Client Discovery Calls Are Not Just for Generating Sales
The longer I run my service business, the more I embrace the word discovery in the phrase client discovery calls.
While the main goal for these calls is to close a sale or move the prospect closer to closing, I’ve found that listening — and at times, asking follow-up questions — opens up a world of data that helps my business on multiple fronts beyond revenue generation.
If your business depends on talking to other business owners or leaders, don’t think of the person at the other end of the phone line or Zoom connection as simply a lead. Just like you, this person has braved a lot when it comes to education, experience, inventiveness, and chutzpah to get to where they are.
If you act like a reporter on these calls — and are open to feedback you’ll sometimes get, both positive and constructive — you’ll discover things like:
New products or services your marketplace needs, and/or add-ons and value-adds that can scale your revenue if you’re the one to solve the additional pain points you hear about.
Real-world benchmarks for KPIs. For example, I recently learned from a few calls that my client close rate is double the current rate in the marketplace right now. The discovery-call conduit to this data can save you a lot of time versus researching current benchmarks — especially if you are somewhat or very niche, making much of this data harder to come by for free.
How your tech stack and systems compare to what other businesses in your space are using. If you’re a solopreneur — and don’t have dedicated staff to manage marketing, IT, or operations — this “channel” can save you from having to go out and research what’s new and the latest offers for tech stack solutions.
How well your communications — including your website, emails, social media, paid ads, etc. — deliver on what you promise your audience(s). For example, if you hear the same question more than once, it might be time to update your product/service landing page and/or FAQ.
New communities and other new channels to join to generate additional exposure for your business.
New “super connector” folks to introduce yourself to, which, if keenly leveraged, can also increase your exposure.
New angles for partnerships and cross-promotions you hadn’t considered. This is especially helpful if your lead is not at a “yes” to your product/service that you initially pitched him or her.
More ideal-client leads. Most of your prospects who are at a “no” or “maybe” to hiring or buying from you still want to help you, and they can be a great source for new leads.
My challenge to you
If you’ve honed your ideal-client pitch over 3+ months — including building solid marketing materials like landing pages and your FAQ — you’re probably a stage where you hear things like, “I like what you offer,” “I want to work with you,” or “I wish I knew about you last month” from your lead when you end your pitch.
If this is you, I challenge you to use the rest of the time on your call with this person to really listen to what he or she has to say. If there’s a short pause, wait to see if your lead fills the silence with more info on their business, who they know, and/or other pain points they’re experiencing that might not be on your radar. My journalism training at Drake University taught me that interview subjects — and in a way, that’s what call leads are — love talking about themselves. Use this truth to your advantage. If the pause gets too long, then ask a question that will get your lead to say more.
Listen, ask more questions, listen some more, use all the time you booked with your lead, and take copious notes. Your future business self will thank you from the present. 😉
An inexpensive (and fun) way to build out your sales leads pipeline
In order to book an ideal-client lead discovery call on your calendar, you usually need permission from your lead — obtained by his or her positive response to your email or direct message.
I’ve found that the best way to make these outreach emails and DMs pack a punch is to first get some “face time” with your leads at virtual networking events. My Virtual Networking 2 Leads System walks you through how to:
source high quality, high impact virtual events from LinkedIn,
set yourself up for success prior to and at these events,
reach out to leads you click with at events, and
track Service-Market Fit for your leads and individual event performance, so you know which ones to attend again
Check out the system here.
