Discovery call plan with the questions that matter

Thirty minutes, eight questions, and you leave knowing if there's a deal.

First calls with a potential client.callsdiscoveryqualification

Plan a 30-minute discovery call.

Who I'm meeting: <role, company, how they found me>
What I know so far: <paste the email thread or notes>
What I sell: <one sentence>
What makes a client a good fit for me: <3 criteria>
What makes a client a bad fit: <3 criteria>

Give me:
1. A 2-sentence opening that sets the agenda and makes clear I'm here to understand, not pitch.
2. Eight questions in order, grouped: their situation today (2), the problem and its cost (3), what they've tried and who decides (2), timing and budget signals (1). Each question: why I'm asking it, and what a good-fit vs bad-fit answer sounds like.
3. Three follow-up probes for vague answers.
4. The last five minutes: how I summarise what I heard, and the only two possible next steps I should offer.
5. A short checklist to fill in right after the call: fit, urgency, decision maker, budget signal, next step.

No leading questions. No questions I could have answered from their website.

Replace every <placeholder> with your own details before you send it.

How to use it

1Do not pitch in a discovery call. The plan puts your talking in the last five minutes for a reason.
2Write the answers down during the call. They become your proposal.
3Paste your notes back in afterwards and ask whether this is a fit.

Reviewed 2026-09-20

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