It’s no secret that discovery calls are a cornerstone of the sales process, but they’re often underutilized. Many sales teams rush to pitch their product or service, missing the golden opportunity to truly understand their prospects’ needs and challenges. This can lead to missed connections, lost opportunities, and, ultimately, a less-than-stellar close rate.
Research indicates that for a majority of businesses, the conversion rate from discovery calls to actual sales falls within the 10% to 30% range. However, a select group of top performers manages to exceed this benchmark—achieving a conversion rate of over 30%. What sets these high achievers apart? It often comes down to their ability to actively listen to their prospects during those crucial initial conversations and ask the right questions.
A discovery call is your chance to establish a strong rapport, uncover pain points, and position your solution as the answer to your prospect’s problems, so don’t let this opportunity slip through your fingers. In this guide, we’ll unveil the essential questions that can transform your discovery calls into powerful sales tools, helping you close more deals and build lasting customer relationships.
What is a discovery call, and why is it important?
In B2B sales, a discovery call is an initial conversation between a salesperson and their potential customer. It’s not a sales pitch, but rather a strategic dialogue designed to uncover key information about the prospect’s business, goals, and challenges.
The purpose of a discovery call is to:
- Build Rapport – Establishing a connection with the prospect, creating a comfortable, open environment for discussion.
- Understand Needs – Uncovering the prospect’s pain points, priorities, and desired outcomes to identify their biggest challenges—and how your product or service can help them overcome those obstacles.
- Qualify Prospects – Assessing whether the prospect is a good fit for your offering to see if their needs align with your solution, and if they’re ready to take the next step in the sales process.
Think of a discovery call as a two-way street. It’s about you asking questions to gather prospect information, but also about providing value to the prospect. You can position yourself as a trusted advisor and build a foundation for a fruitful relationship by actively listening, asking insightful questions, and offering relevant insights.
Ultimately, a well-executed discovery call can set the stage for a successful sales process by ensuring that both you and the prospect are on the same page and that the potential for a mutually beneficial partnership exists.
The Benefits of Discovery Calls
Discovery calls with prospects are more than just introductory conversations—they’re strategic lead generation tools that can significantly impact your bottom line. Here’s how:
Increased Closing Rates
When you truly understand your prospect’s pain points and challenges, you can modify your pitch to address their specific needs. This personalized approach demonstrates your expertise and builds trust, making it more likely that they’ll choose your solution.
Shortened Sales Cycles
Qualifying leads early in the process allows you to quickly identify those who are a good fit for your product or service. Then, you can focus your time and resources on prospects who are more likely to convert, ultimately shortening your sales cycle.
Stronger Client Relationships
Building rapport and trust during a discovery call sets the stage for a positive, long-lasting client relationship. It shows that you’re genuinely interested in their success and are committed to providing value beyond the initial sale.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
Taking the time to understand your customer’s unique needs and personalizing your solution accordingly is more likely to deliver a product or service that exceeds their expectations. This diligence leads to higher customer satisfaction and increased loyalty.
More Accurate Sales Forecasts
The insights gathered during discovery calls allow you to better assess the potential of each lead. This data can help you refine your sales pipeline, prioritize opportunities, and make more accurate sales forecasts.
14 Essential Discovery Call Questions
Asking the right questions during a discovery call is an art, not a science. It’s about steering the conversation to uncover valuable insights while building rapport and trust. Here are fourteen essential questions, organized by purpose, to help you master the art of discovery:
Warm Up the Prospect
Start your call by breaking the ice and building a connection with a friendly, open-ended question. Your first goal is to break the ice and build a connection. Start with a friendly, open-ended question that puts the prospect at ease.
1. “How have you been?”
This seemingly simple question can create a sense of familiarity and set a positive tone for the conversation because it demonstrates genuine interest and helps build rapport. While a discovery call isn’t a cold call per se, research has shown it improves success rates on cold calls by slightly over 10%—which means it’s definitely worth asking.
Pain Point Identification
Uncovering the prospect’s core challenges is the foundation of a successful sale. By understanding these pain points, you can tailor your pitch to address their specific needs.
2. “What are the top challenges you’re currently facing in [relevant area]?”
Opening the door to understanding their most pressing issues allows you to position your solution as the answer to their problems.
3. “Can you tell me more about how [specific problem] is impacting your business goals?”
This query digs deeper into the consequences of their challenges, helping you quantify the potential value your solution can bring.
4. “How is this issue affecting your team’s productivity or morale?”
Exploring the human impact of the problem creates a more personal connection and highlights the urgency of finding a solution.
Current Solutions and Dissatisfaction
Having the prospect reveal their current approach provides potential gaps and opportunities for your solution. By exploring what they’ve already tried (and what hasn’t worked), you can position your offering as a superior alternative.
5. “What steps have you taken to address [problem]?”
This question helps you understand their previous efforts and the limitations of their current solutions.
6. “What are the limitations of your current solution? What’s missing?”
Here, you can uncover additional pain points and find areas where your solution can provide more value.
7. “If you could wave a magic wand, how would you improve this process or outcome?”
Inviting the prospect to envision their ideal scenario gives you valuable insights into their desires and expectations for an alternative solution.
Goals and Aspirations
Aligning your solution with their goals demonstrates value and increases buy-in. When you can show how your product or service can help them grow and achieve their objectives, you create a compelling reason for them to choose you.
8. “What are your top priorities for [relevant area] in the coming months?”
This question helps you understand their immediate goals and how your solution can fit into their short-term plans.
9. “What would success look like for you in [relevant area]?”
Visualizing their desired outcomes helps you prepare your pitch accordingly.
10. “How does solving this problem fit into your company’s overall strategy?”
To better demonstrate the strategic value of your solution, ask this question that relates a specific challenge to their broader business goals.
Budget and Decision-Making
Qualifying prospects and understanding their budget and decision-making process are crucial for efficient sales. The information gleaned from these queries helps you tailor your pitch, avoid wasting time on unqualified leads, and boosts your chances of closing the deal.
11. “Have you allocated a budget for this type of solution?”
Gauge their financial commitment to help you understand if your solution aligns with their budget and a purchase is within reach.
12. “Who else is involved in the decision-making process?”
Identifying the key stakeholders allows you to customize communications and proposals to address their specific concerns.
13. “What’s your timeline for implementing a new solution?”
This question helps you assess their sense of urgency and align your sales process with their expectations.
14. “What are your expectations for ROI?”
Finally, uncovering your prospect’s desired return on investment allows you to showcase how your solution can deliver tangible value.
Make the Right Call with mvpGrow
Mastering the art of discovery calls is essential for any B2B startup or SaaS company aiming to grow. By incorporating these questions into your discovery calls, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your prospects’ needs and motivations, enabling you to personalize your approach and increase your chances of success. Remember, the most successful discovery calls prioritize understanding over pitching.
If you’re looking to refine your discovery call process and maximize its impact, consider partnering with a B2B growth agency like mvpGrow. We specialize in helping startups and SaaS companies optimize their inbound and outbound sales and marketing strategies, including discovery calls. Our global team of experts can guide you through every step, from crafting compelling questions to implementing effective follow-up strategies. If you’re ready to transform your discovery calls into a powerful growth tool, book a free consultation with mvpGrow to learn how we can help you achieve your sales goals.
The Founder & Chief Getting Sh%T Done Officer of mvpGrow. After about 8 years as a hired hand some of the largest (and smallest) B2B SaaS companies worldwide I decided to hang up my employee slippers and lace up my growth agency cleats. But just because I’m an agency doesn’t mean we can’t chat (no charge). Please email me on any topic and I will gladly reply: eyal@mvpgrow.com