A discovery call is the first real conversation with a prospect after they agree to talk. It decides whether there is a deal worth pursuing, for both of you. The questions you ask, and how much you listen, matter more than anything you present. This guide covers how to run the call and gives you 28 questions, grouped by what each one is for.
01
What a discovery call is for
- Understand their situation. How things work today, in their words.
- Find the problem and its cost. What is not working and what that costs them.
- Qualify both ways. Is this a fit for them, and is it a deal for you? Frameworks such as MEDDPICC list what to confirm.
- Earn a next step. A clear, dated next meeting, with the right people in it.
A discovery call is not a demo. If you spend most of it presenting, you will learn little and they will remember less. Interviewing people who already buy from you is a different conversation, with its own customer research questions.
02
How to open the call
Start by agreeing the time and the plan: "We have 30 minutes. I'd like to understand how you handle this today, then share what we have seen work, and agree whether a next step makes sense. Does that work?" Then remind them why you asked to talk, in one sentence, and ask if anything has changed since.
Agreeing the plan up front makes it easy to ask direct questions later and easy to end with a next step.
03
28 discovery call questions, grouped by purpose
You will not ask all of them. Pick two or three from each group that fit the conversation, and follow up on the answers rather than moving down a list. These also work as lead qualification questions; for the full method, see how to qualify leads.
Situation
Understand how things work today, before you look for problems.
| Question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| 1. Can you walk me through how you handle [area] today? | Gets them describing their world in their own words. |
| 2. Who is involved in that day to day? | Shows the team and who feels the problem. |
| 3. What tools or systems do you use for it? | Tells you what you would replace or connect to. |
| 4. What has changed in the business over the last year? | Surfaces the event that may have made this urgent. |
| 5. How does this area fit into the team's goals this year? | Links the topic to something they are measured on. |
Problem
Find out what is not working, in their words.
| Question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| 6. What is the hardest part of [area] right now? | An open door to the real problem. |
| 7. When did that start to become a problem? | Dates the pain and often points to a trigger. |
| 8. What have you tried so far? | Shows how serious they are and what failed. |
| 9. Why did that not work? | Tells you what your answer must do differently. |
| 10. If you could fix one thing here, what would it be? | Makes them rank their problems. |
Impact
Learn what the problem costs, so both sides know if it is worth solving.
| Question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| 11. What happens if nothing changes in the next six months? | Tests whether there is any urgency at all. |
| 12. How does this affect your team's time each week? | Puts a measurable cost on the problem. |
| 13. Does it affect revenue, customers or risk anywhere? | Connects the problem to what leaders care about. |
| 14. Who else in the company feels this? | Finds wider pain and possible allies. |
| 15. How would you know it was solved? | Defines success in their terms. |
Decision process
Understand how a decision gets made, and by whom. The person who approves the money is the economic buyer, and they are often not on the first call.
| Question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| 16. Apart from you, who would be involved in a decision like this? | Maps the buying group early. |
| 17. Who signs off on the budget for something like this? | Finds the person who approves the money. |
| 18. How have you bought something similar before? | Shows the real process, not the theoretical one. |
| 19. What would they need to see to say yes? | Tells you what proof to prepare. |
| 20. Is there anything that would stop this going ahead? | Brings hidden blockers out early. |
Timing
Find out when, and why then.
| Question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| 21. Is there a date by which this needs to be in place? | A real deadline is the best sign of a real project. |
| 22. What is driving that timing? | Separates a real deadline from a wish. |
| 23. What else is competing for the team's time right now? | Shows what could push this down the list. |
| 24. If we agreed this was a fit, what would the next steps look like on your side? | Gets them describing the path to a yes. |
Budget
Understand whether money exists, without opening with it.
| Question | Why ask it |
|---|---|
| 25. Is there budget set aside for this, or would it need to be found? | Tells you if the deal needs a business case. |
| 26. How do you usually weigh cost against the problem it solves? | Shows how they think about value. |
| 27. When does your budget for next year get set? | Tells you when to have the conversation if not now. |
| 28. Have you seen what solutions like this tend to cost? | Avoids a shock later, in either direction. |
04
What not to ask
Anything you could have looked up. "What does your company do?" tells them you did not prepare.
Leading questions. "Wouldn't it be great if…" pushes them to agree, and teaches you nothing.
Budget first. Asking about money before you understand the problem makes the call about price.
Several questions at once. They answer the easiest one. Ask one, then listen.
Generic questions. "What keeps you up at night?" gets a generic answer.
05
How to close the call with a next step
With five minutes left, summarise what you heard in two or three sentences and ask if you got it right. Then propose a specific next step: a deeper session, a short proposal, or a call with the people who decide. Agree the date and who will join before you hang up, and send a short recap the same day. These sales email templates include a recap you can copy.
If it is not a fit, say so. An honest no saves both sides time and is often remembered when the timing changes.
06
Copy the question list
Copy it into your notes before the call, and tick the ones you covered.
Discovery call questions
DISCOVERY CALL QUESTIONS SITUATION [ ] Can you walk me through how you handle [area] today? [ ] Who is involved in that day to day? [ ] What tools or systems do you use for it? [ ] What has changed in the business over the last year? [ ] How does this area fit into the team's goals this year? PROBLEM [ ] What is the hardest part of [area] right now? [ ] When did that start to become a problem? [ ] What have you tried so far? [ ] Why did that not work? [ ] If you could fix one thing here, what would it be? IMPACT [ ] What happens if nothing changes in the next six months? [ ] How does this affect your team's time each week? [ ] Does it affect revenue, customers or risk anywhere? [ ] Who else in the company feels this? [ ] How would you know it was solved? DECISION PROCESS [ ] Apart from you, who would be involved in a decision like this? [ ] Who signs off on the budget for something like this? [ ] How have you bought something similar before? [ ] What would they need to see to say yes? [ ] Is there anything that would stop this going ahead? TIMING [ ] Is there a date by which this needs to be in place? [ ] What is driving that timing? [ ] What else is competing for the team's time right now? [ ] If we agreed this was a fit, what would the next steps look like on your side? BUDGET [ ] Is there budget set aside for this, or would it need to be found? [ ] How do you usually weigh cost against the problem it solves? [ ] When does your budget for next year get set? [ ] Have you seen what solutions like this tend to cost?
07
Common discovery call mistakes
Talking more than listening. Aim for them to speak most of the time.
Reading the list in order. Follow the conversation; the best question is usually a follow up.
Not finding who decides. A great call with someone who cannot buy goes nowhere.
Ending without a date. "Let's stay in touch" is not a next step.
No recap. A short written summary the same day keeps both sides aligned.
08
The discovery call checklist
Before and after the call
- You researched the company and know why you asked to talk.
- You agreed the time and the plan at the start.
- You understood the situation, the problem and what it costs.
- You know who decides and how they buy.
- You know the timing and whether budget exists.
- You agreed a dated next step with the right people.
- You sent a short recap the same day.
09
Where to go next
To get the call in the first place, see these B2B cold calling scripts, and for the system that fills your calendar, read outbound lead generation, explained.