A discovery call is the first opportunity for sales representatives to dive head-first into a prospect’s business. And it’s the moment to get a feel for whether a sale is in the cards or not.
These calls aren’t about going over a sales pitch or closing deals — all that happens after a successful discovery call. Instead, it’s a chance to ask thoughtful questions that build rapport and trust, reveal pain points, and assure clients they're not simply numbers on your monthly quota.
The best sales discovery questions are a balancing act. They’re probing without being pushy and direct without crossing boundaries. Not sure how to build out your list of questions to ask? Here are 35 to get you started.
A sales discovery call is the initial conversation where a salesperson learns about the needs, challenges, and goals of a prospective client. The primary goal is to build rapport and trust while gauging whether the product or service being sold aligns with the prospect’s needs.
Before initiating the call, the sales rep typically conducts thorough research on the prospect. This part of the process might include reviewing publicly available details (like on a company website or LinkedIn) and using customer relationship management (CRM) systems and databases to narrow down the prospects most likely to engage.
During the call, the salesperson builds on this preparation by asking targeted, open-ended questions. The best questions uncover the prospect’s specific pain points, priorities, and decision-making process. For example, a deep dive into their current challenges might offer a natural transition to their ideal outcomes.
A successful discovery call sets the tone for the rest of the B2B sales process. Building a bridge rather than pushing a sales pitch leads to better proposals, sales demos, or follow-up conversations, getting you closer to closing deals.
Design a discovery call checklist that balances a conversational tone with questions that cut straight to the point. To help you build momentum, here are 35 sales discovery question examples to consider. Remember, you don’t have to ask them all. Curate a list of favorites that work for both your product and your potential clients.
Your job is to solve problems. Accomplishing that means you need an intimate understanding of your prospect’s current pain points.
After discussing the biggest challenges, focus on open-ended questions that reveal the light at the end of the tunnel.
Neither you nor the client can tackle everything at once. These discovery call questions help build a list of priorities.
Ask questions that identify stakeholders and help establish where the prospect is in the sales process.
Reaching a solution should be smooth sailing. One way to keep the waters clear is to plan for every possible pain point and challenge.
One way for a sales rep to understand if a partnership is promising is simply to ask. Here are questions to ask prospects to determine if they're buyers.
During a discovery call, you don’t close a deal. But you can build momentum toward a successful sale. Here are questions to ask that will keep the conversation moving.
A successful call depends on more than a comprehensive list of discovery meeting questions. From researching prospects to scratching closed-ended questions from your list, here are six essential tips for a successful chat:
A cold call doesn’t have to mean going in with zero information about your prospect. Successful sales reps know that preparation is key — even if you can only find the bare basics. Discovery calls help you uncover a prospective client’s business model, pain points, and new developments, but preparation leads to a more engaging conversation.
Don’t overwhelm your buyer. Ask open-ended questions and creative queries that target your discovery goals and encourage thoughtful responses. This uncovers deep insights while keeping the conversation engaging.
Closed-ended questions are a surefire way to steer the conversation nowhere. Successful salespeople avoid simple “yes” and “no” questions, which dull the conversation and don’t encourage in-depth answers.
Good sales reps don’t just know how to deliver a convincing sales pitch to a prospect. They understand the value of listening. Ask questions, then pay attention to how a prospect responds through body language, voice tone, and eye contact. For video or phone calls, listen for moments of hesitation or changes in pace to see what you can learn about their feelings as they answer. This helps you gauge your prospect’s interest and pivot accordingly.
The sales discovery call isn’t the time to deliver a sales pitch or product demo. This is your moment to build rapport. Think of your prospect as a possible partner rather than a buyer. Avoid hard-sell strategies and focus on identifying solutions.
At the end of a discovery call, recap the pain points and solutions and outline clear action items for next steps and timelines. With Otter.ai, you can automatically summarize, create action items, and even measure sentiment — highlighting key takeaways so you can focus on keeping the conversation moving.
Stay focused on building rapport and uncovering insights by letting Otter handle the notetaking. Spending less time jotting down details and more time asking thoughtful follow-up questions demonstrates genuine interest and professionalism.
Let Otter worry about capturing every word seamlessly and automating next steps. You keep your eyes on the prize: closing deals.
A discovery call is the first opportunity for sales representatives to dive head-first into a prospect’s business. And it’s the moment to get a feel for whether a sale is in the cards or not.
These calls aren’t about going over a sales pitch or closing deals — all that happens after a successful discovery call. Instead, it’s a chance to ask thoughtful questions that build rapport and trust, reveal pain points, and assure clients they're not simply numbers on your monthly quota.
The best sales discovery questions are a balancing act. They’re probing without being pushy and direct without crossing boundaries. Not sure how to build out your list of questions to ask? Here are 35 to get you started.
A sales discovery call is the initial conversation where a salesperson learns about the needs, challenges, and goals of a prospective client. The primary goal is to build rapport and trust while gauging whether the product or service being sold aligns with the prospect’s needs.
Before initiating the call, the sales rep typically conducts thorough research on the prospect. This part of the process might include reviewing publicly available details (like on a company website or LinkedIn) and using customer relationship management (CRM) systems and databases to narrow down the prospects most likely to engage.
During the call, the salesperson builds on this preparation by asking targeted, open-ended questions. The best questions uncover the prospect’s specific pain points, priorities, and decision-making process. For example, a deep dive into their current challenges might offer a natural transition to their ideal outcomes.
A successful discovery call sets the tone for the rest of the B2B sales process. Building a bridge rather than pushing a sales pitch leads to better proposals, sales demos, or follow-up conversations, getting you closer to closing deals.
Design a discovery call checklist that balances a conversational tone with questions that cut straight to the point. To help you build momentum, here are 35 sales discovery question examples to consider. Remember, you don’t have to ask them all. Curate a list of favorites that work for both your product and your potential clients.
Your job is to solve problems. Accomplishing that means you need an intimate understanding of your prospect’s current pain points.
After discussing the biggest challenges, focus on open-ended questions that reveal the light at the end of the tunnel.
Neither you nor the client can tackle everything at once. These discovery call questions help build a list of priorities.
Ask questions that identify stakeholders and help establish where the prospect is in the sales process.
Reaching a solution should be smooth sailing. One way to keep the waters clear is to plan for every possible pain point and challenge.
One way for a sales rep to understand if a partnership is promising is simply to ask. Here are questions to ask prospects to determine if they're buyers.
During a discovery call, you don’t close a deal. But you can build momentum toward a successful sale. Here are questions to ask that will keep the conversation moving.
A successful call depends on more than a comprehensive list of discovery meeting questions. From researching prospects to scratching closed-ended questions from your list, here are six essential tips for a successful chat:
A cold call doesn’t have to mean going in with zero information about your prospect. Successful sales reps know that preparation is key — even if you can only find the bare basics. Discovery calls help you uncover a prospective client’s business model, pain points, and new developments, but preparation leads to a more engaging conversation.
Don’t overwhelm your buyer. Ask open-ended questions and creative queries that target your discovery goals and encourage thoughtful responses. This uncovers deep insights while keeping the conversation engaging.
Closed-ended questions are a surefire way to steer the conversation nowhere. Successful salespeople avoid simple “yes” and “no” questions, which dull the conversation and don’t encourage in-depth answers.
Good sales reps don’t just know how to deliver a convincing sales pitch to a prospect. They understand the value of listening. Ask questions, then pay attention to how a prospect responds through body language, voice tone, and eye contact. For video or phone calls, listen for moments of hesitation or changes in pace to see what you can learn about their feelings as they answer. This helps you gauge your prospect’s interest and pivot accordingly.
The sales discovery call isn’t the time to deliver a sales pitch or product demo. This is your moment to build rapport. Think of your prospect as a possible partner rather than a buyer. Avoid hard-sell strategies and focus on identifying solutions.
At the end of a discovery call, recap the pain points and solutions and outline clear action items for next steps and timelines. With Otter.ai, you can automatically summarize, create action items, and even measure sentiment — highlighting key takeaways so you can focus on keeping the conversation moving.
Stay focused on building rapport and uncovering insights by letting Otter handle the notetaking. Spending less time jotting down details and more time asking thoughtful follow-up questions demonstrates genuine interest and professionalism.
Let Otter worry about capturing every word seamlessly and automating next steps. You keep your eyes on the prize: closing deals.
