Discovery Call Framework: How to Run Sales Discovery That Converts

Purpose of Discovery

Here’s the truth about discovery calls: they’re not about you, your product, or your company. They’re about one thing—determining if this deal is real and worth pursuing.

I’ve watched countless sales reps treat discovery like a checkbox exercise. They ask a few surface-level questions, jump into their pitch, and wonder why deals stall in the pipeline. The best reps approach discovery differently. They see it as investigative journalism—digging into the prospect’s world to understand what’s actually happening.

What you’re actually trying to accomplish:

First, you need to understand their situation. Not just what they do, but how they do it, who’s involved, and what their current process looks like. Second, identify the pain and its impact. A problem without measurable consequences isn’t a problem worth solving. Third, assess whether there’s a real fit and if this opportunity qualifies for your time. Fourth, build relationship and trust—people buy from people they believe understand them. Finally, establish clear next steps that move the deal forward.

What discovery is NOT:

This isn’t your opportunity to pitch your product or demo every feature. It’s not the time to close the deal or talk about yourself and your company’s awards. Save that for later. Discovery is about them, period.

How to Structure a Discovery Call

Let me walk you through what a typical 30-minute discovery call should look like. The best reps spend just 2 minutes on rapport and introduction—about 5% of the call. Another 2 minutes goes to setting the agenda and getting permission to proceed. The bulk of the call, about 18 minutes or 60%, is dedicated to asking discovery questions and actually listening. You’ll spend roughly 6 minutes sharing how you can help based on what you’ve learned. Finally, the last 2 minutes are reserved for establishing next steps.

This time allocation matters because it prevents the most common mistake: talking too much about yourself before you understand them.

Building Rapport Without Wasting Time

You’ve got maybe 2 minutes here. Don’t spend 10 minutes talking about the weather or their weekend. Instead, reference something specific you noticed about their company or industry. Maybe they just announced a new product launch, or you saw something interesting on their LinkedIn. Ask a genuine question about it.

Here’s what this might sound like: “Thanks for making time today. I saw you recently expanded into the healthcare vertical—how’s that transition going?” That’s it. You’ve shown you did your homework, expressed genuine interest, and you’re ready to move forward.

Setting the Agenda and Getting Permission

This 2-minute phase is criminally underused. Most reps just dive into questions. The pros set clear expectations and get buy-in first.

Try something like this: “Here’s what I was thinking for our time together. First, I’d love to learn more about your current lead generation process and what’s prompting you to explore new options. Then I can share a bit about how we’ve helped similar SaaS companies, and we can decide together if it makes sense to continue the conversation. Sound good? Anything you’d like to add?”

Notice what just happened. You showed respect for their time, gave them control, and set a collaborative tone. They’re much more likely to open up now.

The Discovery Questions Phase

This is where deals are won or lost. You’ve got 18 minutes to understand their world. Don’t waste it.

Start with understanding their current state. How are they handling this problem today? What does their process look like? What tools are they using, and how long have they been doing it this way? These questions establish baseline understanding.

Then move to the problem. What’s actually prompting them to look at solutions now? What have they tried before, and why didn’t it work? Where does their current process break down? The key here is to let them tell you what’s not working rather than assuming you know.

But here’s where most reps stop—and where you need to dig deeper. Ask about impact. What happens if this doesn’t get solved? How is this affecting their revenue, their team, their growth goals? What’s this costing them today in real terms? And flip it—what would solving this be worth to them?

Finally, explore their future state. What does success actually look like for them? If they could wave a magic wand, what would change? What are their goals for the next quarter or year?

Let me give you a real example. I was on a call with a VP of Sales who said they had a “lead follow-up problem.” Surface-level question would be: “How many leads are you missing?” Better question: “Walk me through what happens when a lead comes in. Who gets it? What do they do? Where does it fall apart?” She explained that leads sit for 2-3 days before anyone reaches out. Impact question: “What’s happening to those leads in those 2-3 days?” Turns out, competitors were reaching them first, and they were losing about 40% of opportunities. That’s quantifiable impact. That’s a real problem.

Sharing What You’ve Learned

Only after you truly understand their situation should you share how you can help. And even then, keep it brief—about 6 minutes.

Connect directly to what they told you. “Based on what you’ve shared about leads sitting untouched for days and losing deals to faster competitors, here’s how we typically help companies in your situation…” Then provide a brief overview of your approach, not a full demo. Focus on outcomes they care about, not features you’re proud of.

Always check for alignment: “Does that align with what you’re looking for?” This isn’t rhetorical. Listen to their answer.

Always Leave With Next Steps

The last 2 minutes determine whether this deal moves forward or dies in your pipeline.

If there’s a fit, be specific: “Based on our conversation, it seems like there’s a potential fit here. Here’s what I’d suggest for next steps: Let’s schedule a 30-minute demo next Tuesday where I can show you exactly how our response automation works with your CRM. I’ll include Sarah from our solutions team since you mentioned technical integration was important. Does Tuesday at 2pm work for you?”

If there’s not a fit, be honest: “Based on what you’ve shared, I’m not sure we’re the best solution for your situation. You mentioned you need industry-specific compliance features that we don’t currently offer. What I’d suggest is checking out [alternative solution]. Would that be helpful?”

Disqualifying might feel wrong, but it builds trust and often generates referrals down the line.

Essential Discovery Questions

Let’s talk about the questions that actually matter. I’m a fan of the SPIN framework because it naturally leads prospects to realize the value of solving their problem.

Situation questions establish context. “What’s your current process? How many people are involved? What tools do you use?” Keep these brief—you’re gathering facts, not writing their biography.

Problem questions uncover challenges. “What challenges are you facing? Where does the process break down? What’s not working?” Let them vent. This is therapeutic for them and informative for you.

Implication questions explore consequences. “What happens when that occurs? How does that affect your team? What’s the cost of not solving this?” This is where you help them see the real impact of their problem.

Need-payoff questions paint the future. “If you could solve this, what would that mean for your business? How would that impact your revenue goals? What would you be able to do differently?” Now they’re selling themselves on the value of a solution.

Qualification Frameworks That Work

You also need to qualify whether this deal is real. BANT is a classic for a reason:

Budget: Is there budget allocated for this? If not, can they find it? Authority: Who else is involved in this decision? Who has final sign-off? Need: What problem are you trying to solve? Is it urgent? Timeline: When are you looking to make a decision? What’s driving that timeline?

For complex B2B sales, MEDDIC goes deeper:

Questions That Cut Through

Some questions are just better than others. Here are the ones I use constantly:

For problem exploration: “What’s prompting you to look at this now?” This reveals the trigger event. “What have you tried before?” tells you what didn’t work and why. “What would happen if you did nothing?” uncovers whether this is urgent or just interesting.

For understanding the decision process: “Walk me through how you typically make decisions like this.” This reveals their buying process before you’re stuck in it. “Who else will be involved?” identifies stakeholders early. “What criteria matter most?” tells you how they’ll evaluate you.

For establishing value: “What would solving this be worth?” gets them quantifying impact. “How does this rank against other priorities?” tells you if they’ll actually allocate resources. “What ROI would make this a no-brainer?” sets expectations for your proposal.

The Art of Actually Listening

Here’s a hard truth: if you’re talking more than 30% of the time on a discovery call, you’re doing it wrong. Aim for them talking 70% and you talking 30%.

Getting to that ratio requires discipline. Ask open-ended questions that can’t be answered with yes or no. Don’t interrupt when they’re talking—let them finish completely. Use silence strategically—after they answer, wait 3-5 seconds before responding. Often, they’ll continue and share something even more valuable.

Active listening isn’t passive. Paraphrase what you heard: “So what I’m hearing is that your main challenge is response time, and it’s costing you about 40% of opportunities. Did I get that right?” Clarify when you’re unsure: “When you say ‘qualified leads,’ do you mean leads that match your ICP, or leads that have expressed buying intent?” Summarize periodically: “Let me make sure I have this right—you’re losing deals to faster competitors, your team is overwhelmed, and you need a solution that works with Salesforce. What am I missing?”

Knowing When to Qualify and Disqualify

Not every opportunity is worth pursuing. The best reps know when to lean in and when to walk away.

Qualify in when you see:

Clear pain that you actually solve. Not just any pain—pain that matches your solution. Quantifiable impact they can measure. A timeline that aligns with your sales cycle. Budget that exists or can be found through business case justification. Access to authority or a clear path to decision-makers. A champion who’s engaged and will advocate internally.

Disqualify when you see:

No real pain or problem—they’re just “exploring options.” They can’t articulate what impact this problem has on their business. No authority and no way to access decision-makers. Timeline is impossible—either too rushed or indefinitely “someday.” Budget is fundamentally misaligned—not just “no budget” but needs something at a price point you can’t serve. They need something you simply don’t offer—resist the temptation to sell them something that’s not a fit.

When you disqualify, be direct but kind: “I appreciate you sharing all of this. Based on what you’ve told me, I’m not sure we’re the best fit because you need industry-specific features we don’t offer. What I’d suggest instead is checking out [alternative]. Does that make sense?”

Disqualifying saves everyone time, builds trust because you’re being honest, keeps your pipeline clean and focused, and often generates referrals when they appreciate your honesty.

Preparing for Discovery Success

Great discovery doesn’t happen by accident. Before the call, research their company website and recent news. Look at the prospect’s LinkedIn profile to understand their background. Review any previous interactions in your CRM. Think about similar customers you’ve worked with for reference points.

Prepare 5-7 key questions specific to their situation. Develop a hypothesis about their pain based on your research. Have a relevant case study or example ready. Know what next step options make sense.

During the call, have your note-taking system open and ready. Keep your key questions list visible but don’t just read from it robotically. Have your calendar accessible for scheduling next steps. Keep any relevant materials handy if you need to reference them.

After the call—and this is critical—immediately write detailed notes in your CRM while everything is fresh. Send a follow-up email summarizing what you discussed and next steps. Schedule the next meeting right away, don’t wait. Update the opportunity stage and add to forecast if qualified.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

The biggest mistake is pitching too early. You jump to your solution before understanding their problem. Fix this by asking questions first and sharing solutions only after you understand.

Talking too much is a close second. If you’re talking 50% or more of the time, you’re learning half as much as you could. Aim for 30% or less.

Surface-level questions kill discovery. You accept the first answer and never dig deeper. Ask “why” and “tell me more about that” at least once for every important point.

Many reps fail to actually qualify. Every meeting becomes an opportunity in their mind, even when it’s clearly not a fit. Use qualification criteria consistently and disqualify clearly when needed.

Finally, ending without clear next steps is deadly. “I’ll follow up next week” is not a next step. “I’ll send you a calendar invite for Tuesday at 2pm for a 30-minute demo with your VP and our solutions engineer” is a next step.

Key Takeaways

Discovery is the foundation of everything that comes after. Get it right, and the rest of your sales process flows naturally. Get it wrong, and you’ll struggle through demos, proposals, and negotiations with prospects who aren’t qualified or don’t understand the value.

Remember: Discovery is about understanding their world, not showcasing yours. Listen 70% of the time and talk 30%. Ask about the impact of their problems, not just what the problems are. Have the confidence to qualify or disqualify based on real criteria. Always end with specific, scheduled next steps.

Great discovery doesn’t just make everything else easier—it makes deals close faster, at higher values, with less friction. Master this, and you’ve mastered the most important skill in B2B sales.

Need Help With Sales Discovery?

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