35 sales discovery questions for B2B calls

35 questions in 8 areas, from the current situation to the next step: what each area should clarify, questions to adapt and what to leave out.

Discovery is the part of the conversation where the other person does the talking: how things work today, what isn’t working, what it costs and who decides. In B2B sales the call for it is often called a discovery call. The list is a pool, not a questionnaire. Replace whatever is in [brackets] with your own details.

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Current situation

How things work today, who is involved and what they use. The basis for everything that follows, but not the part to spend long on.

“How does [process] work for you today?”
“Who is involved, and who is responsible for it?”
“Which tools or service providers do you use for it?”
“How long have you been doing it this way?”
“What has changed about it recently?”

Better not: Questions whose answers are on their website or in your CRM. They cost the other person’s time and show that you didn’t prepare.

Problem

What isn’t working, how often, and how the other person notices. This is where you find out whether there is a need at all.

“What works well about it, and where does it get stuck?”
“When did that last happen?”
“How do you notice that it’s a problem?”
“What have you already tried to solve it?”
“Why wasn’t that enough?”

Better not: Leading questions like “I’m sure you have the problem that … too?” You get a polite yes, but no information.

Impact

What the problem costs and who else it affects besides the person on the call. That is what turns an annoyance into a reason to change something.

“What does it cost you today, in time, money or customers?”
“Who else does it affect besides you?”
“How does it affect [company goal]?”
“What happens if nothing changes in the next six months?”

Better not: Painting the consequences yourself (“That must be costing you thousands”). A number the other person names carries weight; one you work out for them gets doubted.

Goal

What it would look like if the problem were solved, and how the other person would measure success.

“What would it look like if this were solved?”
“What would change for your team?”
“How would you know in three months that it was worth it?”
“What matters most to you here?”
“What must not happen under any circumstances?”

Better not: Presenting your product as the answer straight away. Only once the goal is set in the other person’s words do you know which part of your offer to show.

Decision

Who else decides, how the decision is made and who has to be asked. For software that processes employee data, in Germany that often includes data protection, IT and the works council.

“Who besides you is involved in the decision?”
“How did you go about similar purchases?”
“Which criteria will tip the balance in the end?”
“Do data protection, IT or the works council need to be involved?”
“Who might have concerns, and what would they be?”

Better not: “Are you the decision-maker?” The question puts the person on the spot and rarely gets an honest answer. Ask about the process, not the role.

Timing and budget

By when something should happen, why then, and whether money has been set aside for it.

“By when should this be solved, and why then?”
“What has to happen before that?”
“Is there a budget for it, or would it still need to be requested?”
“What range do projects like this usually fall into for you?”

Better not: The budget question in the first minute. As long as nobody knows what the problem costs, any figure is too high.

Alternatives

What you are being compared with, including the option of changing nothing at all.

“Which other solutions are you looking at?”
“What do you like about them?”
“What would you do if you didn’t change anything?”

Better not: Talking competitors down. It comes across as insecure and reflects back on you. Ask instead what the other person likes about the alternative.

Summary and next step

Check that you understood correctly, and agree a meeting before the call ends.

“Have I understood this correctly: [summary in three sentences]?”
“Is anything important missing?”
“What else do you need to move forward?”
“Who should join the next meeting?”

Better not: “I’ll send you something.” Without a date, time and attendees, that is not a next step.

Questioning techniques: how to ask

Which question you ask is one half. The other half is how: asked open, the same question gets you a story; asked closed, a yes.

Open questions
Start with a question word such as how, what or why, and can’t be answered with yes or no.
“How do you handle it today when [situation]?”
The core of every discovery: they get the other person talking.
Follow-up questions
Pick up a word from the answer and go deeper.
“You said ‘time-consuming’. What exactly takes the time?”
When an answer stays general. The most important part often only comes after the second question on the same point.
Closed questions
Can be answered with yes or no.
“Has the budget for this been approved yet?”
To clarify a fact or confirm a statement. Several in a row feel like filling in a form.
Summary questions
Put what you heard into your own words and ask whether it’s right.
“Have I understood correctly that [point] is what bothers you most?”
At the end of each section. They show that you listened, and catch misunderstandings before they end up in your proposal.
Either-or questions
Offer two options to choose from.
“Does Tuesday or Thursday suit you better?”
For the meeting at the end. In the discovery itself they narrow things down too early.
Leading questions
Already suggest the answer.
“Surely you want to save time too?”
Best not at all. You get agreement but no information, and the other person sees what you’re doing.

Who talks in discovery?

The other person. There is no fixed ratio, but there is a simple test: if after the call you can’t write down the other person’s three most important problems in their own words, you talked too much or asked too few follow-up questions.

How much you actually talked, nobody knows exactly after the call. The recording does.

Frequently asked questions

What is discovery in sales?

The part of the sales conversation where you find out what the other side needs: how things work today, what isn’t working, what that costs, how the decision is made and by when. It is also called needs analysis, and the call dedicated to it a discovery call.

How many discovery questions should you ask?

As few as possible. The list here is a pool, not a questionnaire: pick one or two questions per area and dig deeper wherever the answer gets interesting. Ask all of them in a row and it becomes an interrogation.

What is the difference between discovery and a discovery call?

The discovery call is the conversation; discovery is what happens in it. A discovery call is almost entirely discovery; in a sales meeting it is one of several phases, between the opening and the proposal.

What does BANT stand for?

A framework for qualifying leads: Budget, Authority, Need and Timing. It covers four of the areas on this page. It helps as a checklist, not as an order for the conversation: start with the budget question and you rarely get to a conversation about the need.

Can I record a discovery call?

In Germany, only if everyone on the call consents. Recording what someone says in a non-public conversation without their consent is a criminal offence there under Section 201 of the German Criminal Code (StGB), and storing and analysing the recording is also subject to the GDPR. Ask at the start of the call and keep a record of the answer. Rules differ by country. Not legal advice.