You’ve got a prospect that’s interested in your coaching services - congratulations!
Now what? You need to schedule a discovery call.
A discovery call is a personalized conversation offered to prospective clients to learn about their challenges. It gives your client a chance to determine if your products, programs or services could be a fit.
Being able to set up, run, and close discovery calls is critical as a coach and entrepreneur.
How to Schedule a Successful Discovery Call Step-by-step
Scheduling a discovery call with a potential client is the first step to building a successful coaching relationship.
These meetings are your chance to get to know the prospect and introduce them to your coaching business. It is a great opportunity for both parties to get to know each other and determine if you are going to work well together.
The discovery call sets the tone for the entire relationship, both pre- and post-sale. A successful call can lead to a mutually beneficial partnership, while a poorly executed one can result in wasted time and disappointment.
In this article, we will outline a step-by-step guide to scheduling and conducting a successful discovery call.
Discovery Call Preparation
To begin building a successful coaching relationship, prep for your initial conversations.
It is important to have a clear understanding of both your own coaching services and the specific needs of your client. Research their industry, company, and goals. Show that you are invested in their success by learning as much as you can pre-call.
Use the research you gather to build a call agenda that includes questions about the company or person you’re talking to. It is your job to help guide the prospect through your coaching services.
Scheduling Your Discovery Call
If you don’t put it in the calendar, it doesn’t happen!
The first step in conducting a discovery call is to book the call.
Properly plan and book a meeting with your lead so it will be worth everyone’s time. Here are a few basic steps to follow before your call:
1. Explain the call with an Agenda: Give your prospect a high-level outline and the goals for the call. This lets them know what to expect, and allows your prospect to plan any questions or research on their end.
2. Send a Calendar Invite: If planned manually, create a calendar invitation with the key information and send it to your lead. If planned online, consider using a scheduling tool - allowing you to automatically add the meeting to everyone’s calendar once your prospect books.
3. Follow up with a Reminder pre-meeting: Send an email to your prospect leading up to the call as a gentle reminder. Make sure to re-share any specific meeting link and the meeting time.
This call is designed to uncover the prospect’s pain points and goals. Ultimately, the questions asked during a discovery call will determine if the prospect is a fit for your coaching services.
Conducting the Discovery Call
When conducting the call, it is important to be friendly, engaging, and attentive.
The first few minutes of a discovery call can set the tone for the rest of the meeting. Start by quickly reviewing your agenda so it’s clear to your prospect that you respect their time and needs.
Make sure to introduce yourself and explain your coaching services. Ask the potential client about their goals, challenges, and current situation. Be an active listener and take notes about what they are looking for from a coach.
From there, you’ll want to be sure to ask open-ended questions. Learning why they came to you in the first place should be your number one goal, but allowing them to explain their needs in their own words is key. Using a script can help guide your conversation.
Coaching Discovery Call Script
A discovery call script isn’t really a formal script. Instead, it is more of a plan mapping your ideal conversation. It will help strategize your opening, an introduction of your business, the questions you’ll ask, and your close.
The main purpose of a script is to add structure to your discovery call. Having a plan ensures that you acquire all the information you need to determine if the lead is qualified or unqualified.
Use the following script as a guide before your next coaching discovery call:
1.. Introduction & Building Rapport
- Make sure you welcome your prospect to the call and greet them with enthusiasm. Establish rapport with the potential client by asking about their day.
- Start the call by introducing yourself. Make sure to briefly explain your coaching services and experience.
- Before getting into the call, provide an overview of the call's agenda and objectives. Make sure that you and your prospect are on the same page.
2. Goal-Setting & Situation Assessment
- Ask the potential client about their current goals and aspirations, both personal and professional. Learn what their short and long-term aspirations are.
- Understand their current challenges and obstacles that are preventing them from meeting their goals.
3. Tailoring Your Coaching Services
- Use the information gathered to tailor your coaching services to the client's specific needs.
- Explain how your coaching can help them achieve their goals and overcome their challenges.
- Make sure to use any data and provide real-world examples to help demonstrate value to your prospect.
4. Wrap up the call
- Begin wrapping up the call by identifying action items or next steps.
- Thank the client for their time and reiterate your interest in working together.
- Ask if they have any final questions or concerns before ending the call.
5. Next steps
- After the call, send the client a meeting summary of the call. Make sure to include any additional resources or materials that may be useful to them.
- Follow up on your action items to continue moving your prospect along the sales cycle.
As you have more and more discovery meetings, you will learn what does and doesn’t work for your prospects. Consider developing different scripts and approaches for each buyer persona you have. The questions and needs for one target audience might be irrelevant for another.
Follow-Up
The first thing you’ll want to do after ending the discovery call is track the important details from your conversation. Add this information to your CRM to prepare for follow up with your potential client.
Use the meeting notes to send them an email summarizing the key points discussed during the call. If it went well, make sure to reiterate your interest in working together and include details for next steps. If it was not a fit, make sure you still thank the prospect for their time and consideration.
Make sure to include any additional resources or materials that may be useful to your prospect - pricing, program duration, what to expect out of each coaching session, and so on.
Follow up your discovery calls with Bonsai
A discovery call is hopefully the first step of your coaching relationship. After meeting, you will better understand your client’s needs and what they are looking for in a coach.
Once your prospect is ready to become a client, you can use Bonsai’s Coach Contract Template to create the perfect coaching agreement.
Bonsai is a full-stack business management software platform enabling coaches and tens of thousands of entrepreneurs around the world every day. We are offering a free 7 day trial for a limited time! Try it out and take your coaching business to the next level.
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