How to lead a successful consultation call
When I first started offering free consultation calls for my graphic design business, I remember running straight to Google to absorb every piece of information I could find about how consultation calls worked and what I needed to say. And all too often, I’d come across these short, fluffy posts with tips like, “Just be confident!” “Write out a script.” “Be professional, but personable.”
Ok… but… how do I “just be confident” when the idea of explaining to a stranger why I’m hypothetically amazing gives me crippling anxiety? What would this magical script even say and what do I do if it veers off track because the client wasn’t given the same script ahead of time? And what the heck does it actually look like to balance being friendly and approachable while still positioning myself as an expert in my field?
The reality is, there’s no one-size-fits-all template for exactly what your consultation call should look like. It depends on the type of industry you’re in, the services you offer, and regardless of how prepared you are, there’s always that one unknown factor that you just can’t account for ー the unique circumstances that each prospective client is bringing to the table.
While I can’t give you the “one answer” to what your specific style and approach will be, I can at least provide a detailed description of what mine looks like as a reference point to guide you along your journey. In this post I’ll share some of the key lessons I’ve learned throughout the hundreds of consultation calls I’ve led as a brand and web designer. I’ll explore how to prepare for and structure your call, I’ll provide useful talking points and transitions, and you can even access the Google Document I use to prepare for each new client. Let’s dive in!
Before the Call
Be proactive in setting up the call
As a general rule, you want to make the client experience as smooth and seamless as possible. And that starts from the moment they get in touch with you about your services. If you don’t have an automated scheduling system like Calendly, I suggest giving them a few windows with your availability for them to choose from as soon as they express interest in scheduling a call. Whenever possible, list these times out in the time zone that the client is currently in and make sure you double — even triple check that you have the right time. (Curse you Arizona and your admirable abstinence from observing Daylight Saving Time!)
Be detailed in the windows you give the client and provide several different options for them to easily pick from — no one wants to spend four days emailing back and forth just trying to find a time to talk. Once you have a time nailed down, follow up right away with a calendar invite along with the link to the meeting, and send a friendly reminder the day before confirming the time still works for them. Whenever possible, I recommend setting up a video call using a platform such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts as opposed to a phone call since getting in front of someone is the best way for you to get a sense for each other’s personalities and help you determine if you’re a good fit.
Respect both of your time
I recommend keeping consultation calls to 30 minutes or less. This allows for just enough time for you to start to get to know each other without dragging the call out for too long, becoming a burden on both of your schedules. It also helps protect you from the rare, potential client who might just be fishing for free advice. If a client likes what they hear and genuinely wants to talk to you more, they can demonstrate they respect the value you have to offer by scheduling another time to talk on whatever terms feel appropriate to you.
Do your research
If you’ve perused my website at all, you already know by now that research is kind of my favorite. So of course I’m going to suggest you learn as much as you can about your new client before the call. If they’ve sent over any materials or links to their website, social media, etc., take the time to go through these thoroughly to get a better idea for who they are, what they do, and what they value. I’ve listed a few key background questions you’ll want to take notes on before the call in the Google Document above.
This kind of initiative says a lot about you, and the prospective client will seriously appreciate the effort you’ve already put in. If you go into your call feeling prepared, that energy of confidence and trust will come across. Ultimately, you want the client to walk away feeling excited and inspired as opposed to the awkward and chaotic energy that could transfer to them if they don’t feel like you’ve taken the call seriously.
Set an agenda
Setting an agenda for the meeting and having a loose outline for how you’d like the meeting to go will give you a much greater sense of professionalism and authority. It will also help you feel more confident and in control while allowing you to better space out the conversation. This way you can make sure that you discuss everything you need to during the 30 minutes you have without getting lost on a tangent. I’ve provided the rough outline that I use to structure my calls around in the Google Document above.
Get in the right headspace
The biggest mental shift I had to make when it came to consultation calls was realizing that this isn’t a sales pitch or an interview. You’re not trying to come off as the perfect ( insert whatever you do ) by bragging or wooing someone with all of your knowledge. You’re simply having a conversation to learn more about them and better understand what their primary issue is. The goal here is to make a genuine connection. It helps to take the pressure off a bit when you realize that a consultation call is as much of an opportunity for you to see if you can help them and if you want to work with them as it is for them to learn about you!
A few minutes before your call, make sure to review your notes and go over the agenda one more time so it’s fresh in your mind. I usually have my Zoom pulled up on one side of my screen and the consultation call prep document pulled up on the other side to reference and take notes. I highly recommend taking notes throughout the call to keep track of any questions or to-dos that you want to remember for later. I like to type my notes, but some people prefer to jot theirs down on paper.
During the Call
Start the call off with some introductions (be human!)
Rather than launching right in to business, I always answer the call with warmth and positivity. A smile and a genuine, “It’s so great to meet you, (name)” can be a game changer. Pro-tip: people love to hear their name! If you don’t know how to pronounce someone’s name, make sure you ask right up front: “Also, I want to make sure I’ve got it right; how do you pronounce your name?” Then repeat it and thank them.
Break the ice by asking them a question about their day or where they’re calling from. You can even ask them who referred them to you or how they found you, and if you have a connection, chat about that for a moment. Taking a second to connect with them on a human level can help ease some of the jitters they might have about talking to a professional in an area they don’t have a ton of experience with.
Start broad and then narrow in
After your introductions, as you shift towards the topic at hand, it helps to open up the dialogue with a more general question. I usually start by asking them to tell me a little bit more about them and why they set up the call with me today. This allows them to dive right in to their main pain point. It’s also a great starting point because the ultimate goal of the call is to make a connection to see if it’s a good fit for both of you. You can quickly begin to figure out how you can best offer valuable insights and be supportive of their goals by taking note of what they say here and what is on the top of their mind.
Set your agenda and expectations for the call
Once they’ve shared where they’re coming from, in return, you can then set the stage for what the call will look like by briefly summarizing your agenda and expectations. “Well thank you so much for your time today, I’m so glad you reached out. To get started, I wanted to share how I usually like to lay out consultation calls like this, just so we’re on the same page and you know what to expect.”
This allows them to let go a bit and trust that you have the call under control because it seems like you know what you’re doing (don’t let the imposter syndrome get you here!). Many prospective clients are just as nervous as you are about consultation calls because they have no idea how they are supposed to go, and they might even be a little insecure about the problem they are reaching out to you for help with. This might be their first time working with someone in your field, which means they may not know what the process of working with a designer, coach, etc. even looks like.
Relieve some of that uncertainty by quickly going over the main points on your agenda. This will look different depending on the kind of service you offer, but for a graphic designer it might be:
“First, I’d love to hear a little bit more about your business and what you are looking for so that we have a solid idea about the objectives, deliverables, and scope of the project.”
“Then I’ll talk about some of the packages that I offer and go into more detail about what you can expect with my creative process.”
“After that, we can discuss the budget and timeline you have in mind.”
“And finally I’ll open it up for any and all additional questions you have for me.”
At the end of your brief summary, make sure to ask them “How does that sound to you?” This helps them feel like their opinion and feedback is respected and can serve as a great conversational transition into the next topic.
Get clear on the deliverables and the scope of the project
Follow up by asking another open-ended and yet more specific question about their business, their inspiration, and what exactly they are looking for. This is an opportunity for you to ask whatever questions you need to know to make sure that you are crystal clear on the deliverables, objectives, and scope of the project they have in mind. It’s important for you to clearly define all of this so that you can accurately determine if you will be able to help them and properly estimate the cost of the project later on.
Be respectful of the possibility that some people may not necessarily know how to go about answering all of your questions about the problem they have. Sometimes this can be a sign that they may not be ready to work with you yet, but more often than not, they just need a little guidance… and that’s why you’re there!
Introduce how you can address their concern
Make sure you take the time to really address your client’s main pain point or concern. Reiterate it to make sure there are no misunderstandings and validate that you understand how difficult it can be. Showing this kind of empathy can help you build rapport and a sense of trust with the client since they will feel seen and less alone.
Here you can transition into how you could take some of the weight off of their shoulders by going into more detail about your creative process, approach, and what makes that unique. You could also explain the different types of packages or services you offer to provide a range of solutions for them to consider.
This is your time to let them see your unique flair and personality while also reassuring them that you can solve their problem. It’s also an opportunity for you to tell them what to expect when working with you and how involved they will be in the process.
At this stage, you definitely want to make sure you know your services and approach inside out so that you are ready to answer any questions the client may have. It can help to write some notes down in your consultation prep document or to have another page clearly defining your services and pricing pulled up that you can refer to during the call.
Discuss the budget and timeline openly
This is the conversation that I see so many business owners (both new and established) freeze up during. But now is the perfect opportunity to ask a few gentle questions to discover the prospective client’s expectations regarding the budget and timeline: “Great! So now I’d like to touch on your budget and timeline to get a sense for what you have in mind.”
Sometimes clients will come into the meeting knowing exactly what is in their budget and when they need something completed by. However, more often than not, I tend to see that people have no idea where to even begin because they just aren’t sure what others in your industry normally charge. When I notice the timid or uncomfortable nervousness arise after this question, I like to ease some of the tension by validating how challenging this aspect can be.
“I completely understand! Coming up with a budget can be difficult since there is such a huge range in how (designers, coaches, etc.) price their services, so you’re definitely not alone in the confusion.”
That then can lead into you confidently and openly stating your own base rates.
“To give you an idea, my ___ package starts at ___ and usually takes around ___ weeks/months.” or “My hourly rate is ___ and projects like this usually take around give a range.”
Being up front about your pricing and setting realistic expectations from the start about how long something will take you is crucial to creating an excellent client experience. That way they know from the very beginning if it will be feasible to work with you or if you both are just wasting your time and they might need to look elsewhere for a better fit. It can be uncomfortable at first to confidently state your prices, especially when you begin to suspect during the call that it might not work for them. However, it gets easier with practice and you’ll gradually get better at navigating these situations.
If the price you give seems to startle them, hold your ground. I’m not suggesting you be rude or shame them about not being able to meet your price, but don’t backtrack on what you’ve said or feel like you have to lower your rates to match their budget. You can suggest the possibility of adjusting the scope of the project to better fit their timeline/budget, or you can let them know directly that it sounds like the budget may not be a good fit at the moment.
It’s also totally fine (if the scope of the project is much different than you anticipated going into the call) to hold off on giving them a firm estimate during the call. Instead, give them a ballpark range of how much a project like this normally costs, and say something like, “Right after this call, based on everything we’ve talked about, I can follow up with a more solid estimate and a detailed proposal for you to look through.”
Final questions
With about 5 minutes left (keep an eye on the clock!) you’ll want to start gently steering the call to a neat conclusion. Make sure you ask any of the final questions that you need to know from them. I usually find it helpful to ask them where they’re at in their search/hiring process. This will give you a better idea as to what the next steps will look like for you since they might already know they are ready to move forward with you, or they might still be exploring their options.
After that, indicate that the meeting is beginning to wrap up by asking them “Do you have any final questions for me before we go?” If not, let them know that they can always reach out with other questions they think of via email or your preferred communication method after the call.
Thank them and go over next steps
Make sure you sincerely thank them for taking the time to connect with you. Again, facilitate the process and demonstrate your project management skills by saying something along the lines of:
“Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out to me today. In terms of next steps, I will be following up with...”
Here you can let them know what they can expect from you ー perhaps you’ll be following up with a detailed estimate, proposal, or maybe they are ready to move forward with a contract. You can also remind them at this point if there’s anything you need for them to follow up with. It’s important to give them a timeline on this too so that they aren’t left waiting around in the dark. Always end the call on a good note and with a solid idea of next steps so that they feel secure and in good hands.
After the Call
Follow up and be sincere
Make sure you follow up promptly with a short thank you email and any other information that you mentioned in the call (proposal, estimate, contract, referrals, resources, etc.) If during the call you realized it may not be a good fit, be kind and direct in how you communicate this. Offer to help point them in the direction of someone else who may be a better fit. For example, if you know of someone you trust who offers lower rates or more relevant services, the best option is to refer them over to them directly or make an email introduction for them personally. If you don’t know of anyone else, another alternative is to direct them to a place where they could post their job ー somewhere like Upwork, a freelancing Facebook group, etc.)
This kind of genuine compassion and initiative speaks wonders for you and your brand. Even if they can’t work with you at the moment, they will remember how amazing you were and keep your name saved for later. I’ve gotten several referrals from leads that I never ended up working with directly because even though we weren’t the right fit at the time, they remembered how I went out of my way to point them in the right direction and support their goals.
While consultation calls can seem daunting at first, with practice, you’ll be surprised by how casual and surprisingly enjoyable they can become. (And that’s coming from an introvert with a fear of public speaking!) It’s an opportunity for you to connect with a new person and potentially make a difference in their life even if they don’t end up using your services. Go into your call trusting in your ability to handle any situation that comes up, and you’ll be signing new clients like a boss.
