Sales Discovery Questions: Is Your Prep Strong Enough to Win?

The best sales reps know how to ask effective sales discovery questions. But a recent study from SalesFuel found that under half of B2B sales reps prepare discovery questions based on pre-​call research.

This lack of preparation often leads to shallow conversations and missed opportunities to uncover real buyer needs. As a result, sales reps may waste time on poor-​fit prospects while failing to build credibility with the right ones.

In fact, additional findings from SalesFuel support this. When broken down by quota attainment, the study revealed a clear gap between reaching quota and prepping for discovery.

Of the sellers who achieve less than 90% of their quota, 77% admit to not crafting discovery questions from pre-​call research.

This suggests that inadequate preparation of discovery questions is closely tied to underperformance. Clearly, if you want to boost your discovery success, the “right” questions are key.

What is the foundation of effective sales discovery questions?

To get started, sellers must look to research they’ve conducted. The knowledge from this research will help build a line of questions that are both relevant and impactful.

“Formulating hard-​hitting questions that probe ACTUAL pain points begins with good research and a consultative approach,” according to intellimark.

Use what you know about your prospect, everything from their current vendors to their industry, to help write questions.

Which discovery questions work best?

The professionals at Revenue​.io point out that the most successful reps “ask highly targeted, open-​ended sales discovery questions.”

They advise reps to use that pre-​call time to pinpoint the buyer insights that matter most. By narrowing their focus and prioritizing the right questions, sellers can make every minute of a time-​limited call more effective.

They go on to outline several common call objectives. They also explain how well-​crafted discovery questions help sellers uncover insights that move conversations forward.

Timing/​Implementation

Knowing a buyer’s timeline can help clarify their readiness to buy, as well as potential vendor expectations.

These questions can help you establish a timeline, as well as determine how your solution would be implemented: 

• In an ideal world, when would you imagine yourself implementing this solution?
• Do you have a current solution in place? If so, when is your current contract up?
• Does your team have the time and resources in place necessary to handle implementation?

Authority

Smart sellers know that uncovering who has the authority to make purchase decisions is vital knowledge.

“Part of sales discovery should include discerning who has buying power, as well as the prospective company’s buying process,” according to Revenue​.io.

“In B2B deals it’s common for there to be multiple stakeholders. Therefore, it’s crucial to discover who these stakeholders are and what factors may be important to them.”

To dig deeper into this topic, consider asking:

• In addition to yourself, who else at your company is facing these problems?
• Are there any issues that other stakeholders may be concerned with?
• What's your purchasing process?

Budget

Savvy sellers understand that budget conversations look different depending on where the prospect is in their buying journey.

Inbound leads who are actively searching for a solution are often ready to discuss budget. But early-​stage prospects may not have funds allocated yet.

In those cases, discovery is about helping prospects recognize the value of the solution. Once value is clear, budget often follows.

To explore budget readiness, consider asking:

• Are you responsible for establishing the budget for this initiative?
• Do you currently have budget allocated for a solution like this?
• What level of investment feels appropriate to you?

Proper prep can turn questions into results

Effective sales discovery questions can be the difference between uncovering valuable insights and ending the call with no next steps. They come from preparation and asking the right questions to gather the information you need to move forward.

For even more tips to optimize your question-​asking, consider these other best practices.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash