Key takeaways
- Research first, so the call is spent on what only the buyer knows.
- Open questions about the buyer's own situation reveal more than yes or no ones.
- Each role in the buying group needs slightly different questions.
- Asking what is on their website wastes the buyer's time and your credibility.
What makes good sales discovery questions
Good sales discovery questions are open, specific to the buyer's situation and about one thing at a time. Asking how approvals work today and where they slow down beats asking whether approvals are a problem, because the answer shows how real the problem is.
They also follow the buyer. A prepared list is a safety net; the best questions on the call are often the follow-ups to something the buyer just said.
Which questions to ask prospects after research
After research, ask prospects about the things no website shows: their process, its cost, the people involved and their timing. The examples below are illustrative starting points.
- Walk me through how this works today, from start to finish.
- Where does it break, and what happens when it does?
- What has it cost you in the last few months, in time or money?
- Who else feels this problem, and who would decide on a fix?
- What would need to be true for you to change this quarter?
How do you write a discovery question list for each buyer persona
Write a discovery question list for each buyer persona by changing the questions about cost and success, since each role measures them differently. A finance lead talks about accuracy and spend, an operations lead about delays and workarounds, and the daily user about effort.
Keep the questions about process and people the same across roles. Comparing their answers is how you find out whether the buying group agrees on the problem.
What should you not ask on a discovery call
Do not ask what a minute of research would answer, such as what the company does or how many people it employs. It tells the buyer you did not prepare.
Avoid leading questions that put words in the buyer's mouth, and save detailed budget questions until the problem and its cost are clear.
How to write discovery call questions, step by step
Prepare the day before the call, not in the minutes before it.
- Research the company and the person, and write down what you already know.
- List what you still need to learn about the problem, its cost, the people involved and the timing.
- Turn each gap into one open question about the buyer's own situation.
- Adjust the questions for the buyer persona you are meeting, since each role measures success differently.
- After the call, note which questions opened the conversation up and refine the list.
Where Pebbles Ai fits
- CapabilityResearch & analysisAsk an assistant to research the company from its public pages before the call; findings come with inline numbered citations, so you know what is already answered.
- CapabilityProspecting & customer recordsKeep the questions you asked and the answers you heard as notes on the contact or deal in the CRM, in Beta, ready for the next call.
Common questions
How many discovery questions should you prepare?
Prepare more than you will use and expect to ask a handful. Follow the buyer's answers rather than working through the list.
Should you send discovery questions in advance?
Sending two or three themes ahead can help a busy buyer prepare. Keep the full list for yourself.
Can AI write discovery questions?
It can draft them from the research and the buyer persona you describe. You still choose which ones suit the person you are meeting.
About this page. Written by the Pebbles Ai team for people who run sales, marketing and growth. Last updated .
