Discovery Call Checklist: Downloadable Template

If you’re a B2B founder or sales leader, you know how tough it is when a great prospect ghosts you after what seemed like a promising call. Or worse—when deals stall with no clear next step. You’re left wondering what went wrong.

In most cases, it’s not the product. It’s the conversation.

That’s why this discovery call checklist exists—to help you prepare, structure, and follow up on every call so it moves the deal forward. Whether you’re new to sales or a seasoned pro, this guide will give you a step-by-step playbook that’s clear, simple, and effective.

What is a Discovery Call?

A discovery call is often the first real conversation you have with a potential customer. It happens after they show interest—maybe by signing up, replying to an email, or requesting a demo.

Unlike a demo or sales pitch, this call is about listening and learning. You ask questions to understand the prospect’s goals, challenges, and needs. It’s your chance to figure out whether you can help them—and if they’re the right fit for your solution.

Think of it like a doctor’s visit. You can’t write a prescription before understanding the symptoms.

Why a Discovery Call Checklist Matters

Without a checklist, it’s easy to lose focus, skip important questions, or forget to follow up. A checklist gives you an effective plan for your sales call. It helps you make the most of your time with the prospect.

Here’s why it matters:

• It keeps the conversation on track and avoids wasted time.
• It shows professionalism and builds trust.
• It ensures you uncover pain points and buying triggers.
• It helps you qualify leads and avoid chasing dead ends.
• It increases the chances of booking the next step right away.

Download Your Free Discovery Call Checklist Template

Want to make sure you’re always ready before every sales call? We’ve created a free, downloadable discovery call checklist template just for you.

This checklist is designed for founders, sales reps, and sales leaders who want to run effective discovery calls every time.

Here’s what’s inside the template:

• A pre-call prep guide to help you research your prospect in minutes
• The most important discovery questions to uncover pain and qualify leads
• A post-call review list so you never miss your follow-up
• A customizable format you can use in Google Sheets, or print out

Pre-Call Research Essentials

Preparation is the foundation of every great discovery call. Before dialing in, you should take 5–10 minutes to gather some key insights about the company and the person you’re meeting with.

Look for these details:

• What does the company do, and who do they serve?
• Has the company been in the news or announced any major updates recently?
• What is the contact’s role and background? Check LinkedIn for this.
• Are there shared connections or mutual interests that can build rapport?
• Can you tell what tools they’re already using from their website (like a CRM, live chat, or email platform)?

Doing this homework helps you personalize the conversation and ask smarter questions.

Setting the Discovery Call Agenda

Once the call begins, set the tone by outlining the agenda. This tells the prospect that you respect their time and have a clear purpose for the conversation.

Here’s a simple way to say it:

“Thanks for making time today. My goal is to understand more about your business and the challenges you’re looking to solve. I’ll ask a few questions to learn more, and if it seems like a fit, we can talk about what a next step might look like. How does that sound?”

Framing the call this way builds trust and creates alignment right from the start.

Rapport and Trust Building

People buy from people they like. That’s why it helps to start with a bit of friendly conversation before jumping into business.

Here’s what works well:

• Mention something personal you noticed on LinkedIn—like their location or time at the company.
• Ask a light question, like “How’s your week going so far?”
• Keep it short but warm. Just enough to make the conversation feel human, not robotic.

A few minutes of small talk can make the rest of the call feel more comfortable for both of you.

Opening the Call with Confidence

Once rapport is built and the agenda is clear, it’s time to show that you’ve done your homework.

You might say something like, “I saw that your team recently expanded into new markets. That must be exciting—what’s driving that growth?” Or, “It looks like you’re hiring a lot right now. Curious to hear how that’s impacting your priorities.”

When you show that you care enough to prepare, prospects tend to open up more.

Qualifying the Prospect

Now it’s time to find out if the person you’re talking to is a good fit. Not everyone will be.

Use thoughtful, open-ended questions like:

• “What’s the biggest challenge you’re trying to solve right now?”
• “Why is this something you’re focused on now, rather than a few months from now?”
• “What would need to happen for this project to be considered a success?”
• “Is this something you’re exploring alone, or are others involved in the decision?”

These questions help you understand not only the situation—but also the timeline, urgency, and buying process.

Uncovering Business Pain

Understanding surface-level problems isn’t enough. You need to get to the heart of the pain.

You might ask:

• “Can you walk me through a recent time when this issue caused a real problem?”
• “How is this affecting your team’s performance or your customer experience?”
• “What’s the cost—financial or otherwise—of not solving this?”

Digging into the real pain creates urgency, which moves deals forward.

Impact Questions and Urgency Triggers

Once pain is uncovered, help the prospect explore what’s at stake. Questions like these work well:

• “If this doesn’t get addressed in the next 3–6 months, what happens?”
• “Is this creating issues that are visible to your customers or exec team?”
• “How would solving this impact your KPIs or revenue?”

When prospects connect emotionally and financially to the problem, they’re more likely to take action.

Stakeholders and Buying Process

If your contact isn’t the only decision-maker, you need to find out who else is involved.

Ask gently:

• “Who else would need to weigh in before a decision is made?”
• “What does the buying process usually look like for something like this?”
• “If we decide to move forward, what steps would follow this call?”

Knowing the process helps you plan your sales motion better.

Budget, Timing, and Constraints

Money can be a touchy topic—but it’s important to discuss early.

Try phrasing it like this:

• “Have you started thinking about a budget range for this initiative?”
• “When are you hoping to have a solution in place?”
• “Are there any blockers we should be aware of that could slow things down?”

You’re not being pushy. You’re being practical.

Presenting Value Without Pitching

It’s not time for a full demo yet. But you can drop value nuggets that relate directly to their pain.

Instead of saying, “We have the best software,” try something like:

“Actually, a client we worked with had a very similar challenge. After switching to our platform, they cut onboarding time by 40%. Would you be interested in seeing how they did that?”

Stories like this make your value real—and relatable.

Handling Objections Confidently

Objections are a good thing. They show engagement.

When someone says, “We already have a vendor,” you can reply:

“Totally understand. A lot of our clients were in the same position. I’m curious—what’s working well for you with your current solution, and what could be better?”

Stay calm. Be curious. Objections are doors, not walls.

Using a Discovery Call Template

Templates help bring consistency to your calls. While every conversation will be different, a good structure helps you hit all the right points.

Here’s one to guide you:

1. Start with a quick intro and small talk.
2. Share the agenda.
3. Ask about goals and challenges.
4. Explore pain points and urgency.
5. Ask about budget, decision-makers, and timelines.
6. Share relevant stories.
7. Confirm next steps.

Capturing Notes and Insights in Real-Time

During the call, take clear notes. You’ll want to remember:

• The prospect’s main challenge and goals.
• Any metrics they mentioned (like “we’re losing 10 hours a week”).
• Who else needs to be involved.
• How urgent the problem is.

You can use tools like Gong, Notion, or a CRM to track this info.

Ending with a Strong CTA

Don’t end the call with “I’ll follow up next week.” Be specific.

Say something like, “It sounds like this is worth exploring further. Would you be open to a follow-up on Thursday or Friday next week to go deeper and discuss solutions?”

Give them options. Get the next meeting booked.

Post-Call Review Checklist

After the call, take five minutes to review. Ask yourself:

• What went well?
• What could I improve next time?
• Did I capture the right notes and outcomes in the CRM?
• Did I send a clear follow-up?

Each review makes your next call stronger.

Email Follow-up Best Practices

Short, helpful emails get more replies. In your follow-up email:

• Thank them for their time.
• Recap what you heard as their main goals and pain points.
• Mention one idea or outcome discussed.
• Share a next step (and a link to book it).

Final Thoughts: Your Discovery Call Game Plan

Discovery calls aren’t about showing off your product. They’re about showing you care—by asking smart questions and truly listening.

If you use this checklist as your guide, you’ll run better calls. You’ll build more trust. And you’ll close more deals.