Free question bank
Discovery call questions by stage
Thirty questions in the order a discovery call usually runs, each with a probe for short answers, ready to print. Below them is a bank of sixty more you can filter by goal and copy. Fill in the square brackets and put each question in your own words. They are prompts, not a script to read aloud.
30 discovery call questions by stage
In the order you would usually ask them. You will not need all 30 on one call: pick two or three per stage, ask one, then stop and listen. The probe is for when the answer is short. Fill in the square brackets before the call.
1. Opening
Agree the purpose and the time, so the customer knows what the call is for.
- We have twenty minutes. Is that still right for you?
Probe: Is there anything you need to leave for? - I would like to understand how you handle [area] and then see together whether a next step makes sense. Does that work?
Probe: Is there anything you want to make sure we cover? - What made you agree to this call?
Probe: Why now rather than in six months? - Before I ask anything, what do you already know about us?
Probe: Where did you hear that?
2. Problem
Hear the difficulty in the customer’s own words before you suggest anything.
- What is the hardest part of [area] right now?
Probe: What makes it hard? - Where do things most often go wrong?
Probe: When did that last happen? - What takes more of your team’s time than it should?
Probe: What would they do with that time instead? - What do your customers or colleagues complain about?
Probe: How often do you hear it? - If you could change one thing about [area], what would it be?
Probe: Why that one?
3. Impact
Let the customer describe what the problem costs. Do not suggest a number.
- What happens when it goes wrong?
Probe: What happened the last time? - How much time does this take in a typical week?
Probe: Who spends that time? - What does it cost you, even roughly, in money, time or effort?
Probe: Which of those matters most to you? - Who else feels the effect?
Probe: How do they feel it? - What do you expect to happen if nothing changes?
Probe: How would that look in six months?
4. Current solution
Learn what is in place and what the customer likes about it, so you do not attack it.
- How do you handle [area] today, and with which tools?
Probe: Who looks after that? - What works well about the way you do it now?
Probe: What would you not want to lose? - What have you already tried to fix this?
Probe: Why did that not fully solve it? - If you were starting from scratch, would you set it up the same way?
Probe: What would you do differently?
5. Decision process
Map who decides and how, so the next step goes to the right people.
- How does a decision like this usually get made on your side?
Probe: What are the steps? - Who else should be part of this conversation?
Probe: Would it help if I joined a call with them? - What do you need to see to feel confident in a choice?
Probe: Is there anything that would settle it? - What approvals or checks are needed, such as finance, IT or legal?
Probe: How long do they usually take? - What could stop this or push it down the list?
Probe: Is there anything I should know about now?
6. Timeline
Separate a real date from a wish, without inventing urgency.
- When would you like this solved?
Probe: How firm is that date? - What is driving that date?
Probe: Who set it? - What else is on your plate that could affect the timing?
Probe: Which of those has priority? - When would you need to start to meet your date?
Probe: What has to happen before that?
7. Next step
End with one agreed action, a date and the people involved.
- Based on what you have told me, would it make sense to [next step]?
Probe: If not, what would be more useful? - Who should be there, and what should we prepare for them?
Probe: Is there anything they will ask that I should answer in advance? - Shall I send a short summary of what you told me today, so you can correct anything I got wrong?
Probe: Who else should receive it?
Question types in one table
| Type | Use it to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Get the customer talking in their own words | “How do you handle supplier orders today?” |
| Probe | Go deeper when an answer is short or vague | “What do you mean by ‘a bit slow’?” |
| Impact | Let the customer size the problem | “What happens when an order is late?” |
| Summary | Check you understood before you move on | “So the main issue is the Friday backlog. Have I got that right?” |
| Closed | Confirm a fact or agree a step | “Is Tuesday at ten still good for you?” |
What to avoid
- Stacked questions: “How do you do it today, who is involved and what does it cost?” The customer answers the easiest one. Ask one at a time.
- A row of yes/no questions. “Is that a problem for you?” gets “not really”. Ask “What happens when…?” instead.
- Leading questions that carry your answer: “Wouldn’t it be better if…?” The customer hears a pitch, not a question.
- Asking what you could have checked on their website before the call.
- Moving on before you have repeated the answer back in their words.
How many questions should you ask?
Enough to understand the problem, its impact and the decision process, and few enough that the customer does most of the talking. We do not quote a figure here: the numbers that circulate online come from vendor analyses we could not read in the original, and the right count depends on the call. A practical test: if you have asked three questions in a row without a follow-up, you are running a checklist, not a conversation.
Practice drill: the 3-minute question sprint
- Pick one stage, for example Impact, and three questions from it.
- Set a timer for three minutes. Ask the first question out loud to a colleague, a recording or an AI customer.
- Whatever the answer, ask only the probe or a summary next. No new topic until the timer ends.
- When the timer ends, write down the customer’s exact words for the problem. If you cannot, you talked too much.
- Repeat tomorrow with the next stage.
Go deeper
How to use the questions
- Ask one question, then stop and listen. The follow-up is for when the answer is short or vague.
- Ask only what you need to know. A question you will not use is just an interrogation.
- Write the answer down in the customer's words and repeat it back before you move to the next topic.
Filter by goal
Shown: 60 of 60
Situation
How do you handle [area] today?
Follow-up
Who does that, and with which tools?
Why ask it: Gets the current way of working in the customer's own words before you suggest anything.
Situation
Can you walk me through a typical [week, order or case] from start to finish?
Follow-up
Where does it slow down?
Why ask it: A walk-through shows steps the customer would never think to list.
Situation
How long have you been working this way?
Follow-up
What led to this setup?
Why ask it: History explains why the current approach exists and what it was meant to solve.
Situation
Who is involved in [area] on your side?
Follow-up
Does anyone outside your team touch it?
Why ask it: Shows who else has a stake and who you may need to speak to later.
Situation
Which tools or suppliers do you use for this now?
Follow-up
What works well about them?
Why ask it: Learn what already works so you do not attack something the customer likes.
Situation
How is your team organised around this?
Follow-up
How is the work split between people?
Why ask it: Reveals capacity, roles and where a change would land.
Situation
What has changed in [area] recently?
Follow-up
What prompted that change?
Why ask it: Recent change is often the reason the customer agreed to talk.
Situation
What does a good result look like for you here?
Follow-up
How would you notice it?
Why ask it: Lets the customer define success instead of you guessing.
Situation
What have you already tried for [area]?
Follow-up
What happened?
Why ask it: Past attempts show what did not work and what the customer is wary of.
Situation
What are you planning for [area] over the next [period]?
Follow-up
What does that depend on?
Why ask it: Connects your offer to plans that already exist.
Pain
What is the hardest part of [area] right now?
Follow-up
What makes it hard?
Why ask it: An open question about difficulty lets the customer name the real problem.
Pain
What do you wish worked differently?
Follow-up
What would you change first?
Why ask it: Wishes point to needs the customer may not call problems.
Pain
Where do things most often go wrong?
Follow-up
When did that last happen?
Why ask it: A recent example is more reliable than a general complaint.
Pain
What do customers or colleagues complain about?
Follow-up
How often do you hear it?
Why ask it: Complaints from other people show the problem is shared, not just a preference.
Pain
What takes more of your time than it should?
Follow-up
What would you do with that time instead?
Why ask it: Finds wasted effort and what the customer would rather be doing.
Pain
What have you done to fix this so far?
Follow-up
Why did that not fully solve it?
Why ask it: Shows how serious the problem is: people fix what really bothers them.
Pain
What worries you when you think about [area]?
Follow-up
What is behind that worry?
Why ask it: Surfaces concerns that would otherwise appear later as objections.
Pain
If you could change one thing about [area], what would it be?
Follow-up
Why that one?
Why ask it: Forces a priority and shows what matters most.
Pain
How long has this been a problem?
Follow-up
Why look at it now?
Why ask it: A long-standing problem and a sudden one need different conversations.
Pain
What would you not want to lose if something changed?
Follow-up
Why is that important?
Why ask it: Names what must be protected, so your suggestion does not threaten it.
Impact
How much time does this take in a typical week?
Follow-up
Who spends that time?
Why ask it: Turns a vague annoyance into something the customer can size in their own terms.
Impact
What happens when it goes wrong?
Follow-up
What happened the last time?
Why ask it: Describes the consequence in a real situation, not a guess.
Impact
How does this affect your team's day?
Follow-up
Does it change how people feel about the work?
Why ask it: Shows the effect on people, not only on numbers.
Impact
How does it affect your customers?
Follow-up
Have any of them said something?
Why ask it: Links the problem to the customer's own customers, which often matters more.
Impact
What does this cost you, even roughly?
Follow-up
Is that in money, time or effort?
Why ask it: Lets the customer estimate in their own units. Do not suggest a number.
Impact
What else does this hold back?
Follow-up
What would you start if it were solved?
Why ask it: Finds knock-on effects that make the problem bigger than it first looked.
Impact
What do you expect to happen if nothing changes?
Follow-up
How would that look in six months?
Why ask it: Lets the customer, not you, describe the cost of doing nothing.
Impact
Who else feels the effect of this?
Follow-up
How do they feel it?
Why ask it: Finds people affected who may care about a solution.
Impact
How do you measure this today?
Follow-up
If you do not, how do you know it is a problem?
Why ask it: Shows whether the customer has evidence or only a feeling, and how success would be checked.
Impact
What would solving this make possible?
Follow-up
Why would that matter to you?
Why ask it: Moves the conversation from the problem to the result the customer wants.
Decision process
How does a decision like this usually get made on your side?
Follow-up
What are the steps?
Why ask it: Maps the process so you can plan your next steps around it.
Decision process
Who else should be part of this conversation?
Follow-up
Would it help if I joined a call with them?
Why ask it: Brings other people in early rather than after a stalled deal.
Decision process
Have you made a similar decision before?
Follow-up
How did it go?
Why ask it: Past decisions show how the customer weighs options and who is involved.
Decision process
What do you need to see to feel confident in a choice?
Follow-up
Is there anything that would settle it?
Why ask it: Names the evidence the customer wants, which you can then offer honestly.
Decision process
Who has the final say on this?
Follow-up
What matters most to them?
Why ask it: Identifies the decision maker and their priorities. Ask with respect, not as a test.
Decision process
Is there anyone who might see this differently?
Follow-up
What would their concern be?
Why ask it: Finds possible opposition so it can be addressed openly.
Decision process
What would need to be true for you to say yes?
Follow-up
Is anything missing today?
Why ask it: Turns an unspoken checklist into something you can work with.
Decision process
What approvals or checks are needed on your side?
Follow-up
How long do they usually take?
Why ask it: Avoids surprises such as a legal, security or finance review late in the process.
Decision process
How can I help you present this internally?
Follow-up
What would the other people want to see?
Why ask it: Treats the customer as the person who carries the idea, and gives them what they need.
Decision process
What could stop this or push it down the list?
Follow-up
Is there anything I should know about now?
Why ask it: Invites the honest risks early, when they are easiest to deal with.
Budget
Is there a budget set aside for this, or would it be found?
Follow-up
Who decides that?
Why ask it: Shows how real the plan is without asking for a number straight away.
Budget
What do you spend on this today, in money, time or tools?
Follow-up
Does that include hidden costs?
Why ask it: Gives a comparison point from the customer's own situation.
Budget
How do you usually decide what is worth investing in?
Follow-up
What has been approved recently?
Why ask it: Reveals the logic of spending, which is more useful than a single figure.
Budget
Do you have a range in mind?
Follow-up
It is fine if not. What would feel reasonable?
Why ask it: Invites a range without pressure and accepts that it may not exist yet.
Budget
Who owns the budget for this?
Follow-up
Do they know about this conversation?
Why ask it: Finds the budget holder, who may not be the person you are speaking to.
Budget
What would make this worth the investment for you?
Follow-up
What result would you need to see?
Why ask it: Links price to value as the customer defines it.
Budget
Is anything else competing for the same money?
Follow-up
How would you choose between them?
Why ask it: Shows what you are really competing with, which is often not another supplier.
Budget
Would you prefer a one-off cost or an ongoing one?
Follow-up
Does it depend on the type of budget?
Why ask it: Fits the way you propose pricing to how the customer pays.
Budget
How did similar purchases go in the past?
Follow-up
What would you do differently?
Why ask it: Uncovers earlier disappointments that shape how careful the customer is now.
Budget
Is there a limit I should respect so I do not waste your time?
Follow-up
What happens if we are above it?
Why ask it: Honest and respectful: both sides can stop early if it does not fit.
Timeline
When would you like this solved?
Follow-up
How firm is that date?
Why ask it: Separates a real deadline from a wish.
Timeline
What is driving that date?
Follow-up
Who set it?
Why ask it: A real reason, such as an event or a contract end, tells you how much room there is.
Timeline
What happens if it slips by a month?
Follow-up
And by a quarter?
Why ask it: Shows the cost of delay in the customer's words, without you creating urgency.
Timeline
When will you next review this?
Follow-up
Who takes part in that review?
Why ask it: Finds a natural moment in the customer's own calendar.
Timeline
What else is on your plate that could affect the timing?
Follow-up
Which of those has priority?
Why ask it: Shows competing projects and whether the date is realistic.
Timeline
How long do decisions like this usually take with you?
Follow-up
What slowed the last one down?
Why ask it: Sets expectations from the customer's real experience.
Timeline
When would you need to start to meet your date?
Follow-up
What has to happen before that?
Why ask it: Works backwards from the date to the real starting point.
Timeline
Is there anything that must happen before you could start?
Follow-up
Who would take care of it?
Why ask it: Finds blockers that are outside your product.
Timeline
What would be a realistic first step in the next week or two?
Follow-up
Who should be there?
Why ask it: Keeps the conversation moving with a small, agreed action.
Timeline
When should I follow up, and how would you prefer it?
Follow-up
Phone, e-mail or a message?
Why ask it: Agrees the next contact in the customer's own way, which is respectful and clear.
Frequently asked questions
What are good discovery call questions?
Open questions about the customer’s situation, problem, its impact, the current solution, the decision process and the timeline, each followed by a short probe. Ask one at a time and repeat the answer back before you move on.
In what order should I ask discovery questions?
Usually opening, problem, impact, current solution, decision process, timeline and next step. Follow the customer if they jump ahead, then come back to what you skipped.
What is the difference between a discovery question and a probe?
A discovery question opens a topic. A probe follows a short or vague answer, for example “What do you mean by that?” or “When did that last happen?”, and is where most useful detail comes from.
Can I practise discovery questions without a real customer?
Yes. Ask them out loud to a colleague or in a voice practice call. In DIRI AI an AI customer answers the way a busy person might, sometimes briefly, and the report after the call quotes moments from your own words. The Free plan gives 3 calls a month of up to five minutes each.
Ask the questions out loud before a real call
In DIRI AI an AI customer answers your discovery questions the way a busy person might: short, sometimes vague, sometimes off topic. Start with a free AI call. The Free plan costs nothing.
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