How to nail Discovery Calls
Get the YES before the call
In the fast-paced world of business, first impressions matter more than ever. From the time a client lands on your web page to when they click ‘join’ on Zoom, they will have already experienced you and gotten a taste of what it would be like to work with you.
Truth? They’ve probably already made up their mind before they booked the call.
If they hop on and aren’t sure… you either haven’t sealed the deal with your website and processes, or they’re trying to decide between you and someone else. I’m here to help with that first part.
Who am I to have an opinion on any of this? 🤔 I struggled in many ways while getting my own business off the ground, that is f o r s u r e
But the ONE thing I got right straight away? Getting that YES from every.single.discovery call I did.
In fact - I rarely do them anymore. 🤷🏼♀️ My processes are so streamlined that most clients book & pay straight from my Work With Me page.
Waking up to new clients is a pretty good cup of coffee
Needless to say, the Discovery Call and all steps leading up to it are CRUCIAL points of connection.
By carefully crafting a path that takes visitors on a journey that answers their questions, relieves their objections, and allows them to get to know you as the expert you are… you clinching the deal while you sleep, my friend.
If you haven’t heard, we’re kinda obsessed with Dubsado ‘round these parts. Consider this lovely platform your secret weapon for getting that yes on discovery calls. Well, that AND a well-designed & written sales page. 😉
Allow me to we'll walk you through the steps to set up a seamless automated system that not only saves you time but also enhances the client experience.
3 STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL DISCOVERY CALL
Let your website answer objections, share price points and tell what the deliverables are
Show your professionalism by having an easy, automated process for booking a discovery call, complete with email confirmations and reminders.
Ask questions in your contact form to help you prepare for the discovery call
Have a great sales page
The sales page for your offer has to carry a heavy load. This is a powerful tool of weeding out those who aren’t the right fit, attracting those who are, and setting the intention of what is to come should this person choose to keep moving forward.
When done right, a converting sales page will address objections head-on, be transparent about pricing (at LEAST have a starting point), and lay out the deliverables in an easy-to-understand way. If this is done right, you’ll remove barriers to moving forward, you’ll foster trust, and connect with these potential clients so they feel like you understand them. A great sales page isn't just about selling; it's about nurturing a promising relationship, one that sets the stage for a successful discovery call.
Automate the Discovery Call booking process
I pay a lot of attention to how others swirl leads into their world. MOST people have an inquiry form with an automated response that basically says “I’ll be in touch”. Faster than my son can , your clients will already be back to Google, looking for someone who can help RIGHT NOW. You can respond to that inquiry when you want, but chances are, they’re long gone.
Allow clients to select a date and time on your calendar, straight from your website. When you use Dubsado’s schedulers, you can add custom appointment confirmations and reminders. You can even make them specific to whatever type of appointment is being booked!
Here’s how to make this seamless:
Create a lead capture form in Dubsado. Your lead will fill this out when booking the call and it will create a new project in your account. You don’t need to do anything fancy in the settings here. I like to change the status to Consultation and the name of the project to their name by using the name smart field.
Find questions to ask listed below this section.
Write your confirmation and reminder emails (templates > canned emails). Make sure to use smart fields for name and appointment info, and also use the smart field for the video conferencing link if you’re doing that. (make sure video conferencing is enabled in settings!) Here’s a snippet of what I always include–with smart fields:
Date: {{appointment.start | mediumDate}}
Time: {{appointment.start | shortTime}}
Video Conferencing Link: {{appointment | appointmentConferencingLink}}
3. Set up your scheduler. Pay specific attention to: toggling on the video conf, attaching a lead capture form, and adding the email confirmation and reminder(s). You should have already synced this with your personal calendar and set your availability times. If you haven’t done that, then do that before this is live.
Embed the scheduler on your website. Click on the link button next to the name to copy the code. Open up a code block on your website and paste it in there. Easy peasy! Don’t worry if it looks weird here - publish and check it out when it’s live. Then go ahead and type your email address in there to make sure it worked! You should receive the email confirmation, a notification from Dubsado to the business owner and you should now see an event on your personal calendar.
Note: I don’t personally have a workflow attached to this discovery call process. This is enough to get them started as a project in my Dubsado. If they decide to move forward, I can manually send them a proposal, or apply a workflow I created for that purpose.
What questions to ask on your contact form
This doesn’t need to be long, but it does need to be well thought out. Your goal here is to do market research, while at the same time helping yourself prepare for your call. Know what your lead is looking for that they can’t do on their own. What brought them to you and what kind of outcome do they need? Nailing this part will also help you tweak the copy on your sales page and craft FAQ’s around.
Aside from the required questions (name, email, phone, etc), here are 3 questions to ask:
Briefly describe the biggest struggle you have right now regarding your ____.
What else have you tried before you considered outsourcing this project? -OR- Where do you typically go when you don’t know how to do something for your business?
If we move forward, what would make this project a success?
Don’t forget to include “How did you hear about me?” (In Dubsado, make sure to use the project tracking element for this question!)
Connecting with leads through your well-crafted website and automating your discovery calls with Dubsado is not just a game-changer; it's a business transformer. Your clients will appreciate the efficiency. You'll love the organized, hassle-free process. It’s a win/win for everyone.
Cheers to more YESSES and signed proposals
“I know I’m not using Dubsado to it’s full potential” - says everyone
Want to get some eyeballs on your Dubsado setup? Consider me your new Dubsado bff, techy in your back pocket. I offer strategy calls that are like an audit for your account. I will go over your processes, troubleshoot, and work through any roadblocks you’re having. Click that button to learn more:
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1 | Settings & Client processes
2 | Packages & Discounts
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Here’s what else you’ll get:
🎥 Video tour
🛠 Order of operations - building sections in the wrong order can make things much harder!
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Best for those who…. are pretty tech-savvy and need someone to grab them by the shoulders and point them in the right direction.
Investment : freeMegan is a digital organizer for home-based, creative business owners who want running a business to be easier.
She’s part of the first-ever cohort of Certified Dubsado Specialists and has maintained currency through rigorous yearly processes
When Megan isn’t working, she’s probably downing her 4th cup of coffee while rushing to get any of her 5 kids to practice on time, searching Pinterest for meal inspiration, or daydreaming about the next Disney trip.
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