A successful SaaS sales demo hinges on asking the right discovery questions. These questions are essential for understanding your prospect's unique pain points and challenges, allowing you to tailor the demo accordingly.  Effective discovery goes beyond just gathering information. In fact, our survey report of top sales teams revealed that outdated sales approaches often result in over 30% of leads being unqualified during the initial sales call.  

By carefully crafting your SaaS discovery questions, you'll gather the insights needed to tailor your demo, open up a meaningful conversation, and pave the way for a successful conversion.

We've developed the process of creating effective discovery questions through years of sales experience and customer interactions. This post will draw from that knowledge and outline the steps to develop your own set of powerful questions to ask. Additionally, we’ll be providing a curated list of the best questions you can use to set the stage for a winning demo. Let’s begin.

Crafting the Perfect Set of Discovery Questions

The key to creating the perfect set of best discovery questions in SaaS is to understand what makes a powerful question. These aren't just random queries thrown at a prospect, they have several key features in common:

• Open-ended: They encourage dialogue, not just yes or no answers. Open-ended SaaS discovery questions allow prospects to provide more detail. It reveals deeper insights into their challenges and needs.
• Relevant: These are directly aligned with what you know about the prospect and their industry, which shows that you’ve done your homework and understand their specific context.
• Provocative: Good questions challenge the prospect to think critically about their current situation and the potential impacts of their challenges.
• Goal-oriented: Each question should serve a purpose, whether it’s to uncover pain points, identify business goals, or understand decision-making processes.

Their insights have been invaluable in helping us refine a structured approach to crafting sales discovery questions. Here’s how to run a discovery session and craft questions accordingly.

Step 1: Understand the prospect's journey

Before crafting your questions, understand where the prospect is in their buyer's journey. Understand and communicate the prospect's journey using data-driven insights. This involves recognizing whether they are at the awareness, consideration, or decision stage of their buyer's journey. Now, use this information to tailor sales discovery call questions that are relevant and empathetic to the current challenges they face.

Step 2: Define your objectives

Objectives might include identifying pain points, understanding business goals, or determining budgetary constraints. Always use language that conveys your authoritative position to indicate specific outcomes you aim to achieve in SaaS sales demos. This not only sets a professional tone but also reassures your prospects of your capability to handle their specific needs.

Step 3: Categorise your questions

Organise your SaaS discovery questions into different categories to ensure you cover all essential aspects of the discovery process. Common categories include:

1. Business overview: Questions about the prospect's company, industry, and role.
2. Current situation: Questions to understand their existing processes, challenges, and pain points.
3. Goals and objectives: Questions to identify their short-term and long-term goals, as well as desired outcomes.
4. Decision-making process: Questions to understand their decision-making process, key stakeholders, and decision criteria.
5. Budget and timeline: Questions to explore their budget constraints and timeline for implementing a new solution.

Step 4: Craft open-ended questions

When formulating questions, focus on creating open-ended inquiries that invite detailed responses. Avoid simple yes/no questions to encourage rich dialogue. Instead, use prompts that start with "what," "why," "how," or "describe," as these prompts are known to encourage deep and insightful answers.

Step 5: Prepare follow-up questions

Anticipate and plan follow-up questions based on initial responses. It demonstrates your attentiveness and ability to engage deeply with the prospect's answers. This practice enriches the conversation and reinforces your expertise in addressing complex topics. It also adjusts the dialogue flow as needed for SaaS sales demos.

Step 6: Prioritise and sequence

The methodical approach you use in sequencing your questions demonstrates strategic thinking and planning. It is a quality that instils confidence in your prospects. You should build your questions from broad to specific for a consultative conversation that respects the prospect's time.

Step 7: Monitor the metrics and refine

Emphasise the importance of metrics and continuous improvement in your questioning strategy. Also, try to highlight how you use specific KPIs to measure the effectiveness of your SaaS discovery questions and refine your methods. This shows your commitment to excellence and adaptability while enhancing your trustworthiness and reliability as a sales consultant. Monitoring these metrics should be a regular part of your discovery meeting agenda.

20 powerful SaaS discovery questions you should be asking

Drawing upon years of industry experience and extensive consultations with industry leaders, our team has crafted a set of discovery questions. These questions have been refined through our internal expertise and analyzing real-world insights from AEs on platforms like Reddit.

A discussion on Reddit highlights the types of inquiry that leading AEs value most when identifying client needs. Below is a curated list of 20 dynamic SaaS discovery questions:

1. What specific business challenge are you hoping to solve with our solution?

• The reason: Pinpoints the primary pain point of the client.
• Example: "Are you looking to improve team collaboration, or is streamlining project management your main goal?"
• What to Avoid: Being too general or suggesting answers before they respond.
• Analysis: This question gets to the heart of why the prospect might need your product. It sets the stage for demonstrating how your features meet their needs directly.

2. Can you describe your current process related to our solution?

• The reason: Offers insight into their existing workflow and inefficiencies.
• Example: "Walk me through how your team currently handles customer support tickets from start to finish."
• What to Avoid: Jumping in with solutions before fully understanding their process.
• Analysis: Understanding their current process helps identify gaps that your software can fill. It makes your demo more relevant and compelling.

3. What does success look like for you with this solution?

• The reason: Helps define the client's expectations for a successful outcome.
• Example: "What specific metrics or improvements would you consider a win after implementing our software?"
• What to Avoid: Assuming their success metrics align with your product’s usual selling points.
• Analysis: Aligns your demonstration with the prospect’s goals, ensuring you highlight features that are most relevant to their desired results.

4. Who are the decision-makers and stakeholders involved in this process?

• The reason: Identifies who you need to convince and their roles.
• Example: "Could you share who will be evaluating this solution, and what their main concerns usually are?"
• What to Avoid: Forgetting to ask about any influencers or end-users affected by the decision.
• Analysis: Knowing the decision-makers ensures that your demo addresses the concerns of all parties involved. It increases the chances of buy-in.

5. What is your timeline for decision-making and implementation?

• The reason: Sets realistic expectations for both sides regarding timelines.
• Example: "Are you looking to roll out a new solution this quarter, or are you in the early stages of exploration?"
• What to Avoid: Pushing your timeline onto the client without understanding their needs.
• Analysis: Helps tailor your follow-up and demo strategy to fit within the prospect’s timeline. It makes your solution appear more viable and well-planned.

6. Have you considered or used similar solutions in the past? What worked and what didn’t?

• The reason: Reveals their experience and dissatisfaction with past solutions.
• Example: "What features or aspects of previous solutions did you find beneficial, and which were lacking?"
• What to Avoid: Disparaging competitors or dismissing their past choices.
• Analysis: This information allows you to position your solution as superior by directly addressing the shortcomings of others they've tried.

7. What’s your budget range for this solution?

• The reason: Determines if their budget aligns with your pricing structure.
• Example: "To tailor our discussion, could you provide a ballpark figure for your budget for this type of solution?"
• What to Avoid: Pushing too hard for a specific number if they're hesitant to share.
• Analysis: Ensures the solution you propose fits within their financial expectations and avoids wasted effort on both sides.

8. How do you measure ROI for a solution like ours?

• The reason: Understands their criteria for investment success.
• Example: "What key performance indicators will you use to evaluate the return on investment for this solution?"
• What to Avoid: Assuming your standard ROI metrics apply to their situation.
• Analysis: Tailoring the ROI discussion to their metrics demonstrates the value your software can provide, making a compelling case for investment.

9. What are your top priorities in a solution?

• The reason: Highlights the features and benefits most critical to them.
• Example: "When comparing solutions, what are the top three features or capabilities you cannot compromise on?"
• What to Avoid: Steering the conversation towards features before understanding their priorities.
• Analysis: Ensures your demo focuses on the features that matter most to the prospect.

10. Are there any internal or external constraints that could impact the implementation of our solution?

• The reason: Identifies potential roadblocks early on.
• Example: "Do you foresee any technical, operational, or budgetary constraints that we should be aware of now?"
• What to Avoid: Overlooking the importance of external factors such as regulations or third-party integrations.
• Analysis: Foreseeing potential hurdles allows you to address them in your demo and discussions.

11. What integration capabilities are you looking for in a solution?

• The reason: Identifies any necessary integrations with their existing tech stack.
• Example: "Can you share which tools or platforms you're currently using that our solution needs to integrate with?"
• What to Avoid: Suggesting integrations before understanding their current ecosystem and needs.
• Analysis: Ensures that your demo highlights the compatibility and ease of integration of your solution.

12. How do you foresee our solution fitting into your current workflow?

• The reason: Provides insights into how the client plans to use your solution on a day-to-day basis.
• Example: "Could you describe how you envision our solution being adopted by your team? Are there any processes you expect to change?"
• What to Avoid: Assuming your solution will seamlessly fit into their workflow without customization or adaptation.
• Analysis: Understanding their workflow helps you demonstrate how your solution can be implemented with minimal disruption.

13. What has prompted you to seek a solution at this particular time?

• The reason: Uncovers the urgency and specific events leading up to their decision to explore solutions.
• Example: "Was there a particular challenge or opportunity that motivated you to consider our solution now?"
• What to Avoid: Overlooking the context and timing of their search, which can provide critical insights into their decision-making process.
• Analysis: This question helps tailor your demo to address their immediate needs and capitalise on the timing of their urgency.

14. Can you describe the ideal outcome after implementing our solution?

• The reason: Helps you understand their expectations and desired future state, allowing you to align your solution's benefits accordingly.
• Example: "After successfully integrating our solution, what changes or improvements do you anticipate in your operations or customer satisfaction?"
• What to Avoid: Focusing solely on the features and functions of your solution without connecting them to the client's envisioned outcomes.
• Analysis: Aligns your demo with the prospect’s vision of success to enhance the perceived value of your solution.

15. How do you benchmark and evaluate the performance of your current solutions?

• The reason: Understands their standards for performance and success.
• Example: "What metrics or KPIs do you currently use to assess the effectiveness of your existing systems?"
• What to Avoid: Imposing your own metrics without understanding their benchmarks.
• Analysis: This helps in tailoring your demo to demonstrate how your solution can meet or exceed their performance benchmarks.

16. What are your security requirements for a new solution?

• The reason: Security is a critical concern for many businesses, especially when implementing new software.
• Example: "Could you outline the security features that are non-negotiable for your organisation?"
• What to Avoid: Overlooking to discuss security features that are critical to the prospect.
• Analysis: Demonstrating that your solution meets their security requirements can be a major selling point.

17. What other solutions are you currently considering?

• The reason: Identifies the competition and what your solution is up against.
• Example: "Which other products are you evaluating at this moment, and what do you find appealing about them?"
• What to Avoid: Speaking negatively about competitors.
• Analysis: Gives you the chance to position your solution against others they are considering and highlight your unique advantages.

18. What has been your biggest challenge with your current solution?

• The reason: Identifies specific pain points with current products.
• Example: "What limitations have you encountered with your current setup that you would like to overcome?"
• What to Avoid: Making assumptions about their satisfaction with current solutions.
• Analysis: This question helps emphasise how your solution addresses these specific pain points better than others.

19. How involved are your IT and other technical staff in the decision-making process?

• The reason: Pinpoints the role of technical stakeholders in approving new software.
• Example: "Can you describe how your IT team participates in the evaluation and implementation of new software solutions?"
• What to Avoid: Ignoring the influence of technical staff in the decision-making process.
• Analysis: Ensures that your demo addresses technical concerns that may be critical for approval.

20. What is your process for implementing new solutions, and who is involved?

• The reason: Understand the logistical aspects of adopting new software.
• Example: "Could you walk me through the steps from decision to deployment for new software in your organisation?"
• What to Avoid: Assuming a one-size-fits-all approach to software implementation.
• Analysis: This question allows you to align your implementation strategy with their processes.

Implementing discovery questions in sales demos and calls

Integrating discovery questions into your sales demos and calls is a crucial skill to enhance your interactions with prospects. Here are some tips for effectively using discovery questions during your sales engagements.

• Start with Context: Set the stage for your questions to make prospects comfortable, explaining why you're asking them.
• Integrate Seamlessly: Blend discovery questions into the conversation, linking them to the prospect’s comments or previous discussions.
• Smooth Transitions: Use transitional phrases to naturally connect different parts of the conversation.
• Active Listening: Show engagement by maintaining eye contact, nodding, and not interrupting; paraphrase responses to confirm understanding.
• Tailored Responses: Adjust your follow-ups based on the prospect’s answers to delve deeper into their specific pain points.‍
• Effective Follow-Up: Send a summary email highlighting key points and schedule the next steps to maintain sales momentum.

Customising discovery questions for different SaaS niches

Each SaaS niche, be it CRM, marketing automation, or enterprise solutions, comes with its unique challenges and user expectations. Here’s how to effectively customise your discovery questions for different SaaS markets or product types for key sectors.

• Identify Industry Challenges: Research to understand the specific challenges faced in each SaaS niche such as CRM, marketing automation, or enterprise solutions.
• Understand Buyer Personas: Tailor questions to match the distinct roles, goals, and pain points of buyer personas in each sector.
• Assess Technological Maturity: Modify questions based on the target industry's current technology usage and readiness to adopt new solutions.
• CRM Software Inquiry: Ask, "How does your team manage customer interactions and data? What are the major challenges with your current CRM system?" to highlight potential improvements.
• Marketing Automation Query: Question, "What marketing channels are you using, and how are these processes automated? What gaps exist in your current tools?" to uncover enhancement opportunities.‍
• Purposeful Questioning: Use these insights to craft questions that not only gather information but also strategically align with the prospect's needs and your solution's strengths.

Transitioning from the discovery call to SaaS sales demos

After conducting a thorough discovery call to understand the prospect's needs, challenges, and goals, transit it into every SaaS sales demo. This phase sets the stage for an effective software demo. Here are some key points to cover:

Outline the demo agenda

Begin your SaaS sales demo by clearly detailing what will be covered, using insights from the discovery call to focus on the prospect's key pain points. This sets expectations and prepares the prospect for what’s to come.

‍Example: "Given your focus on improving customer data integration, we’ll start by exploring how our CRM facilitates seamless interaction across all channels."

Personalise using interactive demos

Customize the demo to reflect the specific needs and scenarios described by your prospect. This approach shows that you’re offering a tailored solution, not just a generic product.

Example: "You’ve highlighted challenges with team collaboration, so let's dive into our real-time co-editing capabilities."

Demoboost excels in creating engaging and interactive demos. It allows prospects to interact with the software as if they are using it in their real work environment.

Set expectations for engagement

Clarify that the demo will be interactive and encourage the prospect to ask questions and provide feedback throughout the session, ensuring the demo aligns perfectly with their needs.

Example: "Feel free to ask questions or request to see different features as we go. I'm here to make this as relevant and helpful for you as possible."

Discuss next steps

End the demo with a clear outline of the next steps, such as setting up a follow-up meeting or starting a trial period, to maintain engagement and momentum.

‍Example: "I'll send a summary of what we covered today and propose some dates for our next discussion to dive deeper into any areas of interest."

Why is Demoboost your perfect discovery & sales demo partner?

Demoboost is the ideal partner for both discovery and sales demos due to its ease-of-use and enhanced features. Here's a breakdown of how Demoboost equips sales teams to deliver outstanding results:

1. Streamlined discovery and qualification: Demoboost transforms initial sales interactions by turning what used to be lengthy, ineffective discovery sessions into focused, insightful exchanges. The platform equips the sales rep with deep insights into prospective buyers' needs and the internal dynamics of their organisations. This understanding allows sales teams to precisely target their pitches and adapt their strategies to the specific context of each deal.

2. Enhanced client collaboration: Demoboost provides tools that consolidate feedback and foster collaboration within a unified platform. Having this capability is critical to balancing the diverse viewpoints and priorities of all parties involved. The process facilitates the settlement of conflicts and streamlines the decision-making process.

3. Optimised live sales demo delivery: With Demoboost, sales demos are no longer just presentations but transformative experiences. The platform offers tailored demo flows and scripts, empowering Account Executives (AEs) to deliver each demo with precision and confidence. This structured approach ensures that every interaction is engaging and aligns with the prospective buyer's needs.

4. Empowerment of sales champions: Internal advocacy is a major component of the sales process and Demoboost focuses on empowering the key stakeholders. By equipping these champions with robust arguments and compelling data, Demoboost helps them advocate more effectively. This strategic support is crucial for speeding up the internal buy-in process, thus shortening the overall sales cycle and enhancing success chances.

5. Live demo support: To further support the sales process, Demoboost offers robust features that enhance live demo presentations. Sales teams can benefit from speaker notes, live demo analytics, and the flexibility to adapt demo strategies on the go. These features enhance their confidence and reduce the time needed for preparation.

Book a demo to see how we can enhance your SaaS sales demos with a personalised walkthrough.