In a discovery call, winning reps ask about 12-15 discovery questions. Sales discovery questions are open-ended questions that sales reps use to uncover the prospect’s needs, goals, challenges, and pain points. By asking these questions, sales reps can better understand the prospect’s situation and tailor their sales pitch accordingly, increasing their chances of closing more deals.

How Discovery Questions Can Improve Your Odds of Sales Success

Here are some ways discovery questions can help sales reps close more deals and meet sales targets:

• Establish Rapport: By asking open-ended questions and showing genuine interest in the prospect’s business, sales reps can establish a rapport with the prospect.
• Identify Pain Points: Identifying the prospect’s needs, pain points, and challenges allows the sales rep to tailor the sales pitch.
• Improve Positioning and Messaging: The sales rep can position their product or service in a way that helps the prospect see the value of the solution.
• Identify Objections: Sales reps can identify objections the prospect may have and address them before they become a roadblock to closing the deal.
• Create Urgency: The sales rep can create a sense of urgency to close the deal through discovery questions.
• Qualify the Prospect: Sales reps can qualify the prospect and determine whether they are a good fit for the product by asking questions about the prospect’s budget, timeline, and decision-making process.

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Related Link: How to Close a Sale: Actionable Deal Closing Tips & Tricks

The Ultimate Guide to Effective Sales Discovery Questions

We’ve got a list of the most effective sales discovery questions to help you understand your prospect and tailor your messaging to meet your sales targets.

10 Discovery Questions to Identify Customer Pain Points

Successful sales reps identify four pain points on average during a discovery call. These discovery questions help sales reps uncover the customer’s pain points and how these challenges impact their business. Gaining a deeper understanding of the customer’s needs and challenges allows you to tailor your sales pitch more effectively.

• What are some of your biggest challenges when it comes to [specific area related to product or service]?
• How is [specific problem] impacting your business?
• What has been your previous experience with [related product or service]?
• Can you tell me about a recent issue that you faced in your business?
• What frustrates you the most about the current process for [activity related to product or service]?
• What would happen if you didn’t solve the problem you’re facing?
• How does [specific area related to product or service] affect your bottom line?
• What are the consequences of not addressing the issue you’re facing?
• What do you wish was different about [specific area related to product or service]?
• How much time and resources are currently spent addressing the issue you’re facing?

Effective Discovery Questions to Determine the Buying Process

During the discovery process, you need to better understand the prospect’s decision-making process and identify potential roadblocks or objections. This enables you to tailor your approach and communication to align with the prospect’s process and preferences, increasing the chances of a successful purchase.

Here are effective sales discovery questions that can help determine the buying process:

• Can you walk me through your typical decision-making process for purchasing solutions like ours?
• Who are the key decision-makers involved in this process?
• What criteria are important to you in selecting a vendor for this type of solution?
• What is your timeline for making a decision and implementing a solution?
• How do you typically evaluate and compare different solutions or vendors?
• Are there any internal stakeholders or departments that should be involved in the decision-making process?
• What challenges or roadblocks have you faced in previous purchasing processes, and how have you addressed them?
• How do you typically handle negotiations or contract discussions with vendors?
• What other solutions or vendors are you currently considering for this need?
• What concerns or hesitations do you have about the purchasing process, and how can we help address them?

Sales Discovery Questions that Highlight Your Solution’s Value

By focusing on discovery questions to determine your solution’s value, sales reps can tailor messaging, highlighting the value and benefits and how it can specifically help the prospect’s business. It also helps differentiate your solution from competitors.

Use these sales discovery questions to highlight the value of your solution:

• How important is [specific feature or benefit] to your business?
• What benefits would you expect from implementing a solution like ours?
• How does your current solution or process compare to what we offer in terms of [specific benefit]?
• Do you have an example of a time when [specific feature or benefit] would have been valuable to your business?
• How much time and resources are currently spent on [specific task related to product or service]?
• What ROI are you expecting from a solution like ours?
• How much does [specific problem or pain point] cost your business annually?
• How does [specific feature or benefit] align with your overall business goals?
• How much time do you spend on [specific activity related to product or service] each week, and how would that time be better spent?
• How does our solution help you differentiate your business from your competitors?

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Related Link: Overcome 10 Common Sales Objections and Close Deals

Best Sales Discovery Questions to Determine the Decision-Maker’s Urgency for Your Solution

As a sales rep, you need to determine the decision-maker’s sense of urgency and identify any specific deadlines or time-sensitive factors that may affect their need for your solution.

These proven sales discovery questions will help determine the decision-maker’s urgency for your solution:

• How important is it for you to solve [specific problem or pain point] in the next few weeks/months?
• What happens if you don’t address [specific problem or pain point] soon?
• Can you tell me more about the timeline you have in mind for implementing a solution like ours?
• How urgent is the need to address this issue compared to other priorities in your business?
• What is the potential impact of not addressing [specific problem or pain point] quickly?
• Are there any upcoming deadlines or events that are driving your need for a solution?
• What is your current timeframe for making a decision on a solution?
• How have you attempted to address this issue in the past, and why is it urgent to find a new solution now?

Discovery Questions are Critical to Closing the Sales Deal

When on a discovery call, your listening-to-talking ratio should be 46: 54. Asking discovery questions can be extremely effective in closing a sales deal.

By asking the right questions and actively listening to the prospect’s responses, you’ll better understand the prospect’s needs, pain points, and motivations. It will also help you build rapport and trust, address potential objections, and ultimately increase your chances of closing the deal.

Twiz is a full-service sales and marketing agency offering a way to extend your resources and generate higher-quality leads and customer-focused marketing campaigns.

Related Link: Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales: Best Advice from Industry Pros

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