How To Ace Your Next Sales Call Or Discovery Call
When you run your own business, selling is one of those parts that can feel awkward until you’re into your rhythm - especially when you’re trying to do it on a call.
Sales calls have long been an effective way to score new clients, but that doesn’t mean a pushy, uncomfortable-for-everyone phone call - there are plenty of ways to create a genuine, authentic relationship with your future clients over the phone that generate real sales while also providing value.
Let’s take a look at how to master your sales call sans sleaze and nail the entire process: before, during, and after…
First, what ARE discovery / sales calls?
Discovery calls are your opportunity to:
Provide service
Find out what your client desires
Build trust
Help them understand what their experience with you will be like
Confirm suitability
Give a tailored recommendation
Before your discovery call
Prep, prep, and prep some more
Make sure you do your prep in advance. If possible, get your potential client to fill out a pre-assessment form so you know what they’re looking for, what their problem areas are, and if they have the budget to work with you. Read through the info you’ve got, and check out their website and socials too, so you can get a good feel for who you’re chatting to. If you’re not 100% confident about sales calls, it also really helps to nail your pitch in advance. Sketch out a few lines about what your offer is, who it helps, and what the key benefits are. Think about FAQs, and make sure they’re answered in your pitch. Read it over until you’re confident delivering it IRL.
Blast the tunes
This step is essential - well, not really, but the sentiment is. A great sales call is one where the person on the other end of the phone can feel your enthusiasm. Blasting your favourite tunes pre-call will help you shake off the nerves and get excited about this amazing opportunity and what it can do for the future of your business. Enthusiasm is infectious, so get pumped with your favourite ‘I got this’ tunes - no judgement here on what gets played.
Remember why you started
It’s so easy to get swept up by the specifics of your sales call, and forget to take the time to think about why this all started. Pre-call, remind yourself of where your business began; your goals, your aspirations, what you were creating for your clients. Revisit your mission statement or write down some of the personal reasons as to why you started your business. It’s a great pre-call ritual to help you communicate the values of your business with your clients and create an authentic enthusiasm for the sale.
Have a structure
Feeling prepared is the key to coming across confident. This doesn't mean that you should have a full script ready to go but some notes or even key points on a post-it will help you keep the call streamlined and ensure you cover everything you need to. Key points you might want to cover include: the offer details, how it will benefit your client, how you’ve helped similar people, FAQs people tend to have, the company values, and their investment.
During your sales call
Set your intention
Your client will be looking to you to ‘lead’ the conversation, understand their current situation and why they contacted you. Open by saying the purpose of the call is for you both to better understand whether you might be a good fit for each other. Be clear that the call is NOT about getting a sale, it’s about providing due care and attention to the human being on the other end: finding out where they’re at so you can share information that will help them make an informed position. Your goal is service: to leave them feeling able to make the best decision for them with as little guesswork as possible.
Listen more than you talk
The art of selling comes down to presenting a solution to someone’s problem - but you won’t get to the bottom of what that problem is if you do all the talking! Ask open-ended questions and really listen to the answers. That way, you’ll be able to figure out if and how you’re able to help.
Explore the problem
Ask questions that will help you understand what’s going on for them. This will help you to do a sense check on whether you can help, and which of your offers (if any) could be a good fit for them.
Some questions to consider asking are:
What specifically are they struggling with right now?
What have they tried already?
What are the timeframes to fix it?
What is their biggest priority?
Establish goals
Every client will have different goals, and it’s really important to consider each case individually instead of relying on assumption about what they want. It is crucial to understand what THIS client is aiming to achieve before you can proceed.
Can you help them?
Stay in steps 2-3 above until you are absolutely clear on whether your services are the right match for them. This will take varying lengths of time depending on the client, but it is your responsibility as a service provider to isolate the problem for them and then connect your solution to that problem. You are the expert, and they need you to be honest about your findings in order to gain your trust.
If no: explain and provide alternative recommendations.
If yes: go to step 5
Ask for consent
Once you have established suitability, tell them what you’ve identified to be an area to work on, and invite your client to learn more about how specifically you can move them closer to their goal. Explain what they will get from working with you that matches their specific needs. It’s really important that you communicate what the experience will be like (and won’t be like) to give the full picture ahead of time.
Next steps
What happens now?
How can they find out more about what happens if and when they want to proceed?
Will you send over a proposal?
When can they expect to hear from you again?
Leave time for questions
You can’t spend all day on sales calls with people who aren’t seriously interested, but at the same time, you can’t rush your potential client! Don’t book a meeting directly after the call, just in case there are a lot of questions for you to answer. You want your potential clients to feel like all their questions and concerns have been addressed before they decide to work with you.
After the discovery call
Remember to follow up!
Had a good sales call, but didn’t hear anything afterwards? Consider sending a gentle nudge via email a few days later. Chances are, they’ve been busy and haven't had a moment to think. They could still be raring to go though, so don’t shy away from a quick “just wanted to check in!” email.
Key takeaways to ace your next discovery call:
💥 Be clear that the call is NOT about getting a sale, it’s about providing due care and attention to the human being on the other end: finding out where they’re at so you can share information that will help them make an informed position.
💥 Lead the conversation by asking the questions that will unlock the information you need to be able to help.
💥 Research the problem and uncover the aspirations of your client. What are they working on and how quickly are they hoping to get there?
💥 Why do they need your help and can you actually give them what they need?
💥 If they are the right fit and you can help them, invite them to learn more about what working with you will look like.
💥 Set the scene and be specific about what you will work through together and what will be different at the end.
💥 What happens next? Tell them if you’ll send a summary note, ask them if they have any questions and be clear about how they can proceed when they have made their decision.
Sales / discovery calls are a brilliant opportunity to show your client their experience matters to you!
I have found it helpful to use this framework that centres around SERVICE, not selling. And if you prefer being authentic over “salesy” I hope it helps you too.
Leading calls this way ensures you are providing a tailored service that’s relevant for your clients. It shows you care about the experience they will have with you to tell them about it, and allows them to get a feel for how you’ll fit together, which is so important especially for people who might have had their fingers burned in the past and be feeling nervous about investing.