Act as an experienced B2B discovery-call coach. Create a call script that helps me understand fit, urgency, stakeholders, and the next appropriate step. Do not fabricate facts about the prospect, their company, budget, competitors, or business priorities. - MY OFFER: [MY OFFER] - PROSPECT AND ACCOUNT: [PROSPECT CONTEXT] - REASON FOR THE CALL: [CALL CONTEXT] - QUALIFICATION CRITERIA: [QUALIFICATION CRITERIA] - KNOWN PAINS OR SIGNALS: [KNOWN SIGNALS] - DESIRED NEXT STEP: [DESIRED NEXT STEP] Write a 25-minute script with estimated minutes for each section: 1. Opening: permission-based agenda, a concise reason for the conversation, and a question that confirms the prospect's priorities. Do not lead with a product pitch. 2. Discovery: 10 questions in a logical sequence covering current process, impact, desired outcome, urgency, decision process, stakeholders, implementation constraints, and alternatives. Include a follow-up probe after each question and note what a strong, weak, or disqualifying answer might sound like against [QUALIFICATION CRITERIA]. 3. Tailored transition: two ways to summarize what I heard, one for clear fit and one for uncertain fit. Tie only confirmed pains to relevant capabilities in [MY OFFER]. 4. Objection responses for “we already have a solution,” “this is not a priority,” and “send information,” using a question-first approach rather than rebuttals. 5. Next-step close: exact language for scheduling [DESIRED NEXT STEP], defining attendees, purpose, preparation, and a polite no-fit close. 6. A CRM note template with fields for problem, impact, timeline, stakeholders, next step, risks, and evidence. Self-check that each discovery question earns useful information for a decision. Flag any question that sounds leading, repeats another question, or assumes a pain the prospect has not confirmed. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [MY OFFER] | Describe your product or service, its relevant capabilities, ideal customer, and important limits. | A workflow analytics platform for support teams that identifies repeat contacts and bottlenecks; implementation takes four weeks and requires help-desk data access. |
| [PROSPECT CONTEXT] | Provide the prospect's role, company context, publicly known information, and any prior interactions. | Jordan Patel, VP Customer Experience at a 180-person ecommerce retailer using Zendesk; attended our webinar. |
| [CALL CONTEXT] | Explain how the call was booked and what prompted the conversation. | Jordan requested a conversation after downloading a guide on reducing repeat contacts. |
| [QUALIFICATION CRITERIA] | List the conditions that make an account a good fit, including use case, authority, timing, and constraints. | Support team of 25 or more, recurring-contact problem, Zendesk or similar data access, an operations sponsor, and a potential initiative within six months. |
| [KNOWN SIGNALS] | List only verified pains, events, priorities, or trigger signals from research or the prospect. | Public job posts show hiring for support operations. Jordan wrote that repeat contacts are a concern. |
| [DESIRED NEXT STEP] | State the specific next meeting or action you want if there is a qualified fit. | A 45-minute working session with Jordan and a support-operations owner to review one workflow and relevant data requirements. |
How to use
- Research the account first and label public facts separately from assumptions.
- Paste your qualification criteria so the script can identify a no-fit outcome as well as a fit.
- During the call, use the script as a question path, not a line-by-line performance.
- Follow up with: “Create a concise recap email based on these call notes and state only what the prospect confirmed: [CALL NOTES].”
Variations
Inbound demo triage
Use this for a short call that determines whether a requested demo deserves deeper technical time.
Write a 15-minute inbound-demo triage script for [OFFER] with [PROSPECT]. The request came from [SOURCE], and qualified accounts meet [CRITERIA]. Known context is [KNOWN CONTEXT]. Build an opening, seven qualification questions, a quick capability check, routes for qualified and unqualified accounts, and language to book [NEXT STEP]. Do not promise integrations, pricing, outcomes, or timelines not documented in the inputs. Include a CRM disposition for each route.
Agency discovery call
Use this when selling a professional service where scope and buyer readiness matter most.
Create a 30-minute agency discovery script for [AGENCY SERVICE] with [PROSPECT COMPANY]. The proposed business outcome is [OUTCOME], while known project context is [CONTEXT]. We require [FIT CRITERIA] before scoping. Include questions on objectives, baseline, audience, internal resources, decision process, budget range, timeline, and success measures. End with three next-step paths: paid discovery, proposal preparation, or no fit. Do not estimate project cost or promise results without verified inputs.
Renewal discovery
Use this before a renewal conversation to uncover adoption, risk, and expansion potential.
Create a customer-renewal discovery call script for [CUSTOMER] using [PRODUCT]. Their contract renews on [RENEWAL DATE], and known usage data is [USAGE DATA]. Ask questions that surface realized value, adoption barriers, stakeholder changes, upcoming priorities, renewal risks, and expansion relevance. Return a 30-minute agenda, questions with probes, a value-recap framework, and next-step language. Separate product data from customer-confirmed outcomes and do not imply renewal intent before the customer states it.
Tips
- Open by confirming the prospect's reason for taking the call; it prevents a researched assumption from becoming the entire conversation.
- Ask for examples of the current process before asking about consequences. Concrete incidents reveal impact more reliably than abstract dissatisfaction.
- Define disqualifiers before the call. A respectful no-fit close protects time and produces cleaner pipeline data than forcing every prospect toward a demo.
- Write call notes as observed facts, direct quotes, and open questions in separate fields so future follow-up does not turn assumptions into account history.
FAQ
Should I discuss budget on the first discovery call?
Ask when budget is a legitimate qualification factor and the conversation has enough context to make it useful. Frame it around the investment process and scope, not pressure for a number.
How much should I pitch during discovery?
Pitch only enough to establish why a deeper conversation may be relevant. The priority is understanding the problem, fit, and decision path.
Can AI personalize a script from a prospect's website?
It can organize public information you paste in, but verify it and treat it as a hypothesis. Do not claim the prospect has a problem merely because their company website suggests a priority.