Handbook
/
Sales
Running Effective Discovery Calls
Discovery is where deals are won or lost. Here's how to run discovery calls that set up successful sales.
Discovery is the most important part of the sales process. It’s where you understand if there’s a real fit and uncover the information you need to close the deal. Skip it or do it poorly, and everything else falls apart.
Here’s how to run discovery calls that actually work.
Why Discovery Matters
Information Is Power
Without discovery, you’re guessing:
•
What problem they actually have
•
How important it is to solve
•
Who’s involved in the decision
•
What they’re comparing you to
•
Why they’d choose you
With discovery, you know exactly what to say and do.
Qualifying Saves Time
Not every prospect is a customer.
Discovery reveals:
•
Do they have the problem you solve?
•
Is it important enough to act?
•
Do they have budget?
•
Can they make a decision?
Better to learn this in 30 minutes than after weeks of demos.
It Builds Trust
Good discovery feels like a conversation, not an interrogation.
When done well:
•
Prospect feels understood
•
You appear consultative, not salesy
•
Relationship foundation is built
Preparing for Discovery
Research the Company
Before the call, know:
•
What they do (product, market, size)
•
Recent news or changes
•
Their likely challenges
•
How they might use your product
10 minutes of research prevents embarrassing questions.
Research the Person
Know who you’re talking to:
•
Their role and likely responsibilities
•
How long they’ve been there
•
Shared connections or background
•
Their perspective/interests
LinkedIn is usually enough.
Have a Framework, Not a Script
Know what you need to learn:
•
Current situation
•
Problems and pain
•
Desired future state
•
Decision process
•
Timeline and urgency
But don’t read from a script. Have a conversation.
The Discovery Framework
Opening (2-3 minutes)
Set the agenda and build rapport.
Example:
“Thanks for making time. I know you reached out about [topic]. I’d love to spend the first part of the call understanding your situation, then discuss how we might be able to help, and leave time for your questions. Does that work?”
Situation (5-10 minutes)
Understand their current state.
Questions:
•
“Tell me about how you handle [area] today.”
•
“What’s your current process for [task]?”
•
“Who’s involved in [function]?”
•
“What tools are you using now?”
Goal: Understand the landscape.
Problem (10-15 minutes)
Dig into the pain.
Questions:
•
“What’s not working about the current approach?”
•
“How is that affecting you/the team/the business?”
•
“What happens when [problem] occurs?”
•
“How have you tried to solve this before?”
Go deeper:
•
“Tell me more about that.”
•
“What does that look like in practice?”
•
“How often does that happen?”
•
“What’s the impact when it does?”
Goal: Understand the problem and its implications.
Desired Future (5 minutes)
Understand their vision of success.
Questions:
•
“What would it look like if this were solved?”
•
“How would you measure success?”
•
“What would change for your team?”
Goal: Know what outcome they want.
Decision Process (5-10 minutes)
Understand how they’ll decide.
Questions:
•
“Who else is involved in this decision?”
•
“Have you evaluated other solutions?”
•
“What’s your timeline for making a decision?”
•
“Is there budget allocated for this?”
•
“What would need to be true for you to move forward?”
Goal: Know how to navigate the sale.
Close the Call (5 minutes)
Summarize and set next steps.
Example:
“So if I understand correctly, you’re dealing with [problem], which is causing [impact]. You’d like to [outcome] and need to make a decision by [timeline]. The next step would be [next step]. Does that sound right?”
Always end with a clear next step.
Essential Discovery Questions
Situation Questions
•
“Walk me through how you handle [area] today.”
•
“How did you end up with your current approach?”
•
“What’s your role in this process?”
•
“How big is the team that deals with this?”
Problem Questions
•
“What’s the biggest challenge you face with [area]?”
•
“What’s frustrating about how things work today?”
•
“What have you tried that didn’t work?”
•
“How long has this been a problem?”
Implication Questions
•
“What happens when [problem] occurs?”
•
“How does that affect [other area/metric]?”
•
“What’s the cost of not fixing this?”
•
“How does this impact your team/customers/business?”
Need-Payoff Questions
•
“If you could solve this, what would change?”
•
“How important is this compared to other priorities?”
•
“What would success look like?”
•
“What are you hoping to accomplish?”
Process Questions
•
“Who else needs to be involved in this decision?”
•
“What’s your process for evaluating solutions?”
•
“Is there budget available for this?”
•
“What’s your timeline?”
•
“What would make you decide not to do anything?”
Listening Skills
The 60/40 Rule
Talk less than 40% of the time. Listen more than 60%.
Your goal is to understand them, not to pitch.
Active Listening
Show you’re engaged:
•
“Mm-hmm, go on…”
•
“Interesting, tell me more about that.”
•
“I see. And then what happens?”
Silence Is Powerful
After they answer, wait a beat.
People often fill silence with more (and better) information.
Take Notes
Write down key points:
•
Specific problems mentioned
•
Impact they described
•
Decision criteria
•
People involved
•
Quotes (in their words)
Notes inform everything that follows.
Qualifying During Discovery
BANT Framework
Budget: Do they have money to spend?
Authority: Can they make the decision?
Need: Do they have a real problem you solve?
Timeline: Is there urgency to act?
At least 3 of 4 should be present.
MEDDIC Framework (for larger deals)
Metrics: How will they measure success?
Economic Buyer: Who controls the budget?
Decision Criteria: What are they evaluating against?
Decision Process: How will they decide?
Identify Pain: What’s the real problem?
Champion: Who’s your internal advocate?
Knowing When to Disqualify
Sometimes the answer is “not a fit.”
Disqualify when:
•
They don’t have the problem you solve
•
No budget or budget is completely misaligned
•
No timeline (not a priority)
•
They’re a bad fit for your product
•
Red flags about working together
It’s okay to say: “Based on what you’ve shared, I’m not sure we’re the best fit. Let me suggest some alternatives…”
Common Discovery Mistakes
Pitching Too Early
Jumping to demo mode before understanding their situation.
Fix: Complete discovery before presenting solutions.
Asking Closed Questions
Questions that get yes/no answers.
Fix: Ask open questions that require explanation.
Not Going Deep Enough
Accepting surface answers without probing.
Fix: Ask “Why?” and “Tell me more about that.”
Talking Too Much
Dominating the conversation.
Fix: Ask a question, then shut up.
Not Uncovering Decision Process
Having great discovery but no idea how they’ll decide.
Fix: Always ask about process, people, timeline.
Skipping Budget
Afraid to ask about money.
Fix: Ask directly. “Is there budget for this?”
After Discovery
Summarize What You Learned
Before the next call, document:
•
Problem and pain
•
Impact and importance
•
Decision process
•
Stakeholders
•
Timeline
•
Competitive situation
Plan the Next Step
Based on discovery:
•
What do they need to see?
•
Who else needs to be involved?
•
What objections need addressing?
•
What’s the path to decision?
Prepare Your Demo/Proposal
Use discovery insights:
•
Focus on their specific problems
•
Speak to their outcomes
•
Address their concerns
•
Match their decision criteria
Key Takeaways
•
Discovery is where deals are won or lost—never skip or rush it
•
Listen 60%, talk 40%—your goal is to understand, not pitch
•
Use a framework (situation, problem, impact, decision) but not a script
•
Dig deep on problems: “Why? Tell me more. What’s the impact?”
•
Always uncover the decision process: who, how, when, budget
•
Qualify ruthlessly: BANT or MEDDIC to determine fit
•
It’s okay to disqualify: wrong customers waste everyone’s time
•
Take detailed notes: they inform everything that follows
•
Summarize back to them: confirms understanding and builds trust
•
Always end with a clear next step
AIMake has access to all of this
Our AI has access to the entire Startup Handbook. Ask it anything about building your startup.
Get started →
← Previous
Demos That Convert
Next →
Finding Your First 10 Customers