In this post, I am going to cover the 5 questions you need to ask during your Discovery Call.
I remember the first time I had to get on a video call for the first time. I was so nervous, unsure and praying I wouldn’t say the wrong thing.
Now that I take multiple client calls and discovery calls a week (sometimes daily), I’ve mastered a few simple steps that make every call effortless. One of the reasons that these calls have become a breeze is that I frame the conversation in such a way that I only have to do 20% of the talking.
How do I get away with only talking about 20% of the conversation?
By asking questions and lots of them.
The goal of each consultation call is to learn as much as you can about your future client so you can serve them in the best way possible. I want you to talk as little as possible and listen as much as possible.
Here are a couple of questions that help frame this type of consultation
If you’re like me, you’ve likely already scoped out this person or business online. You know where they live, what type of company they have, the name of their dog, etc. But, I want you to ask this question anyway. Lean in and listen with a smile and nod to affirm that you are listening. After they’ve stopped sharing, I want you to reference something that you learned about them that they didn’t mention. Example: “I noticed you spoke at
Have you ever worked with Virtual Assistant before?
If the answer is “no”, I want you to ask them what they know about working with a VA, and if they have any questions about how it all works. This can be a really great way to manage their expectations right out of the gate. If the answer is “yes”, I want you to ask them what their previous experience was. Ask questions like, “what did you like about working with a VA”, “what didn’t you like”, and “ how do you hope this experience will be different”.
What is the greatest struggle in your business?
You might have uncovered the answer to this question by now, but I want you to dig a little deeper if you can. You need to learn why they struggle with this aspect of their business. Is it a lack of knowledge, time, interest or otherwise? Ask them how would this service change their day to day operations, and what kind of outcome (return on investment) do they hope to gain by purchasing this service? Learning what their pain points are is vital for
Do you have a budget in mind?
If you’ve chosen not to display prices on your website or in your portfolio then you may want to ask this question before you put together a custom proposal If your prospective client cannot afford or is not willing to pay the price for your services, it’s better to know before you start working on their proposal. If your prospective client states a price that you know is way lower than you’re willing to accept, you can say, “I don’t think I will be able to encompass all of your needs within that price range, but I can give you a few options so you can compare”.
When would you like to start?
If you are providing a custom quote then they likely won’t commit right then and there, but you can frame this question like, “what is your preferred start date for this service? If they answer this question it moves your prospect into the commital phase. It is also a great way to gauge how serious they are about moving forward with you. If they hesitate or don’t want to give you a straight answer then that could be an indication that they’re not ready to bring you on or perhaps don’t know what they want and need time to process.
The next time you get ready to jump on a consultation call I want you to write these questions on a notepad and in big text write “Talk 20%“. If you find yourself rambling or talking
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