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Discovery calls can be an easy way to fill a new coach’s calendar, but too many coaches struggle to book an actual paying client from the discovery call. The Ultimate Discovery Call Formula is a proven formula for getting the most out of your consultation call and booking more paying clients for your life coaching business.
Discovery Call or Free Coaching Session?
A discovery call is different from a free coaching session. A discovery call is an initial, introductory conversation that allows both the coach and potential client an opportunity to get to know each other and see if they are a good fit. The desired outcome of the discovery call is clarity on whether this relationship is feasible.
In a coaching session, the coach’s goal is to help the client identify and address specific challenges. The desired outcome for a coaching session is for the client to have an apparent action item that moves them forward to their goal.
Many new coaches mistakenly use their coaching session framework and try to slap on a sales pitch in the last five minutes. Providing tremendous value to a potential client can be advantageous. Still, when the discovery call becomes a free coaching session, the client’s homework becomes completing the action items uncovered in the call and not thinking about the bigger picture and their long-term goals.
The ultimate discovery call formula is designed to help you showcase your value in a way the client can see while addressing their needs.
Ultimate Discovery Call Formula
The Ultimate Discovery Call formula is incredibly similar to a professional coaching model, as the goal is to better understand the motivations and goals of the prospective client.
Step #1: Create rapport and establish agenda.
By establishing an agenda, you take charge, set the tone of the call, and build authority. Remember, you are a professional coach, but they are not a professional client.
As part of the rapport and agenda, let them know you will ask them questions so you can better understand their situation.
Step #2: Ask questions.
This is your sweet spot as a coach. The heart of sales is uncovering the other person’s needs, and so is coaching.
Start with “How did you find me?” This is a way to track your marketing efficiency, and it’s an easy question to forget. Plus, it’s a great way to develop rapport.
“What brought you here?” This allows the prospect to explain their problem, in their words, not yours.
“How long has this been an issue?” This question is designed to get them to be honest with themselves about how long they’ve been enduring this situation.
“What have you tried so far?” This will show how resourceful they have been to date and can also be an indicator of their willingness to tackle the situation.
“How did that work for you?” This can help you uncover habitual obstacles and help you better understand where they are stuck.
“Why is now the right time to tackle this?” You are getting their commitment level.
Step #3: Share Relevant Stories
The human brain loves stories. Studies have proven that stories are the most powerful way to communicate since stories activate multiple parts of the brain. Throughout history, generation after generation has shared stories to pass on their knowledge. You might not be able to remember a fact you learned last month or a statistic you learned in high school, but you can easily recall a story your grandfather told you when you were eight.
People can retain up to 70 percent of information shared through stories vs. only 10 percent retained through data and stats.
Instead of listing the cold and hard facts of working with you, focus on stories that highlight what they can experience once they work with you. This can be done with case studies, client testimonials, or your own personal experience.
Step #4: Overcome Common Objections With Stories
The two most common objections are also people’s greatest resources: time and money.
But, if you know in advance that one {or both} are likely to be the very reason someone gives you to not work with you, can you overcome them before they are used by showing how little time or money working with you costs, especially when you factor in how much time or money they lose by not working with you.
Step #5: Stealth Sales Move
At this point, the prospect is mentally preparing for the sales conversation. So ask an either/or question that is related to working with you, such as “Are mornings or afternoons better for you?” If they are ready to purchase, they will answer with one of the choices provided.
However, if they are not ready, they will tell you to slow your roll. And that’s when you can reply that you are simply getting the information to make sure you can prepare the best possible presentation for them. This is your cue that your sales process is not yet complete.
Step #6: Ask Permission to Share Opportunity
Segueing with a question is a great way to snap their brain to attention and getting them on board with moving to the next step in the process. You’ve spent the majority of your time together listening, and now it’s their turn to listen and process.
Plus, when they give permission to hear the offer, they are more receptive to consider the offer. They just said yes, they wanted to know more.
Step #7: Offer Your Top Package
Start with the mack-daddy, premium, creme de la creme package and include relevant information you’ve gleaned from the discovery call {such as the answer to your stealth sales move}, with an emphasis on the outcome and not on the mechanics of the offer.
The most memorable {and weirdest} piece of advice I’ve received was back in my corporate sponsorship days. I created a slick sales deck for a new client, and since I was new to the team and a little nervous in a sales role, I went deep into the deliverables, trying to justify the price tag. I was about 5 minutes into my practice pitch session with my VP when he cleared his throat and said, “Don’t tell me about the crying and pain, just show me the baby.”
Wait, what?
For people new to sales, especially those uncomfortable with selling, information overload is a coping mechanism. If we talk a lot and spew a lot of information, we must know what we’re talking about.
Your potential client may not need to hear about the mechanics of your program; they just need to know the outcome. Instead of going deep into details, start with the outcome and the high-level details they need to make their decision.
Then ask if having this level of support would help them achieve what they stated they wanted at the beginning of the call.
Step #8: Stop Talking
For many people, this is the hardest part of the sales process. We present the offer and the client is silent. Our brain immediately assumes the worst and wants to break the silence with “Why don’t you think about it and get back to me” or “I can offer you a discount.”
But they are most likely just considering the offer. Give them a moment to process the information.
If the offer isn’t right for them right now, offer them a lower investment solution. By starting with your premium package, you have other options that can still serve them.
Step #9: Make It Easy
If they’ve said Yes, the last thing you want to do is make it difficult for them to move to the next step. Offer to collect payment at that time and book the first call. You can send them the client agreement and other pertinent information via email but collect payment ASAP, so you can get that first call booked and begin working with them.
Won’t Using the Ultimate Discovery Call Formula Make Me Sound Like a Robot?
*Beep Beep Beep* Buy my thing.
Recently, a realtor reached out to me about the possibility of buying my investment property. I hadn’t even consider selling it, but his text intrigued me, so I was willing to have a conversation with him about it.
“Why are you looking to sell this house?” he asked.
“I wasn’t even considering it until you texted me,” I replied.
“Right, but why are you thinking about selling this house?” he asked.
“I’m not. I’m just interested in learning more about your offer,” I replied.
“I understand. So, why do you want to sell this house?” he asked.
That is someone following a sales script. Framing the conversation using the Ultimate Sales Call Discovery Formula is very different. The formula is simply a framework to help you structure the call so that you can better understand the client’s needs and present your offer in a way they can easily understand.
Final Thoughts
The discovery call is as much about determining if the other person is a good fit for you as it is about selling your services. If they aren’t someone you believe you can support through coaching, or if you see any red flags, don’t offer to work with them. Refer them to someone else or direct them to other resources.
Building a successful coaching business is hard. Building a successful coaching business as an introvert can feel freakin’ impossible. But it’s not. #PinkyPromise And I wrote an eBook to show you exactly how to do it. Get your free copy here.