Discovery Call Checklist | Qualification Framework

The Purpose of Discovery

Discovery isn't about pitching. It's about answering one question: Is this a fit?

A good discovery call does three things:

Qualifies (or disqualifies) — Can they buy? Should they buy?
Uncovers pain — What problem are they trying to solve? How urgent?
Builds rapport — Do they like talking to you? Do you like them?

Most discovery calls fail because reps jump into demo mode too fast. Slow down. Ask questions. Listen.

Before the Call: Prep Checklist

5 minutes of prep saves 15 minutes of stumbling on the call.

Pre-Call Prep (5 min)

Review their LinkedIn

Role, tenure, recent posts or job changes.

Check their company

Size, industry, recent news, funding stage.

Review prior touches

How did they come in? What did they respond to?

Identify 2-3 hypotheses

What do you think their pain points are? Validate on the call.

Prep your questions

Have 5-7 questions ready. You won't ask them all.

The BANT+ Qualification Framework

BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) is old but useful. Here's a modern version:

Qualification Criteria

Criterion	What You're Assessing	Red Flag
Need	Do they have a problem we solve?	"We're just exploring" with no specific pain
Urgency	How soon do they need to solve it?	"Maybe next year" or "No real timeline"
Authority	Can they make/influence the decision?	"I'd need to run it by my boss" (and can't get them on a call)
Budget	Do they have money allocated?	"We have no budget for this" (and no path to getting it)
Fit	Are they in our ICP? Can we actually help?	Wrong industry, wrong size, wrong use case

You don't need all five to be perfect. But you need at least Need + some path to Authority and Budget.

Discovery Questions by Category

Opening Questions

Start broad. Let them set the context.

"What prompted you to take this call today?"
"What were you hoping to get out of our conversation?"
"I saw you [came inbound / responded to my email about X]—can you tell me more about what caught your attention?"

Need / Pain Questions

Dig into their problem. Don't settle for surface-level answers.

"Walk me through how you're currently handling [process/problem]."
"What's working well? What's not?"
"What happens if this doesn't get solved?"
"How long has this been a problem?"
"What have you tried so far?"
"On a scale of 1-10, how urgent is this for you right now?"

Impact Questions

Quantify the problem. This helps them justify the purchase internally.

"How much time does your team spend on this today?"
"What's this costing you—in dollars, time, or opportunity?"
"How does this affect other parts of the business?"
"What would it be worth to solve this?"

Authority / Decision Questions

Understand their buying process without being awkward about it.

"Who else is involved in evaluating solutions like this?"
"Walk me through how your team typically makes decisions on tools like this."
"Have you bought something similar before? How did that process go?"
"Is there anyone else who should be part of our next conversation?"

Budget Questions

Approach budget carefully. These work better mid-call when rapport is built.

"Do you have budget allocated for this, or would this need to be approved?"
"What's your typical range for tools/services in this category?"
"Is budget a potential blocker, or is it more about finding the right solution?"

Timeline Questions

Urgency determines how hard you should push.

"What's driving your timeline on this?"
"When would you ideally want to have something in place?"
"Is there an event or deadline pushing this decision?"
"What happens if this slips to next quarter?"

Discovery Call Structure (30 min)

Here's a pacing guide for a standard 30-minute discovery call:

30-Minute Discovery Framework

Time	Phase	What to Do
0-3 min	Rapport	Small talk, set agenda, confirm time
3-5 min	Opening	Why they took the call, what they're hoping for
5-15 min	Discovery	Need, pain, impact questions. This is the meat.
15-20 min	Process	Authority, budget, timeline questions
20-25 min	Bridge	Brief positioning of your solution (not a demo)
25-30 min	Next Steps	Agree on action items, schedule follow-up

Note-Taking Template

Use this during or immediately after the call:

Discovery Call Notes

COMPANY: _______________
CONTACT: _______________ | ROLE: _______________
DATE: _______________

NEED / PAIN:
- Current situation:
- What's not working:
- Impact of problem:

URGENCY (1-10): ___
- Timeline driver:

AUTHORITY:
- Decision maker(s):
- Buying process:

BUDGET:
- Allocated: Y / N / Unknown
- Range/expectation:

FIT (1-10): ___
- ICP match:
- Can we help:

NEXT STEPS:
- Action items:
- Follow-up date:

QUALIFIED: Y / N / NURTURE

Next-Step Triggers

Based on what you learn, here's what to do next:

Post-Discovery Actions

Qualification Status	Next Step
Strong fit + urgency	Schedule demo with decision-makers
Strong fit, no urgency	Nurture with monthly check-ins
Fit but wrong contact	Ask for intro to decision-maker
No fit / can't help	Disqualify, offer referral if appropriate
Unclear	Send follow-up questions, schedule brief call

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Talking too much

If you're talking more than 40% of the call, you're not doing discovery. You're pitching.

Mistake 2: Accepting surface answers

"Our process is inefficient" isn't enough. Ask: "How so? What happens when it breaks? What does that cost you?"

Mistake 3: Skipping the process questions

Knowing they have pain isn't enough. You need to know who decides, when, and with what budget.

Mistake 4: No clear next step

Never end a call with "I'll send some info." Always end with a specific next step and date.

Discovery Call Checklist: Qualification Framework + Questions