If you’re like most people, the thought of having a discovery call with a potential client fills you with dread. You know it’s important to make a good impression and ask the right questions, but where do you even start? Luckily, we’ve put together a handy discovery call checklist to make sure your next discovery call is effective.

Just follow these seven simple steps and you’ll be on your way to impressing clients and closing deals in no time!

What is a Discovery Call Checklist?

A discovery call is a meeting between a potential client and a service provider.

The discovery call checklist is a set of questions to be answered during the call to evaluate whether the prospect will be a good fit.

The discovery call checklist should include questions about the service provider’s experience, qualifications, price, and expectations.

This entails preparing before the phone call, gathering as much information as possible, taking detailed notes during the conversation, and following up afterward.

By following a list, you can make sure you don’t miss any steps and get the most out of your time when talking to a prospect.

How do you go about conducting successful sales conversations? What questions do you ask?

The Importance of a Sales Discovery Call

A discovery call is the first opportunity for a potential buyer to interact with your team and learn about your solution. This initial interaction is crucial in determining whether or not the customer will move forward with your product.

A solid, informative, and personable first phone call with a prospect can set you apart from your competition.

The most important function of a call with a buyer is to acquire the specific information your sales reps would need to prepare a tailored product demonstration. This not only qualifies your buyer but also gives them the information they need to make an informed decision.

A sales discovery call is an opportunity to offer value and establish your credibility and build a relationship with your prospective client. A rep should discuss solutions with the client that solve their pain point. This creates a good experience for the client and increases the chances of them continuing with the process.

Who Can Benefit From a Discovery Call Checklist?

Sales Managers

Managing a sales team is no easy feat. This checklist will help you organize, plan, and strategize your approach to ensure your team hits its quota.

Sales Professionals

By using a sales-call preparation list, sales reps will be able to focus less on logistics and more on making the sale.

Check out the list below for a list of things to check before picking up the phone.

1. Plan the Call

Before making any phone calls, you need to know who you’ll be talking to and what kind of information they have.

It’s important to know who they are and what they’re looking for from the services you provide.

Having a clear agenda will help you stay on track and ensure you cover all of the necessary points.

Make sure their contact information is up to date. This will help you spend more time on the phone call asking questions and learning more about them.

Be sure to research the prospect’s website and social media profiles. This can help you get a better sense of their business needs.

Consider having a professional writer create a detailed agenda for your sales prospecting phone calls.

Tools you can use at this stage:

• Data spreadsheets
• Contact management software
• Email marketing software with automated drip sequences for nurturing leads
• Social media listening tools
• Prospect research tools

2. Qualify Your Buyer

After you’ve planned the call, it’s time to qualify your buyer.

After you’ve completed your client discovery and determined that they are a good fit, you’ll need to decide the next steps.

It’s easier to focus on those who are a good fit for your product or service. This saves you both time, as you won’t waste your time talking to a prospect who isn’t a good fit.

The best way to determine if a prospect is a good fit for your business is by asking questions.

• What are your current challenges?
• What are your future goals?
• How are you generating leads?
• What type of solution are you considering?

3. Diagnose the Prospect’s Needs

After you’ve determined who your buyers are, it’s time to figure out their problems and what solutions are the best fit for them.

To properly understand a prospect’s business needs, it’s important to understand their specific challenges and goals.

By knowing your customers’ pain points, you can gain a better understanding of how your product/service can help solve their problems.

The more questions you ask, the more you’ll understand your prospects’ needs.

Tools you can use at this stage:

• Conduct NPS surveys
• Sales pipeline assessment tools
• Competitor analysis
• Buyer persona templates

4. Identify Buyer SPIN

The SPIN model is a sales technique that you can use to determine the prospect’s current status. SPIN stands for situation, problem, implication, and needs.

It helps you to identify how customers are responding to sales pitches.

If a prospect doesn’t match your buyer persona, find out why so you can fix any potential problems before moving forward with them.

The SPIN model is most effective when you ask questions that help you understand how your prospects are responding to you and what information is important to them. This helps you tailor your pitch to their needs.

Tools you can use at this stage:

• Prospect surveys
• Spreadsheets
• Sales pipeline management software
• CRM software

5. Prepare a List of Questions in Advance

Learn about your prospect’s business challenges and how you can help them.

By planning out your questions ahead of time, you can ensure you’re asking the right questions when talking to a prospect.

Create a questionnaire that will help you understand your prospects’ needs.

When asking these sorts of questions, it’s important to know beforehand what type of information you’re looking for.

Tools you can use at this stage:

• Contact forms and surveys
• FAQ page on your website
• Buying cycle templates
• Sales call cheat sheets

6. Plan Follow-Ups

After you’ve finished your sales pitch, it’s time to follow up with your prospect. But what do you say? And how do you say it?

When you plan your follow-ups in advance, it allows you to have more productive conversations with your prospects. This shows that you are committed to doing business with them and builds trust between both parties.

This helps you to better manage your schedule, so you can maximize your productivity.

After every phone call, you should follow up with an email. In this email, you can include information about their business needs, and ask if they’d be interested in another conversation.

Then, follow up with another email 48 hours after your first, asking them if they would like to schedule a second conversation.

Tools you can use at this stage:

• Email templates or canned responses
• Email automation tools
• CRM software
• Videoconferencing or conference calling software

7. Close the Deal

After arranging a sales meeting with your prospective client, it’s time to seal the deal with an effective closing technique.

By closing a deal, you move one step closer to making a sale.

In addition to building your confidence in yourself, it also shows your progression as a salesperson.

Discuss how your product or service can help your prospect. Also, ask them if they have any concerns about moving forward.

Give them a discount as an incentive to buy. If they’re not convinced, ask them if they know anyone else who may be interested in the product.

Tools you can use at this stage:

• Proposal templates
• Sales scripts
• Email templates or canned responses
• Phone scripts
• Video calling software

How to Structure a Discovery Call

A discovery call should include an introduction to the company and its products or services, a review of the customer’s pain points and goals, and a discussion of how the company can help the customer meet those needs.

Based on the answers, the sales rep will make recommendations about how their products or services can help.

Finally, they will close by asking for the next step in the process, such as scheduling a demo or setting up a meeting.

What Discovery Questions Should You Ask?

Discovery questions are those that help you to learn more about your research topic. They are used to gather information that you did not know before and to help you develop a better understanding of your topic.

Discovery questions can be used in both qualitative and quantitative research and can be either open-ended or closed-ended.

What Comes After a Discovery Call?

After the discovery call, the next step is to schedule a consultation, where you’ll both be able to ask each other more questions and figure out which solution works best for you.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a discovery call checklist to make sure your next one is effective, this 7-point guide should help you hit all the key points. From preparing questions in advance to following up after the call, we’ve got you covered. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start impressing clients today!