A quick one for everyone struggling with close rate and calls: Most “bad discovery calls” aren’t a lead-quality problem. They’re a question-quality problem. Because the call usually isn’t failing at the *top* of the funnel. It’s failing in the first 5 minutes… when we ask soft questions that don’t earn respect, don’t create clarity, and don’t surface truth. So the buyer does what buyers do: They stay vague. They stay polite. They keep their cards close. And you walk away thinking, “These leads suck.” When really… we just didn’t lead. Here’s the old pattern I see a lot: - “So… tell me about your business.” - “What are you looking for?” - “What’s your budget?” - “What’s your timeline?” Those questions sound normal. But they feel like this to the other person: “I don’t know where to take this, so I need you to do the work for me.” That’s what creates the “needy seller” vibe. Not your tone. Not your price. Not even your offer. Your questions. The reframe: It’s not about getting *more* leads. It’s about asking *better* questions on the leads you already have. Because sharp questions do 3 things at once: 1) They create focus 2) They create authority 3) They create safety (the buyer can be honest without getting “pitched at”) Here are 2 questions that instantly change the energy of a discovery call: **1) “What’s happening right now that made this a priority this week?”** If they can’t answer this, the deal isn’t real yet. If they *can* answer it, you just found the trigger. **2) “If we do nothing for the next 90 days, what breaks (or gets more expensive)?”** This pulls the real cost out of the shadows. And it turns “nice to have” into “we should fix this.” Notice what these questions do: - You’re not begging for details. - You’re not trying to “build rapport” for 20 minutes. - You’re calmly guiding the thinking. That’s what experts do. A few simple rules I follow: 1. Stop asking “What do you want?” and start asking “Why now?” 2. Don’t chase “pain.” Chase *change* (what’s different today). 3. Ask questions that a serious buyer would respect. 4. If they stay vague, don’t fill the silence. 5. If they can’t name a consequence, don’t force a solution. 6. Your job is clarity, not convincing. When your questions get sharper… You stop sounding like a seller who needs a yes. And you start sounding like the calm operator who can help them make a good decision. That’s who people want to buy from. What’s one discovery question you’ve asked that instantly improved your calls?
