💡 Business Tip - Kill Your Discovery Call (Issue #84)

Customers don’t think the way you do

“What in the heck is a discovery call?”

When I first launched my coaching practice, a consultant told me I should set up a free “discovery call” for potential clients to meet me. It was an opportunity to assess fit and decide if we should work together.

There were a few problems with this model:

1. The term “Discovery Call” isn’t how customers think about things.

2. The script for the call was really a hard sales pitch to get a customer to commit to buying right now—before it was too late.

3. People often flaked on the appointment because it was free.

After a few months, I made some changes to this process, and I’m preparing to make another big change.

First, I killed the term “Discovery Call.” I quickly realized that language made no sense to a potential customer. That’s a business owner’s mental model, not theirs. Instead, I use the phrase “Schedule Free Call,” which takes people to a page where they can book a free coaching call on my calendar (i.e., a 20-minute session).

Next, I tossed the sales pitch script into the trash. I hate when someone hits me with a hard sales pitch (e.g., “Buy right now, or the price goes up tomorrow!”). And I felt weird taking people through a scripted conversation meant to force a purchase. Instead, I do my best to coach potential clients and help them as much as possible in that session.

It will surprise you how much you can accomplish in just 20 minutes! My intake questionnaire helps me prepare for the call, so I already know the problems they want me to help them solve.

I still don’t make a sales pitch at the end of the call, but about 97% of people ask me how they can keep working with me. After the call ends, I email them a brief document explaining how my services work. It’s up to them to decide whether to move forward with me. I don’t want to work with anyone who isn’t eager to work with me.

Finally, I’m considering eliminating the free call altogether and charging $20 for a 30-minute strategic coaching session. That price is super affordable for my target customers and a massive discount from my usual rates. Of course, it will be a one-time-only call to decide if they want to keep working with me (i.e., you can’t keep booking $20 calls with me).

The free call attracts too many tire-kickers who can’t afford to hire me (i.e., they aren’t my ideal clients). The lack of financial commitment also resulted in some people not showing up for the call, wasting my time and blocking that appointment window from someone who could have used it (no one values free).

What do you think?

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I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you become a more "Invincible You" so you can live your life on your terms instead of being controlled by someone else's rules. I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane.

Photo by Mike Meyers on Unsplash