Discovery call script: the 14 questions that actually qualify a fractional engagement
A copy-paste discovery script for fractional CFOs, CMOs, CTOs, CHROs, and COOs. Builds rapport, surfaces budget and urgency, ends with a clear next step.
A great fractional discovery call qualifies the deal in 30 minutes. A bad one wastes 45 minutes and leaves you guessing. This is the structure and the exact 14 questions that work — copy it, run it for two weeks, then make it your own.
The 30-minute frame
0–5 min: rapport and agenda. "Thanks for the time — I'd love to spend 20 minutes understanding what you're working on, then 5 minutes on whether I'm the right fit, then we'll figure out next steps. Sound good?"
5–20 min: discovery questions (below). 20–25 min: your one-paragraph framing of the fit. 25–30 min: agreed next step with a specific date.
The 14 questions, in order
1. Walk me through what's happening in [function] right now. 2. What triggered the search for fractional support specifically? 3. What does success look like 90 days from now? 4. What's stopped you from solving this internally?
5. Who else is involved in the decision? 6. What's the budget envelope you're working with? 7. When do you need someone in seat? 8. Have you worked with a fractional [role] before — what worked, what didn't? 9. What's the worst-case if this doesn't get fixed in the next 6 months?
10. What other operators or firms are you talking to? 11. How will we measure whether this is working at the 60-day mark? 12. Who owns this internally once I'm gone? 13. Anything else I haven't asked that I should? 14. If we agreed today, what would the next two weeks look like for you?
Reading the answers
Green flags: clear trigger event, real budget number, named stakeholders, specific 90-day outcome, urgency you didn't have to manufacture. Yellow flags: vague answers on budget, founder is the only stakeholder, no clear success metric. Red flags: "we're still figuring out if we even need this," "we'll know it when we see it," or budget that's wildly below market.
How to close the call
Don't pitch. Frame: "Based on what you said, here's how I'd approach the first 30 days, and here's the rough shape of an engagement." Then propose one of two next steps: a written proposal in 48 hours, or a second call with you and the other stakeholder. Always pick one, with a date, before you hang up.
The follow-up email (template)
Send within 24 hours. Three short sections: (1) what I heard, (2) what I'd do in the first 30/60/90 days, (3) the next step we agreed on. Attach nothing. The whole email should fit on a phone screen.
About fractional discovery call script
Should I send the questions in advance?+
Send 3–4 high-level prompts so they show up prepared, but keep the sharper qualifying questions for the live call. You want unrehearsed answers on budget and urgency.
How do I ask about budget without being awkward?+
Ask it neutrally: "Most engagements at this scope land between $X and $Y per month — is that the envelope you're working with?" Naming a range first removes the awkwardness and disqualifies fast.