Discovery calls are where sales are won or lost. It’s the moment you uncover pain points, build credibility, and set the stage for the deal. Yet, too many reps treat discovery like a checklist — instead of a real opportunity to connect and qualify.
If you want to turn your discovery calls into deal-closing conversations, here are five expert-backed tricks that will help you nail it every time.
Before you hop on the call, know your prospect’s world better than they expect you to. This means going beyond the company website.
✔️ Check LinkedIn for recent posts from your prospect or company news.
✔️ Look up competitors and current industry trends.
✔️ Use tools like Crunchbase or Apollo to understand growth signals.
Why it works: Prospects can instantly tell when you’ve done your homework. It builds trust and shows you’re serious about solving their problems, not just selling your product.
Pro Tip: Open your call by referencing something specific - “I saw your team recently expanded into Europe; how’s that transition been?” Instant engagement.
Start every discovery call with a clear, confident structure. You should outline:
What the call will cover
What you want to learn
What success looks like for the conversation
Example:
“Here’s what I’d like to do today: I’ll start by learning a bit more about your current challenges, then I can share how we’ve helped similar teams. By the end, we’ll decide if it makes sense to explore a demo.”
This positions you as a consultant, not a vendor. Prospects respect leadership, and setting the agenda early gives you control of the call.
Discovery isn’t an interrogation - it’s a guided exploration.
Avoid surface-level questions like “What’s your biggest challenge?” Instead, dig deeper with layered questions that reveal motivation and urgency.
Examples:
“What led you to start looking for a solution now?”
“How does this problem impact your team’s daily workflow?”
“If this issue were solved in six months, what would success look like?”
SEO Tip: This section naturally ranks for queries like “best discovery call questions” and “sales discovery questions that close.”
The golden rule: Talk less, listen more.
Top-performing sales reps spend around 70% of the discovery call listening. Why? Because your prospect is literally giving you the blueprint to close them - if you stop talking long enough to hear it.
💡 Use silence strategically. When a prospect finishes a thought, pause for 2 - 3 seconds before responding. Often, they’ll fill that silence by revealing something deeper.
Too many great discovery calls die because the rep fails to define what happens next.
Don’t end with “I’ll follow up soon.” Instead, lock in the next step while you’re still on the call.
Examples:
“Let’s schedule a 30-minute demo next week to dive deeper.”
“I’ll send you a summary of our conversation today - does that sound good?”
This shows accountability and momentum - both critical to maintaining deal velocity.
The discovery call isn’t just the first step - it’s the foundation for every future interaction. When done right, it turns cold prospects into warm opportunities and sets you apart as a true advisor.
Recap of the 5 Tricks:
Research like you already work there
Set a confident agenda
Ask smart, layered questions
Listen more than you talk
End with clear next steps
Start applying these today, and watch your discovery calls transform from small talk to serious pipeline.