Problem and solution
Customers give one-word answers on discovery calls
You ask what they need and get 'fine'. You ask about their process and get 'it works'. The conversation stalls, and you start pitching just to fill the gap. The question is usually the issue, not the customer.
Practical guidance for call training. Practice with DIRI AI is for coaching, not for rating or ranking people.
What it feels like
It feels like pulling a cart uphill. You have prepared good questions, you ask them in order, and the answers come back in single words: 'yes', 'no', 'not really', 'it's okay'. The silence afterwards is loud. You feel your own questions getting longer and more nervous, and at some point you give up on discovery and start describing the product, because at least that gives you something to say.
The cost is that you leave the call knowing very little. You cannot tailor the proposal, and the buyer, who has said almost nothing, has had no chance to notice their own problem. A call that was meant to explore the situation turns into a short presentation to someone who is not yet convinced there is anything to solve.
Why it happens
The questions invite a yes or no
'Do you have any issues with your current system?' can be answered in one word, and a cautious person will choose the safest word. Closed questions are not wrong, but if they are all you use, the buyer has no reason to go further.
The buyer does not yet trust the reason for asking
People who answer briefly are often wondering where the questions are leading. If they suspect a pitch at the end, they protect themselves by saying little. A short explanation of why you ask puts the answers in a safer frame.
The questions are about the product, not their situation
'How do you feel about automation?' is abstract. 'Walk me through what happens when an order arrives' is concrete, and a concrete question is easier to answer in a full sentence. Buyers talk about what they know, which is their own day.
Silence is filled too quickly
After a brief answer many sellers jump in with a second question or a suggestion. The buyer then learns that short answers are enough. A two-second pause after 'it's fine' often brings the next sentence, which is where the real information lives.
A method you can use this week
- Start broad, then narrow Open with a question that has no obvious right answer: 'Tell me a bit about how your team handles bookings today.' When the answer is long enough to give you details, narrow it: 'You mentioned the evenings are busy. What happens then?' Broad to specific keeps the buyer talking about what they care about.
- Use curiosity statements instead of interrogations A question every ten seconds feels like an exam. Mix in softer prompts: 'I'd be curious to hear how that came about' or 'Say a bit more about that.' They invite elaboration without asking for a particular answer, and they sound like interest rather than checking.
- Explain why you are asking Give a one-sentence reason: 'I ask because the answer decides whether what we do is even relevant to you.' This reduces suspicion and shows that the questions serve them. It also gives the buyer permission to be candid, because they know what the answers are for.
- Wait, then echo When you hear a short answer, count to two in silence. If nothing arrives, repeat the last two words in a gentle, questioning tone: 'Mostly fine?' Echoing signals that you are listening and that you expect more, without pushing. It is one of the quietest and most effective tools on a phone call.
- Summarise and check Every few minutes say back what you have heard: 'So the quotes take about a week, and the delay is mostly waiting on suppliers. Have I got that right?' A summary rewards the buyer for speaking, and the correction they offer is often the most valuable answer of the call.
Drill: Make a short answer longer
Twelve minutes with a partner, or alone with two chairs and a phone timer. One person answers with at most three words; the other tries to draw out a full sentence without being pushy.
- Round one, three minutes: the asker starts with one closed question, for example 'Do you use a booking system?', gets 'yes', and then reformulates it as an open one: 'Talk me through how a booking comes in.' Compare the two answers.
- Round two, three minutes: the answerer says only 'it's fine' to every question. The asker tries curiosity statements, such as 'I'd like to understand what fine looks like on a busy day'.
- Round three, three minutes: the asker asks, waits exactly two seconds in silence, then echoes the last two words of the answer. Note which of the two moves produced more.
- Round four, three minutes: the asker explains why they are asking in one sentence, repeats the first question, and ends with a two-sentence summary beginning 'So what I'm hearing is...'.
How you know it worked: You know it works when the answerer, who was told to be brief, starts to speak in whole sentences, and when you can feel the difference between your questions that got one word and those that got a story.
How DIRI AI helps
DIRI AI is useful here because you can rehearse the same discovery call with a customer who answers briefly. Choose a situation, set the difficulty and client type, and speak through your microphone. The AI customer, clearly labelled as AI, reacts to what you actually say: closed questions tend to receive short answers, and a well-phrased curious prompt gives you more.
In the report, look at the quoted key moments to see which of your questions led to short replies and which opened the conversation. The report includes a rule-based score from 0 to 100, the effect of each moment, one concrete next change and better phrasings for the questions you asked. You can repeat the situation with a different opening question and compare attempts; your history stays in your account.
Remember that an AI customer is not a real one. Real buyers bring mood, context and knowledge of their own business that no practice call fully reproduces, and the score is a guide for practice, not a validated measure. The Free plan allows 3 calls a month of up to five minutes each, no card needed, enough to try one question change on each call and see what shifts.
Try it on a practice call
Free plan: 3 calls a month, up to 5 minutes each, no card. You talk to a customer played by an AI, then read a report that quotes your own words.
Questions people ask
Are closed questions always bad?
No. They are useful for confirming facts and for steering a conversation. The trouble starts when they are the only kind you ask. Use open questions to explore and closed ones to check what you have understood.
What if the customer is simply a quiet person?
Some people do speak less, so give them more time and ask about concrete things like a recent example. 'Tell me about the last time this happened' is easier to answer than a general question about their needs.
How do I stop myself from filling silence?
Count slowly to two after any short answer, and practise it aloud until it feels normal. A pause usually feels three times longer to you than to the buyer.
Can I improve my questions on my own?
Yes. Rehearsing aloud and recording yourself on a phone, or practising on DIRI AI, lets you hear which questions get one word. A colleague or coach can still add things a tool cannot, such as knowledge of your product.