Every successful sale starts with a conversation. Not a pitch. Not a demo. A genuine conversation where you learn what keeps your prospect up at night and whether you can actually help them.

And it’s called a discovery call.

If you’ve ever wondered why some sales reps consistently close deals while others struggle, the answer often lies in how well they conduct their discovery calls.

What Is a Discovery Call and Why Does It Matters?

A discovery call is the first meaningful conversation between a salesperson and a potential customer. It happens after initial contact has been made—whether through an inbound lead, a cold outreach response, or a referral—and before any formal proposal or demo.

The purpose isn’t to sell. It’s to discover.

During this call, you’re trying to understand what challenges the prospect is facing, what goals they’re trying to achieve, how they’ve tried to solve the problem before, what their decision-making process looks like, and whether your solution is genuinely a good fit.

Think of sales discovery calls as the foundation of your entire sales process. And the hard truth is that most lost deals aren’t lost at the close. They’re lost at discovery.

A thorough discovery call does several things:

  • Builds trust — When you ask thoughtful questions and genuinely listen, prospects feel understood.
  • Qualifies opportunities — You learn whether this prospect is worth pursuing.
  • Shapes your sales pitch — Everything you present later connects directly to what they told you.
  • Differentiates you — Most competitors are too busy talking about themselves to actually listen.

In the Sell Like A Leader episode, Lee Salz challenges the old-school mindset, arguing that discovery meetings should actually be viewed as “consultations.” 

He explains that if you want a prospect to give you their time, you must ensure they walk away with meaningful value—learning something about their industry or business—rather than just feeling like a “science project” for your benefit:

The Anatomy of a Great Discovery Call

Every effective discovery call follows a general structure. While you shouldn’t treat this as a rigid script, having a framework ensures you cover the essential ground.

1. The Opening (2-3 minutes)

Start by building rapport and setting expectations. Thank them for their time, briefly confirm how long you have, and explain what you’d like to accomplish.

Example:

“Thanks for taking the time today. I’ve got us down for 30 minutes—does that still work for you? Great. I’d love to spend most of our time learning about your situation and what you’re hoping to achieve. Then, if it makes sense, we can talk about how we might be able to help. Sounds good?”

This opening does three important things:

  • Respects their time
  • Positions you as a consultant, not a pushy salesperson
  • Gets their buy-in to proceed

2. The Situational Questions (5-7 minutes)

Before you can understand their problems, you need context. These questions help you understand their current state.

Good questions include:

  • “Tell me a little about your role and what your team is responsible for.”
  • “Walk me through how you currently handle [relevant process].”
  • “What tools or systems are you using today?”
  • “How long have you been doing it this way?”

Don’t spend too long here. Situational questions gather facts, but they don’t uncover motivation. The real insights come next.

3. The Problem Questions (10-12 minutes)

This is the heart of your discovery call. Your goal is to understand what’s not working and why it matters.

Effective problem questions include:

  • “What prompted you to take this call today?”
  • “What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing with [area]?”
  • “How is this problem affecting your team’s ability to hit goals?”
  • “What happens if this doesn’t get solved in the next 6-12 months?”

The last question is particularly powerful. It helps the prospect articulate the cost of inaction—which is often the real competition you’re up against.

Pro tip: When a prospect shares a challenge, resist the urge to immediately explain how you solve it. Instead, dig deeper:

  • “Can you tell me more about that?”
  • “How long has this been an issue?”
  • “What have you tried so far?”

4. The Impact Questions (5-7 minutes)

Now you’re helping the prospect quantify the pain. This creates urgency and justifies the investment in a solution.

Try questions like:

  • “How much time does your team spend on this each week?”
  • “What’s the revenue impact of this problem?”
  • “How does this affect your ability to compete?”
  • “What would it mean for your business if you could solve this?”

When prospects articulate the impact themselves, they become more committed to finding a solution. You’re not telling them they have a problem—they’re telling you.

5. The Process Questions (3-5 minutes)

Before you wrap up, you need to understand how they make decisions. This prevents surprises later in the sales process.

Key questions include:

  • “Who else would be involved in evaluating a solution like this?”
  • “What does your typical buying process look like?”
  • “What’s your timeline for making a decision?”
  • “Is there a budget allocated for solving this?”

Some reps feel awkward asking about the budget. Don’t be. It’s a practical question that helps both parties. If their budget is $5,000 and your solution costs $10,000, everyone benefits from knowing that early.

6. The Close (2-3 minutes)

End your discovery call with clarity on next steps. Summarize what you’ve learned, confirm mutual interest, and schedule the next conversation.

Example:

“Based on what you’ve shared, it sounds like the main challenge is [problem], and if you could solve that, it would mean [impact]. Did I get that right? Great. I think there’s a strong fit here. What I’d suggest is scheduling a follow-up where I can show you specifically how we’ve helped similar companies tackle this. How does Thursday at 2pm look?”

Always leave with a scheduled next step. “I’ll send over some information” is not a next step; it’s a dead end.

Common Discovery Call Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Even experienced salespeople make these errors. Here’s what to watch out for:

Mistake #1: Talking Too Much

The golden rule of discovery calls: The prospect should be talking at least 60-70% of the time. If you find yourself dominating the conversation, you’re not discovering; you’re pitching.

Fix: After asking a question, pause. Count to three silently if you have to. Give them space to think and respond fully.

Mistake #2: Asking Leading Questions

Questions like “Wouldn’t it be great if you could automate that?” aren’t really questions. They’re statements disguised as questions, and prospects can smell them a mile away.

Fix: Ask open-ended discovery questions that don’t assume a particular answer. “How do you feel about your current process?” is much better.

Mistake #3: Jumping to Solution Mode

A prospect mentions a challenge, and you immediately launch into how your product solves it. This short-circuits the discovery process and makes you seem more interested in selling than helping.

Fix: When you hear a problem, explore it further before offering solutions. Ask “How long has this been an issue?” or “What impact does that have?”

Mistake #4: Not Listening Actively

There’s a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is passive. Listening means processing what they’re saying, asking follow-up questions, and remembering details for later.

Fix: Take notes during the call. Repeat back what you’ve heard to confirm understanding. Reference earlier points to show you’ve been paying attention.

Mistake #5: Skipping Qualification

You’re so excited about a potential deal that you skip the hard questions about budget, timeline, and decision-makers. Three months later, the deal stalls because you never had a real opportunity.

Fix: Ask the uncomfortable questions early. It’s better to disqualify a prospect in the first call than to waste weeks on someone who was never going to buy.

Mistake #6: No Clear Next Step

The call ends with vague promises to “circle back” or “think about it.” Without a concrete next step, momentum dies.

Fix: Always schedule the next meeting before hanging up. If they won’t commit to a next step, that tells you something important about their level of interest.

Mistake #7: Treating Every Call the Same

A VP of Sales at a Fortune 500 company has different concerns than a founder at a 10-person startup. Using the same approach for both will fall flat.

Fix: Research your prospect beforehand. Tailor your questions to their industry, company size, and role.

How to Handle Common Discovery Call Challenges

Even when you prepare thoroughly and follow best practices, discovery calls don’t always go smoothly. 

Prospects push back. They dodge questions. They try to rush you off the phone. These moments can feel awkward, but they’re also opportunities to demonstrate your professionalism and build trust.

Here’s how to handle the most common objections and tricky situations you’ll encounter during sales discovery calls:

“We’re just researching right now.”

This is fine. Many great deals start with research. Your job is to understand what triggered the research and what would move them from researching to acting.

Try: “That makes total sense. What prompted the research? Is there a specific challenge you’re hoping to address?”

“Can you just send me some information?”

This often means they don’t see value in continuing the conversation. Before you agree, try to understand what they’re really looking for.

Try: “Happy to send something over. To make sure I send the right information, what specific questions are you hoping to answer?”

Andy Hershey, CRO at Sovos, explained why you shouldn’t wait until the proposal stage to discuss value on the Sell Like A Leader Podcast David Kreiger hosts. 

He advocates asking hard questions about costs and revenue impact early in the discovery phase. By doing this, you help the prospect quantify the value of solving the problem immediately, rather than waiting for a later ROI calculation:

“We’re happy with our current solution.”

If that were completely true, they probably wouldn’t be on the call. Probe gently to see if there are any pain points beneath the surface.

Try: “That’s great to hear. Out of curiosity, if you could change one thing about your current setup, what would it be?”

“What’s the price?”

Don’t dodge this question, but don’t give a detailed quote without context either.

Try: “Our pricing typically ranges from XtoY depending on your specific needs. To give you an accurate number, I’d want to understand a bit more about your situation. Is that okay?”

Bottom Line

The best salespeople approach discovery calls with genuine curiosity. They’re not checking boxes or following a script; they actually want to understand the person on the other end of the line.

When you approach every discovery call as an opportunity to learn something new, two things happen. 

First, you become a better salesperson because you truly understand your customers. Second, you become more enjoyable to talk to because people can sense when you’re genuinely interested in them.

The discovery process isn’t just a step in your sales cycle. It’s the foundation everything else is built on. Invest the time to get it right, and the rest of your sales process becomes dramatically easier.