So you've been reaching out to prospects
left and right, morning, noon, and night,
and working your butt off to land your very first client
and you finally got a bite.
Now what?
Well, first of all, congratulations.
I know it can be super stressful and difficult
trying to land your very first client.
I have been there.
I mean, it is seriously all of the feels am I right?
But now after dozens of client outreach emails,
messages, and referrals, you finally got a response
from someone... and you are freaking out
and wondering "Oh my God, what do I do now?!"
Well, keep watching, because in today's video,
I'm sharing my tips on how to run
the perfect client discovery call
(also known as a sales call),
including the five questions you must ask
to turn that prospect into a paying client.
(upbeat music)
Hey Posse! What's up?
It's Alex, and I'm coming at you this week
with a video made just for all you brand new
hot off the press freelancers who are about to embark
on your very first client discovery call. Eeeeek!
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Now let's get straight to it, shall we?
Get out your pen and some paper
because I'm going to give you the exact steps to follow
to close a new client.
And you're definitely going to want to take some notes.
So first things first...
As soon as you get a positive response
from a potential client,
request a discovery call with them ASAP.
You want to get them on a face-to-face call
so that you can start building a relationship
with them right away.
Yes, even if you're camera shy
this is a very important - no, necessary - first step.
Remember that it's really easy to say no over email
before any rapport is built, but once you get them on a call
it becomes that much more difficult
for them to brush you off.
You want to show them as quickly as possible
that you are a rad human who genuinely cares
about their success.
And I cannot stress this enough, guys...
This call is about them, not about you.
And this is the secret of any successful sales call.
If you're a talker like I am,
then you're really going to have to make sure
to check yourself throughout the call.
They don't just wanna hear your sales pitch.
So none of this, I, I, I, me, me, me, stuff, okay?
Ask about their needs, their expectations and their goals.
Do they need content or do they need copy?
Are they looking for someone short-term or long-term?
It's okay to go in with a list of questions
that you want to ask.
And I'll cover five of my go-to questions
later in this video.
But remember the goal isn't to just complete
a templated checklist.
The goal of a discovery call is to build rapport
with your potential client
and to get a better idea of who they are, what they do,
how you can help them solve a problem...
And perhaps most importantly,
if you vibe with each other.
All right, so with that,
here are my tips for setting up the call.
So in your request for a call,
ask them what time zone they are in
and for three times that work in their calendar this week.
Don't do the whole...
"Oh I don't know, what works best for you?"
"OH, I don't know what works best for YOU?"
Once they get back to you with three time slots
pick a time that also works for you
and then go ahead and schedule a 30-minute call
in your calendar and send them the invite.
Now, it's really important for you to take charge
of this and lead the way here.
Going back and forth and not giving any direction
does not give a very good first impression.
And plus the goal here is to make their life easier.
Leaving all the decisions up to them
will just add one more thing to their
to-do list and the call likely won't happen.
And guys, whatever you do, do not send them
a Calendly link to grab a spot in your calendar.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves.
I know it's easier for you, but it's kind of impersonal
and it implies that you're so busy
that you're not able to prioritize their needs
when you are the one looking for work.
So I like to use Calendly
when there's an equal power dynamic,
but if you're a brand new freelancer
and they're well-established business owner,
show them that you're willing to make any time work.
Trust me this simple stuff really goes a long way.
It'll make you look more dedicated, flexible,
and easy to work with and shows them that you're
a take charge person who will make their life easier.
And that is exactly how you want them to feel.
Now, here is a Copy Posse pro tip.
That way when they see it in their calendar
they know exactly what it is
and who they're going to be talking to.
Because then that is what they see in their calendar,
and they are not having a discovery call with themselves.
Okay, so the day of your call finally arrives.
Yay! Arrive a few minutes early
so you're already on the line when they pop on.
Do not make them wait.
Now the very first thing you should do,
of course, after exchanging hellos and pleasantries...
Like, "Oh where in the world are you from?
Oh, no way, I went there on holiday once."
Is asking for their permission to record the call.
Now, of course, in all of these platforms like Zoom
they will be able to see when you push record
but asking it is just really professional and courteous.
So a simple, "Oh, hey, do you mind if I push record on this
so I don't miss anything?"
It's casual and easy and 99% of people will say yes to that.
I have never had anyone say no.
And this is great because then you can go back
and listen to their exact words
when you're following up with them after the call
without trying to remember it all in your head.
Okay, so after you push record,
you can start by asking them a few simple questions.
Now it's totally fine to go in
with a list of questions that you want to ask.
I do this for every single call I have
whether it be a discovery call or a branding call.
BUT - this is really important,
your conversation should be very organic.
You don't want it to sound like you're grilling them
or interviewing them. Let the natural ping-pong
of questions and conversation happen.
Your job is to be curious about their company and brand
ask the right questions and listen, listen, listen.
And here's another Copy Posse pro tip.
Do not ask yes or no questions.
This will inevitably lead you to do more talking
than your prospect,
which is never a good thing on a discovery call.
So instead of asking...
Instead ask...
And don't ask multiple questions at once.
Ask just one at a time and allow their answers
to naturally lead into the next question.
So with those tips in mind,
here are five of my no-fail questions
to ask during your next discovery call.
And after that I'll share
the single most important thing you must do
after your discovery call to show up professionally
and powerfully and get that money, honey.
All right, question number one.
Now I know this is a really broad question
but it's a great ice breaker.
It's a fantastic opportunity to get the conversation
flowing naturally in one direction or another.
It's also a great way to suss out their expectations.
So are they looking for a magical cure
to a tanking business and think copywriting is the answer?
Are they looking to rock their upcoming launch?
Are they looking to up-level their brand messaging?
Knowing this is so important
so you know how to guide the conversation.
All right, question number two.
So I love to ask this question because it really
gives you insight into who you're potentially working with.
Ask them how they got started in their industry,
what they're most passionate about and why they do it.
This will give you a really good feel
for the type of business they are, what they stand for,
and ultimately if you guys stand for the same thing.
So if you're resonating with what they're saying,
that's a really good sign of a good fit.
Question number three.
It's basic, but it is important.
In order to know if and how you can help them,
you first need to understand the full scope of the project.
So when they answer this question
really dive deep into the specific types of copy they need.
So for example, if they need website copy,
do they need homepage copy, about page copy,
a services page and so on.
If they need sales copy for a launch,
do they also need sales emails?
If they need it all, ask them what they need done first.
Having a clear scope and list of priorities will majorly
come in handy later when you follow up with them.
All right, question number four.
Yes, as always, we go back to the customer avatar.
So believe it or not they're actually people
and entire companies out there who have no friggin' idea
who they are selling to.
So this is a really great time
to get inside the head of your client's audience.
If they don't know the answer, do a little digging
to see if they have at least a general idea
of who will end up buying their product.
And also let them know that you can help them
build an entire customer avatar from scratch
which will drastically increase their conversions
and brand success... and make you look even more profesh.
All right, question number five.
So this is more of a nuts and bolts logistically
kind of question but it is so important to discuss briefly.
If they want a long form sales page in two days,
I'm sorry but that's probably not going to work.
And they most likely have no idea how much work
and research actually goes into a well-crafted sales page.
So this is your opportunity to gently educate them
on the amount of time
and work that's required for the copy they need.
Now, there are a lot of other questions
that you can ask, of course.
So let your conversation naturally flow
and ask whatever comes to mind.
Once you have the answers you need to send a quote
for the scope of work, you can wrap up the call.
And just like at the beginning,
you want to continue to make this process
as easy and seamless as possible for them
assuming you do want to move forward, of course.
So at the end of your call,
let them know that you'll follow up with a quote,
writing samples if they haven't already requested them
and a timeline of deliverables.
When you tell them that YOU'LL follow up
you're giving them one less thing to worry about
and one more reason to trust you.
So simply say, "Great, thanks so much.
It was a pleasure talking to you.
I'll be sending you a follow-up email with the next steps."
And this is really important.
Follow up the same day via email.
Thank them again for their time
and let them know that you want to work with them
to help them achieve their goal.
And this is where the recording of your call
will really come in handy.
So outline what you can help them achieve.
Make sure to include the specifics they asked for
in their own words, to let them know
that you were actually listening when they spoke
and that you're 100% on board with them.
So map out the project scope and deliverables,
making sure to list them out individually.
And don't forget to communicate the timeline
you expect to finish the work in.
Now, you can also use this as a great opportunity
to offer something else that you might be able to help with.
Yes, this is where you can finally
sell yourself a little bit.
So for example, if they need help with the sales page
but you notice they don't have
any other necessary components of a sales funnel,
like targeted ads, a landing page or emails,
let them know that you're happy to negotiate those
into the project as well
to ensure maximum results and conversions.
Showcasing a deep understanding of THEIR business
and THEIR sales funnel will help them feel supported.
And it is the single most important thing
you can do to get that yes.
All right, until next time.
I'm Alex, ciao for now!
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