Vocabulary
8 key words for this lesson
PAIN POINT
A specific problem or frustration that a customer experiences regularly — the thing that is making their work harder than it should be.
Before you pitch anything, you need to understand their pain points — what is actually slowing them down day to day.
BOTTLENECK
A point in a process that slows everything else down — where work gets stuck or piles up.
The bottleneck in their pipeline was the approval process — deals were getting stuck there for weeks before anyone followed up.
PRIORITY
The thing that matters most right now — what the team or business is focused on above everything else.
Understanding their priorities tells you which problems they are actually motivated to solve and which ones they can live with.
WORKAROUND
A temporary solution someone uses because the proper fix is not in place yet — often a sign that a real problem exists.
When a prospect describes a workaround, that is a strong signal — it means the problem is real enough that they built something to manage it.
DIAGNOSE
To identify the root cause of a problem by asking the right questions — like a doctor figuring out what is wrong before prescribing anything.
A good discovery call is not about selling — it is about diagnosing. You are trying to understand the real problem, not just the surface one.
PROBE
To ask follow-up questions that go deeper into what the prospect has said — to get beyond the first answer.
When they say 'communication is an issue', probe — ask what that looks like in practice, who it affects, and how long it has been going on.
UNCOVER
To find out something the prospect has not volunteered — often a hidden problem or need that comes out through careful questioning.
The best discovery questions uncover problems the prospect did not even realise they wanted to talk about.
BANDWIDTH
The capacity a team has to take on new work, change, or initiative — if they have no bandwidth, even a great solution will not get implemented.
Before proposing anything, ask about bandwidth — if the team is already at capacity, timing becomes part of the conversation.
Phrases
6 phrases and their meanings
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE
Ask the prospect to describe a problem concretely — move from a general statement to a real, specific example.
You mention that handoffs between teams are a problem — what does that look like in practice? Can you walk me through a recent example?
HOW IS THAT AFFECTING
Explore the impact of a challenge on the team, the process, or the business — moves the conversation from problem to consequence.
How is that affecting the rest of the team? Are deals slipping because of it, or is it more of a morale issue at this point?
WHAT HAVE YOU TRIED SO FAR
Find out what solutions the prospect has already attempted — avoids suggesting something they have already ruled out and shows you are listening.
What have you tried so far to solve this? I want to make sure I understand what has worked and what has not before I suggest anything.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING
A focus question that helps the prospect identify their single biggest priority — useful when they have described multiple problems.
If you could change one thing about how your team manages the pipeline right now, what would it be?
WHAT WOULD GOOD LOOK LIKE
A future-state question that helps the prospect articulate what success means to them — gets them thinking about the outcome, not just the problem.
What would good look like for you six months from now? If we solve this properly, what changes for your team?
WALK ME THROUGH
Ask the prospect to describe a process, situation, or problem step by step — gives you a full picture rather than a summary.
Walk me through what happens when a new lead comes in — from the moment it enters the system to the first call. I want to understand the full flow.
Videos
Watch these terms used in context
Dialogue
Read the dialogue and hover the blue words for definitions
Riley
MarcusMarcus, thanks for making the time. Before I say anything about what we do, I'd love to understand your world a bit better. Can I ask you some questions first?
Of course — that's a refreshing way to start a call, actually.
Glad to hear it. So — walk me through how your team currently manages deals from first contact to close. I want to diagnose before I suggest anything.
Sure. Leads come in from a few different channels — marketing, referrals, outbound. They go into the CRM, someone picks them up, and then honestly it gets a bit inconsistent from there.
When you say inconsistent — what does that look like in practice? Is it the follow-up timing, the messaging, something else?
Mostly the follow-up. Some reps are on it within an hour, others take a day or two. It's become a real bottleneck for us.
How is that affecting your conversion rate? Are you seeing deals go cold because of the delay, or is it more of an internal visibility issue?
Both, honestly. We lose some deals, and I have no idea which ones until it's too late. The pain point is really the lack of visibility.
Understood. What have you tried so far to address it? I want to know what has already been on the table before I go any further.
We built a workaround — a shared spreadsheet that reps are supposed to update daily. But it only works if everyone actually does it, which they don't.
That makes sense — a manual workaround only works until it doesn't. If you could change one thing about how your pipeline works right now, what would it be?
Honestly? Visibility. I want to know, at any point, exactly where every deal is and who is responsible for the next step.
That's really helpful. Last question — what would good look like for you, say, six months from now? If we solve this properly, what changes for you and the team?
I stop firefighting and start actually probeing into why deals are won or lost — rather than just trying to figure out where they went.
Exercises
Complete all three exercises to see your final score
Matching
Click a word, then click its correct definition.
Click a word on the left, then its definition on the right.
Words
Definitions
Fill in the Blank
Drag the correct words from the word bank to complete each sentence.
Sentence 1
Before you pitch anything, you need to understand their— — —— what is actually making their work harder than it should be.
Sentence 2
The— — —in their pipeline was the approval process — deals were getting stuck there for weeks.
Sentence 3
Understanding their— — —tells you which problems they are actually motivated to solve right now.
Sentence 4
When a prospect describes a— — —, that is a signal — it means the problem is real enough that they built something to manage it.
Sentence 5
A good discovery call is not about selling — it is about— — —. You are trying to understand the real problem, not just the surface one.
Sentence 6
When they say 'communication is an issue',— — —— ask what that looks like in practice and who it affects.
Sentence 7
The best discovery questions— — —problems the prospect did not even realise they wanted to talk about.
Sentence 8
Before proposing anything, ask about— — —— if the team is already at capacity, timing becomes part of the conversation.
Tip: Think about the meaning of each word and what makes sense in the sentence.
Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each question about the dialogue.
1.What does Riley do at the start of the call, before saying anything about her product?
2.Marcus says the follow-up process is 'inconsistent'. What does Riley do next?
3.What is the main bottleneck Marcus describes?
4.What workaround has Marcus's team been using?
5.Why does Riley ask 'What have you tried so far?'
6.What is Marcus's single biggest priority when Riley asks 'If you could change one thing'?
7.What does Riley's 'what would good look like' question do in the conversation?
8.According to the Register Traps, what is one of the most powerful questions in discovery?
Group Activities
Role-play scenarios and discussion questions for group classes
🎯 Choose the Best Response
Work in groups. Each situation calls for a discovery question. Choose the response that best uncovers what the prospect actually needs — not the one that sounds most polished. Discuss your reasoning before clicking.
Customer says
“A prospect says: 'We have a lot of data but we're not really using it well.'”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“A prospect says they have tried three different tools in the last two years and none of them worked.”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“A prospect says: 'Our biggest challenge right now is honestly just time. Everyone is stretched.'”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“You have asked several questions and the prospect has described four or five different challenges. You need to find out which one matters most.”
Salesperson responds…
🔗 Customer Profile Match
Read the three prospect situations. As a group, decide which type of discovery question is the best first move for each. Match each prospect to the question type that fits their situation best, then click 'Check Matches'.
Plans / Options
Walk me through the current process
Use 'Walk me through...' to get a full picture before forming any opinions. When someone has inherited a situation they didn't design, a step-by-step walkthrough is the fastest way to identify where the real problems are — and avoids assuming you already know.
If you could change one thing
When a prospect has described too many problems, use 'If you could change one thing...' to help them identify their actual priority. Without this, you risk building a proposal around the wrong problem — or trying to solve everything at once.
What have you tried so far
When someone signals frustration with previous attempts, ask 'What have you tried so far?' first. It shows respect for what they've already done, tells you what to avoid, and — critically — helps you understand why those attempts failed before you propose something new.
Customers — which plan fits each one?
David
David has just taken over as Head of Sales. He inherited a team, a CRM, and a set of processes he didn't design. He has strong opinions about what isn't working but hasn't had time to dig into the root causes yet. He's energetic and wants to move fast.
Sonia
Sonia is the Operations Manager at a mid-size logistics company. She has described at least five different problems in the last three minutes — visibility, reporting, team communication, tool overload, and budget pressure. You are starting to lose the thread.
Tom
Tom mentions that his team has 'tried a few things' to fix their onboarding process but nothing has stuck. He seems slightly frustrated — maybe a bit cynical about new solutions. He hasn't said what he's tried yet.
✏️ Finish the Salesperson's Line
The salesperson has started a discovery question — but it's been cut off. Finish it in a way that opens up the conversation rather than closing it down. Use vocabulary and phrases from this lesson. Compare your versions, then click to see a suggested answer.
Customer
“Prospect: 'Yeah, reporting is a bit of a mess for us right now.'”
Salesperson
“When you say it's a mess — what does that …”
Customer
“Prospect has just described three separate problems — slow approvals, manual reporting, and inconsistent follow-up.”
Salesperson
“That's really helpful context. If you could change …”
Customer
“Prospect: 'We've looked at a couple of solutions before but it never went anywhere.'”
Salesperson
“I'd like to understand that better — what have you …”
Customer
“Prospect has just told you their goal for the next six months.”
Salesperson
“That's a clear goal. What would good …”