Booking discovery calls is crucial for business development representatives. These calls serve as a magnifying lens into the prospect’s business and pain points and help qualify leads to set a successful sales process. 

By being on several discovery calls, I have compiled a list of questions that you should ask during the call with a prospect. I have also added a list of questions you should be able to answer before you get on the call.

Questions a BDR Must Answer Before a Call

As a BDR, getting on a call unprepared can equal to losing the opportunity. Yes, you must let the prospect talk more during the call, but having some background of the prospect’s business can help you have the right perspective and ask the right questions. Here are some questions a BDR must answer before getting on that discovery call:

1. Prospect Research

• Who is the prospect, and what is their role?
• What does the prospect’s company do?
• What industry is the prospect’s company in?

2. Context of the Call

• What was the initial point of contact (e.g., email, webinar, referral)?
• What information has the prospect already received about our solutions?

3. Prospect’s Needs and Challenges

• Has the prospect mentioned any specific challenges or goals when you connected to book the discovery call?

4. Goals for the Call

• What are the primary objectives of the discovery call?
• What information do we need to gather during the call?
• What outcomes are we aiming for by the end of the call?

Questions a BDR to Ask During a Call

After you can answer the questions above, you will find it easier to prepare questions for the discovery call. One thing to keep in mind is that active listening will help you ask the right questions. This list of questions is just a guide to what you want to know more about. Also, these questions should be open-ended. You don’t want to put words in the prospect’s mouth; you want them to express their point of view.

A few questions you can start with are as follows:

1. Understanding the Prospect’s Business:

• I read about your company/product. But I would like to know more about the company from you. This is an open-ended question. It allows the person to speak more about what the company does and what they think would be important for us to know. You can take notes and compare them with the information that you have. 

2. Identifying Pain Points

• What challenges are you currently facing in your business? I ask this question in all the meetings/discovery calls. It gives me insight into what they are looking for from this call. It can also tell you what things they have tried out in the past, what worked for them, and what didn’t.

3. Current Solutions and Processes

• What are you doing to address these challenges? This is an extension of my previous question. It helps me understand what they are currently working with. Again, because it is open-ended, it can help you understand the situation better.
• How satisfied are you with your current solutions? This question will tell you to what degree they are open to adopting a new method or how badly they want a permanent solution to their situation.

4. Decision-Making Process

• Who is involved in the decision-making process? It’s important to understand who makes the decision, as that is ultimately who you will be dealing with. 
• What criteria do you use to evaluate new solutions It can be monetary or non-monetary. The prospect is at the early stages of their business and needs a solution that fits their budget. Some businesses, on the other hand, are looking for value.
• What is your timeline for making a decision? This will tell you if this is going to be a priority or this is going to be a long process. It also ties to the question of who’s the decision maker. If the person you’re speaking with is the decision maker, things move quite quicker. 

6. Budget and Authority

• Do you have a budget allocated for this project? This question can be asked in a different way too. It gives us an insight into what are their budgetary constraints.
• What do you think of the pricing? Sometimes, the people on the call need to make the financial decisions. They have other teams they might need to refer to before finalizing anything. Or there might be other things they are thinking of in terms of pricing. This helps you understand if there are any blocks in the way of finalizing the decision.
• What factors influence your budget decisions? If they say they do not feel comfortable with the pricing you have offered, this can be another question. It gives you more room to understand and tweak your offer.

7. Next Steps

• What would you like to see in a proposal from us? Not every discovery call ends with a proposal. It’s a great way to understand the forward steps that they are considering.
• When would be a good time to follow up with you? You could ask this as a question or offer a timeline from your end, which might sound like, “So, we will circle back on this with you towards the end of the month.”
• What are the next steps in your decision-making process? It is great to understand how they will take things ahead of where they are. 

By preparing thoroughly and asking the right questions during the discovery call and beforehand, BDRs can effectively qualify leads, understand the prospect’s needs, and set the stage for a successful sales process. If you’re trying to book some discovery calls and need help with it, connect with me here and let us help you!