Opening & Rapport (3-5 min)
Build trust and set expectations
- Thanks for taking the time to meet today
- I'd love to learn more about your business and challenges
- To make sure we cover what's important, mind if I ask a few questions?
- How long have you been with [Company]?
Pain Point Discovery (10-15 min)
Uncover challenges and their impact
- What prompted you to look for a solution now?
- Walk me through your current process for [specific area]
- What's the biggest challenge with [current process]?
- What happens if this doesn't get solved?
- Who else is affected by this challenge?
- What have you tried so far? What worked/didn't work?
Impact & Quantification (5-10 min)
Understand the business impact
- How much time is wasted on [inefficient process]?
- What's the financial impact of this challenge?
- If you could wave a magic wand, what would success look like?
- What would it mean to your team/organization if this was solved?
Decision Making & Timeline (5 min)
Understand buying process and urgency
- Who else needs to be involved in this decision?
- What's your timeline for implementing a solution?
- What's the budget range you're working with?
- What criteria will you use to evaluate options?
Qualification Check (Internal)
BANT or similar framework
- Budget: Can they afford our solution?
- Authority: Are they the decision maker or influencer?
- Need: Is the pain urgent enough to act?
- Timeline: Is there urgency to implement?
Next Steps & Close (3-5 min)
Advance to next stage
- Summary: Based on our conversation, [key challenge]
- Our solution helps by [value proposition]
- Would a demo of [specific feature] be valuable to see?
- Who should be included in the demo?
- When works best for a follow-up? [Specific date/time]
Discovery Tips
Listen 80%, Talk 20%
The best discovery calls are driven by prospect answers, not your pitch.
Ask Why 5 Times
Dig beneath surface answers to find root causes and real pain.
Don't Pitch Too Early
Resist the urge to sell until you truly understand their needs.
Qualify Out
It's okay to disqualify. Better to know now than waste time on bad fits.