Deals are won and lost in discovery. Great sales discovery questions can fuel a strong discovery process and help you focus on valuable leads. A discovery call is typically the first conversation a sales professional has with a potential client. It’s an opportunity to understand the needs, challenges, and goals of the client.

It’s called a “discovery” call because it’s the stage in the sales process where the salesperson is discovering information about the prospect and their needs.

Recommended read: Why do you need a Sales Qualification Framework?

Why are Discovery Calls important?

Discovery calls are important for a number of reasons. They allow the sales representative to qualify the prospect, determining if their product or service is a good fit for the client’s needs. They also help establish rapport and build trust, laying the groundwork for a productive business relationship. Moreover, they give the sales representative valuable insights into how they can best serve the client and tailor their sales approach accordingly.

Five Goals for a Discovery Call

1. Identifying the prospect’s pain points: Understanding the challenges the prospect is facing is crucial in order to propose a solution that meets their needs.
2. Understanding the prospect’s business goals: This allows the salesperson to align the benefits of their product or service with the goals of the prospect’s business.
3. Establishing the decision-making process: By understanding who the decision-makers are and what the decision-making process looks like, the salesperson can tailor their approach to influence the right people.
4. Qualifying the prospect: The discovery call can help determine if the prospect is a good fit for the product or service, saving time and resources on both sides.
5. Building rapport and trust: The discovery call is the first opportunity to establish a relationship with the prospect. A positive rapport can set the stage for future interactions and increase the likelihood of a successful sale.

10 Questions for the Discovery Phase of a Sales Process

Here are ten questions that I’ve found to be effective in establishing a good rapport and learning crucial information about a prospect:

1. Could you give me a brief overview of your current operations in BUSINESS AREA and what you’re aiming to achieve?
2. What does an ideal solution look like for your company in the context of BUSINESS AREA?
3. Can you tell me about a recent initiative in BUSINESS AREA that didn’t achieve the desired results, and why you think it fell short?
4. How are you currently measuring success in BUSINESS AREA and are there any metrics that you’re struggling to improve?
5. Who are the key stakeholders involved in the decision-making process for solutions related to BUSINESS AREA?
6. What’s the main driving force behind your need to solve the challenges in BUSINESS AREA?
7. Can you share some of the consequences or risks you foresee if the challenges in BUSINESS AREA are not addressed promptly?
8. How does solving this challenge in BUSINESS AREA align with your broader company goals and strategy?
9. Are there any other initiatives or projects in the pipeline that would be affected by the implementation of a solution in BUSINESS AREA?
10. Considering your past experiences, what features or factors are critical for a solution in BUSINESS AREA to be successful?

These questions aim to gain deep insights into the prospects’ pain points, aspirations, past experiences, and business dynamics, enabling you to tailor your solutions to their specific needs.

But remember. The most important thing is to make sure that the person you spoke with remembers you after the call. To do that, there is ONE single question that can really help set you and your service at the forefront of their mind:

“What are the challenges that you’re facing in BUSINESS AREA that would derail you if you didn’t solve 6-12 months out?”

Happy hunting!

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