How to Prepare for Discovery Calls: A Complete Guide
Prepd
Sales Research
Discovery calls are the foundation of successful sales cycles. The best sales reps don't wing it. They prepare strategically. In this guide, we'll show you exactly how to prepare for discovery calls that convert, including research strategies, question frameworks, and tools to automate your prep work.
1Why Discovery Call Preparation Matters
Research shows that sales reps who prepare thoroughly for discovery calls have 35% higher conversion rates. The reason is simple: preparation enables you to ask better questions, uncover real pain points, and build credibility with prospects. Without preparation, you're relying on generic scripts that don't resonate.
Key Takeaways
- Prepared reps have 35% higher conversion rates
- Better questions lead to deeper insights
- Credibility comes from showing you understand their business
- Generic approaches waste both your time and the prospect's
2Research the Company Before Your Call
Start your preparation by understanding the prospect's company at a fundamental level. This includes their business model, target customers, recent news, and competitive landscape. Look at their website, recent press releases, LinkedIn company page, and industry news. Pay special attention to recent announcements about growth, funding, new products, or leadership changes. These are often signals of opportunities or challenges.
Key Takeaways
- Review the company website and About page
- Check recent news and press releases
- Understand their products/services and target market
- Note any recent funding, acquisitions, or leadership changes
3Understand the Prospect's Role and Responsibilities
Next, research the person you'll be speaking with. Review their LinkedIn profile to understand their career path, current responsibilities, and any content they've shared. Look for mutual connections who might provide insight or a warm introduction. Understanding their role helps you tailor your questions and speak to their specific challenges.
Key Takeaways
- Review their LinkedIn profile thoroughly
- Note their career trajectory and current responsibilities
- Look for mutual connections or shared interests
- Check if they've published articles or spoken at events
4Identify Pain Point Indicators
Look for signals that indicate the prospect might be experiencing challenges your solution addresses. Job postings often reveal pain points. If they're hiring for roles your product could help with, that's a buying signal. Technology changes, rapid growth, and industry disruption are also common pain point indicators.
Key Takeaways
- Check job postings for roles your product supports
- Look for signs of rapid growth or scaling challenges
- Note any technology changes or migrations
- Consider industry trends affecting their business
5Prepare Smart Discovery Questions
Armed with your research, prepare 5-7 open-ended questions that dig deeper into their challenges. Good discovery questions are specific to their situation, not generic. Instead of 'What are your biggest challenges?', try 'I noticed you're expanding into the enterprise market. What's been the biggest obstacle in that transition?' Context-specific questions show you've done your homework and encourage more valuable responses.
Key Takeaways
- Prepare 5-7 open-ended questions
- Reference your research in your questions
- Focus on challenges, goals, and decision process
- Avoid questions you could answer through research
6Use Tools to Automate Your Research
Manual research is effective but time-consuming. Tools like Prepd can automate much of this process, generating comprehensive research briefs in under 60 seconds. Automated research tools compile company information, recent news, tech stack, decision-maker profiles, and even suggest tailored talking points. This frees you to focus on strategy rather than data gathering.
Key Takeaways
- Automated tools save 20+ minutes per call
- Get consistent, comprehensive research every time
- Focus your time on strategy instead of data gathering
- Prepd generates briefs automatically before your meetings
Frequently Asked Questions
Continue Reading
Ready to automate your pre-call research?
Join thousands of sales professionals who save 20+ minutes per call with Prepd.
No credit card required