, challenges, or requirements they may have compared to others in their industry. This impacts how solutions need to be positioned.

Current Process & Pain Points

Exploring their circumstances reveals areas of discomfort that your solution could potentially resolve.

11. Walk me through your current process for [relevant area]. 

Asking the prospect to walk through their existing process gives you a clear understanding of the current state, the steps involved, and any potential inefficiencies or areas of friction. This can help identify opportunities for improvement or streamlining.

12. What tools or systems are you currently using for this? 

Understanding the technologies, software, or systems they are using is crucial for assessing integration requirements, potential compatibility issues, or the need to replace existing solutions altogether.

13. Where do you see room for improvement in this process? 

This question allows the prospect to directly identify areas of the process that they perceive as problematic, inefficient, or in need of optimization. Their perspective can reveal valuable insights into their pain points.

14. What challenges are you facing because of these issues? 

Building on the previous question, this inquiry delves into the specific challenges or negative impacts they are experiencing due to the inefficiencies or problems in their current process.

15. How are these challenges impacting your business? 

This ties the identified challenges to tangible business impacts, such as lost productivity, increased costs, customer dissatisfaction, or missed opportunities. Highlighting these impacts reinforces the importance of addressing the issues.

Goals & Success Criteria

Knowing what they aim to achieve provides a roadmap, for ensuring that your product or service offers benefits.

16. What are your top priorities to improve in this area? 

This question directly asks the prospect to articulate their key improvement priorities related to the process/area you are discussing. Their stated priorities should ideally match up with the advantages and benefits your solution can deliver.

17. What would success look like for you? How would you measure it?

Understanding how the prospect defines and measures success is crucial for ensuring your solution meets their expected outcomes. Their criteria for success guide the requirements-gathering process.

18. Have you tried making improvements before? What happened? 

If they have attempted process improvements in the past, learning about those experiences provides valuable context. It can reveal obstacles, challenges, or pitfalls that need to be addressed with your proposed solution.

19. What is your timeline for making a change?

Knowing the prospect’s urgency or timeline for implementing changes signals how quickly you may need to move, as well as their decision-making timeframe. This guides your next steps and sales cycle.

20. What happens if you don’t take action to improve this? 

It emphasizes the potential negative consequences or impacts of not addressing the current issues or inefficiencies. It reinforces the importance and benefits of taking action with your solution.

Case Study: How Uber Got Started With Sales Calls

Uber is the most popular and rapidly expanding companies globally with a market cap more than $140 Billion started with traditional cold calling method in the beginning contributing early success. 

This is what Travis Kalanick, the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Uber said:

“I went to Google, typed in San Francisco chauffeur or San Francisco limousine, I just filled out an excel sheet and I just started dialing for dollars, right? First ten guys I called, three of them hung up before I got a few words out, a few of them would listen for like 45 seconds and then hung up, and three of them said ‘I’m interested, let’s meet.’. And if you’re cold calling and three out of ten say ‘let’s meet’, you’ve got something.” 

Decision-Making Process

It’s important to clarify how they make purchases to prevent any surprises and to steer your sales process in the right direction.

21. What are the usual steps involved when your company decides to buy a product or service like this?

Understanding the standard procurement process avoids surprises later on and allows you to align your sales approach accordingly. This could involve evaluations, approvals, committee decisions, etc.

22. Who else would be involved in the decision besides yourself? 

Identifying all stakeholders and decision-makers upfront is key. It prevents you from missing key influencers and enables you to tailor your messaging and value proposition to address everyone’s concerns.

23. What are the most important factors in making this decision? 

Knowing the specific criteria they’ll use to evaluate potential solutions is vital. It allows you to position your offering in a way that meets their highest priorities and decision drivers.

24. Do you have a budget allocated for a solution? 

Understanding budgetary constraints or lack thereof shapes your pricing/packaging strategy. It avoids pitching solutions wildly outside their financial means.

25. What is your typical timeline for deciding on this? 

Getting a sense of their urgency and decision timeframes sets realistic expectations on both sides and allows you to plan your sales cycle accordingly.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

When the call is wrapping up, that’s the moment to see how interested they are, make sure everyone knows what comes next, and let them know you’re there to help if needed.

26. Based on our discussion, do you think our solution could potentially help? 

This direct question allows you to get a read on whether the prospect sees value in your proposed solution based on your conversation. Their response will indicate their level of interest and buy-in so far.

27. What outstanding questions do you have about our offering? 

Inviting the prospect to voice any lingering questions or uncertainties they may have allows you to be proactive in addressing potential objections or concerns before they become roadblocks.

28. Are there any other key stakeholders you think I should talk to? 

Looping in any additional decision-makers or influencers that may have been missed ensures you have a comprehensive view of everyone involved in the evaluation. This prevents surprises later on.

29. What do you see as logical next steps? 

Allowing the prospect to propose the next steps fosters a collaborative dynamic and ensures you are aligned on the path forward together, whether that includes demos, proposals, meetings with other stakeholders, etc.

30. What else can I provide to help you in your evaluation process? 

This open-ended question shows your willingness to provide any additional information, resources, or support the prospect may need to properly assess your solution and make an informed decision.

30 Essential Questions to Ask on a Discovery Call for B2C

In B2C, discovery calls are critical for understanding individual customers’ unique needs and pain points. These initial conversations allow you to qualify leads and tailor your offering accordingly. By asking the right questions, you can uncover valuable insights that guide your sales approach. 

Here are 30 essential questions to include in your next B2C discovery call:

Divisions

Understanding the Problem and Current ApproachGoals, Objectives, and Success MetricsDecision-Making Process and StakeholdersBudget and Financial ConsiderationsSelection Criteria and Ideal SolutionImplementation and Support RequirementsCompany and Industry BackgroundMarketing and PromotionTechnology and Systems IntegrationCustomer Satisfaction and LoyaltyGrowth and ScalabilityValues and InitiativesOpen-Ended and Additional Insights

Understanding the Problem and Current Approach:

1. What problem are you trying to solve with our product/service?

This open-ended question allows the prospect to explain their pain points or challenges in their own words, giving you valuable insights into their specific needs and how your offering can address them.

2. How are you currently addressing this problem?

This question helps you understand the prospect’s current approach or solution, enabling you to identify gaps or limitations that your offering can improve upon.

3. Have you considered similar products/services before?

This question helps you gauge the prospect’s level of familiarity with solutions like yours and understand any previous experiences or perceptions they may have.

4. What challenges or obstacles are you facing?

Identifying potential roadblocks or hurdles early on enables you to address them proactively and provide solutions or workarounds as part of your proposal.

5. What are the consequences of not addressing this problem?

This question helps the prospect understand the potential risks, costs, or implications of inaction, reinforcing the urgency and value of implementing your solution.

Goals, Objectives, and Success Metrics:

6. What are your primary goals or objectives?

Asking about their key goals and objectives allows you to position your product or service as a means to help the prospect achieve their desired outcomes more effectively.

7. How do you measure success for this type of project?

Knowing the metrics or criteria the prospect uses to evaluate success allows you to demonstrate how your offering can help them achieve their desired outcomes.

Decision-Making Process and Stakeholders:

8. Who is involved in the decision-making process?

This question helps you identify the key stakeholders and decision-makers involved, ensuring that you target the right individuals throughout the sales process.

9. How does this project align with your company’s overall strategy?

Knowing the strategic importance of the project or initiative helps you prioritize your efforts and resources accordingly, and positions your offering as a valuable contributor to the prospect’s broader goals.

Budget and Financial Considerations:

10. What is your budget for addressing this problem?

Understanding the prospect’s allocated budget upfront helps you determine if your pricing aligns with their expectations and tailor your proposal accordingly.

Selection Criteria and Ideal Solution:

11. What are your main criteria for choosing a solution?

Knowing the prospect’s decision-making factors or priorities allows you to highlight the relevant strengths and benefits of your offering that align with their specific criteria.

12. How would you describe your ideal solution?

Learning about the prospect’s vision of the perfect solution helps you align your offering with their expectations and position it as the ideal fit for their needs.

Implementation and Support Requirements:

13. What resources or support do you need for a successful implementation?

Understanding the prospect’s requirements for training, onboarding, or ongoing support ensures that you can provide a comprehensive solution that facilitates a smooth implementation.

14. What are your expectations regarding customer support or service?

Learning about the prospect’s expectations for customer support or service levels allows you to highlight your organization’s capabilities and commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Company and Industry Background:

15. Can you share some background information about your company/industry?

Gathering context about the prospect’s business and industry landscape helps you tailor your approach, messaging, and offer to better resonate with their specific needs and challenges.

16. Who are your target customers or end-users?

Understanding the prospect’s target audience or end-users allows you to position your offering as a solution that meets the needs of its intended customers or stakeholders.

17. What are your biggest challenges or pain points in your industry?

Identifying broader industry challenges enables you to position your offering as a comprehensive solution that addresses not only the prospect’s specific needs but also the broader issues faced by their industry.

18. What are your biggest competitors, and how do you differentiate yourself?

Understanding the competitive landscape and the prospect’s unique differentiators helps you position your offering as a distinct and valuable solution that complements its existing strengths.

19. What are your thoughts on emerging trends or innovations in your industry?

This question gauges the prospect’s awareness and interest in industry trends or innovations, allowing you to position your offering as forward-thinking and aligned with the latest advancements.

Marketing and Promotion: 

20. How do you currently market or promote your products/services?

Understanding the prospect’s existing marketing efforts can help you identify opportunities for collaboration, integration, or cross-promotion that can enhance the value of your offering.

Technology and Systems Integration:

21. What role does technology play in your business operations?

Gathering insights into the prospect’s technology landscape and infrastructure helps you identify potential integration opportunities or challenges, and tailor your offering to seamlessly fit within their existing systems.

22. How do you currently handle data security or compliance requirements?

Learning about the prospect’s data security and compliance needs helps you highlight the robustness, security features, and regulatory compliance of your offering, ensuring that it meets its critical standards.

Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty:

23. How do you measure customer satisfaction or loyalty?

Knowing the metrics or methods the prospect uses to evaluate customer satisfaction and loyalty enables you to demonstrate how your offering can contribute to improving those critical measures of success.

Growth and Scalability:

24. How important is scalability or flexibility in a solution?

Identifying the prospect’s need for scalability or flexibility helps you highlight the adaptability and versatility of your offering to accommodate their evolving needs or growth plans.

25. What are your long-term goals or plans for growth?

Understanding the prospect’s long-term vision and growth aspirations enables you to position your offering as a strategic partner that can support their future objectives and evolve alongside their business.

Values and Initiatives:

26. What are your thoughts on sustainability or social responsibility initiatives?

This question helps you gauge the prospect’s values and priorities regarding sustainability, social responsibility, or ethical business practices, allowing you to align your offering with their broader goals or initiatives in these areas.

Open-Ended and Additional Insights:

27. What other information or insights can you share to help me better understand your needs?

This open-ended question demonstrates your willingness to gather additional context or information from the prospect, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of their unique requirements and enabling you to tailor your solution accordingly.

28. What is the potential impact or ROI you’re expecting?

Asking about the expected return on investment or desired outcome allows you to quantify the value your offering can deliver and tailor your proposal to meet their specific goals.

Timeline:

29. How soon are you looking to implement a solution?

Understanding the prospect’s desired timeline helps you plan your sales efforts accordingly and prioritize opportunities based on their urgency.

Concerns and Hesitations:

30. What concerns or hesitations do you have?

This question encourages the prospect to voice any doubts or reservations upfront, enabling you to address them directly and build trust by providing relevant information or reassurance.

Sales Discovery Process

Conducting an effective discovery call requires careful preparation and a structured approach. This systematic process guides you through the essential steps for a successful initial conversation. By following this framework, you can gather valuable insights and position your offering effectively. 

Here are the key elements of the sales discovery process:

1. Research the Prospect and Their Company.

Gathering background information on the prospect’s industry, company, and specific challenges can help you tailor your approach and demonstrate your understanding of their business.

2. Gather What You’re Looking for in a Customer.

Identify the ideal customer profile and characteristics that align with your offering, allowing you to better qualify or disqualify the prospect.

3. Separate Your Questions 

Separate your questions into 4 segments:

• Staging
• Qualifying
• Disqualifying
• Follow-up or next step

Organizing your questions into these segments ensures a logical flow and covers all the essential aspects of the discovery process.

4. Share Relevant Insights.

Provide valuable insights, industry trends, or best practices that demonstrate your expertise and credibility.

5. Be Ready to Connect Your Solution to the Prospect’s Goals.

Throughout the call, be prepared to tie your offering back to the prospect’s specific needs and desired future and life outcomes.

How to Run a Discovery Call

Having an organized initial conversation is crucial, for assessing if a potential client is a good fit and customizing your strategy. To make sure your introductory call goes smoothly follow these guidelines:

1. Research Your Prospect’s Business Ahead of Time.

Gather information about their industry, company, challenges, and potential pain points to tailor and test your approach.

2. Create an Agenda and Send It to Your Prospect.

Sharing an agenda in advance sets expectations and allows the prospect to prepare for the call.

3. Set a Time and Date That Works for Both of You.

Ensure you schedule the call at a mutually convenient time to maximize engagement and minimize distractions.

4. Open the Call Conversationally.

Start with a friendly introduction and some small talk to establish rapport between friends and put the prospect at ease.

5. Set the Stage.

Explain the purpose of the call and outline the agenda, ensuring the prospect understands the objectives.

6. Qualify the Prospect.

Ask questions to determine if the prospect is a good fit for your offering and evaluate if their needs align with your idea and solution.

7. Ask Disqualifying Questions.

Identify any potential deal-breakers or reasons why your solution might not be a good fit for the first job or the prospect.

8. Establish Next Steps.

Conclude the call by summarizing key points, addressing any remaining concerns, and agreeing on the next steps in the process.

By following the steps outlined above and leveraging the proven techniques highlighted in the chart, you’ll be well-equipped to conduct impactful discovery calls that drive your sales success.

Tips to Conduct an Effective Discovery Call

Discovery calls are crucial for understanding a potential customer’s needs and pain points. They allow you to qualify leads and tailor your solution. But running an effective discovery call takes skill and preparation. Follow these tips to maximize your chances of success:

• Do your homework: Research the prospect’s company, industry, and potential pain points before the call. This shows you’re prepared and allows you to ask more relevant questions.

•  Set an agenda: Share an outline of what you’ll cover on the call. This helps manage expectations and keeps the conversation focused.

• Ask open-ended questions: Inquiries that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no” encourage the prospect to elaborate, giving you deeper insights.

• Listen actively: Pay close attention to the prospect’s responses and ask follow-up questions. Active listening builds rapport and understanding.

• Uncover their goals and challenges: Understand what the prospect hopes to achieve and what’s standing in their way. This allows you to position your solution as the answer.

• Take notes: Jot down key points and details during the call so you can refer back to them later and demonstrate you were fully engaged.

• Establish next steps: Before ending the call, summarize what you’ve discussed and agree on any follow-up actions to keep the momentum going.

• Be conversational and friendly: Discovery calls work best when they feel like a casual dialogue between colleagues, not an interrogation. Relax and let the conversation flow naturally.

FAQs

1. How do I prepare for a discovery call?

Thorough preparation is key to a successful discovery call. Research the prospect’s company, industry, and potential pain points. Develop a list of questions tailored to their specific situation. Review your product or service offerings to be ready to highlight how they can address the prospect’s needs.

2. What if the prospect goes off-topic during the call?

If the conversation veers off-track, gently steer it back to the agenda and the core objectives of the discovery call. Remind the lead or prospect of the very objective and purpose of the call and the importance of addressing their specific challenges and goals.

3. Should I take notes during the discovery call?

Absolutely. Taking notes during the call can help you actively listen, capture important details, and ensure you don’t miss any crucial information. However, be sure to maintain eye contact and engagement with the prospect as much as possible.

4. How do I handle objections or concerns raised during the discovery call?

Listen actively to the objection or concern they raise, and try to understand the underlying reason behind it. Respond with empathy, and provide relevant information or examples to address the issue. If you don’t have an immediate solution, commit to following up with a more detailed response.

5. What if the prospect is not a good fit for our solution?

If it becomes clear during the discovery call that your product or service is not a good match for the prospect’s needs, be upfront and honest. Explain why it may not be the best fit, and suggest alternative solutions or other resources that could better address their challenges.

Discovery Call Insights: Your Path to Sales Excellence

Discovery calls play a role in the sales journey as they help you assess leads, understand customer requirements, and showcase your product as the perfect solution. 

By posing queries and adhering to a systematic approach in addressing them you can gain valuable insights, establish a connection, and enhance your likelihood of achieving success.

To boost the efficiency of your discovery calls keep in mind the following:

• Conduct thorough research: Acquire information about the potential client and their business ahead of the conversation.
• Ask questions: Utilize the provided list of top 30 questions as a foundation and customize your strategy based on how the prospect responds.
• Listen attentively: Be attentive to the prospect’s answers and reactions ready to adjust your responses to cater to their concerns and requirements.
• Showcase expertise: Share knowledge, insights, and best practices to position yourself as a reliable and knowledgeable consultant.

By honing your skills in conducting discovery calls you are paving the path towards enhancing your sales achievements and cultivating enduring mutually advantageous connections with your clients.

Reference:

Why mastering the discovery call is key to improving the buyer experience, Lucidchart

Startup CMO Job Description, Roles & Responsibilities, Well Found

The Ultimate Guide to B2B Marketing in 2023, Hubspot

5 Challenges & 10 Strategies in B2B Startup Marketing [2024], AI Multiple Research