How to Sign Clients on a Sales Call

Mar 10

When you are selling a service online, sales calls might make or break your business.

You might hear “Sales Calls” called many different things:

Consultation Call
Discovery Call
Strategy Call
Sales Call
etc.

But whatever you choose to call it, the goal is to have a valuable call where your potential clients decide if they will work with you.

In this post I’ll be covering:

What to call your sales call
How to “sell” the value of your call to get potential clients asking to meet with you
How to prepare for your sales call
How to have an extremely effective sales call
And what to do after your call

If you will be using sales calls to close clients, keep reading!

What to call your sales call.

Sales calls might be "disguised” as many different things in the online space - I’ve heard: consultation call (this is what I use), discovery call, strategy call, sales call, coffee chat, and more. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter, but you should follow some best practices if you don’t want to make potential clients squirm or waste a ton of your time.

2 don’ts when it comes to naming your sales call:

Don’t use “Strategy Call/Session” or “Coffee Chat” because these both have an additional meaning. “Strategy Call” or “Strategy Session” is also used by many people as a completely free offer, as a mini-paid offer, or as part of their client onboarding process. I’ve seen too many people invite others to a “Free Strategy Call” where they really end up pitching their services. The person who agreed to the call didn’t opt in to get a pitch. They came for a strategy session and now both parties are awkwardly wasting their time. Some business coaches actually promote tricking potential clients into calls like this, because yes, you might close some of them. HOWEVER, this is a huge breach of trust with any potential client. Would a doctor try to trick you into their office for a medical procedure? Never. They are simply there providing a service and are willing to help when their patients ask for help. One tip: if you feel like you are tricking or bamboozling people to get on a call with you, you’re doing it wrong.

Same with “Coffee Chats.” “Coffee Chats” are usually reserved for meet and greets or get to know you chats - 100% networking. They are a great way to connect with others in your space, or similar/complementary space, and build your professional network. It is a HUGE breach of trust to use these calls as a place to pitch your service. There are really three (3) scenarios where it is okay to talk specifically about your offer on coffee chats:

If THEY ask you about your offer, feel free to tell them. Stay unattached. If they say they might want to work with you, invite them to get on a sales call where you can focus 100% on them and how you can help. (Trust me they will thank you!)
If a topic comes up where you know you can totally help them, it’s okay to make a clean offer of “Hey I can totally help you with that, just let me know if you want some help.” And if they DO want help, set up a separate sales call!
If you ask permission to practice talking about or pitching your offer. Make sure they know that you just are looking to talk about it with people and learn what questions come up. And stay true to that intent - that it is just practice! You might get some valuable insights or great questions that will prepare you for your sales calls.

The scenario of a coffee chat turning into another meeting for a sales call recently happened to me. I had a previous corporate colleague who is transitioning to the coaching space. We set up a call to chat informally and catch up (we hadn’t seen each other in about 2 years), but at the end of the call she told me she really wanted to work with me and just had to decide when to start. I stopped her right there and said, “You don’t have to decide right this moment! We’ve just been catching up today, so how about we set up a consultation and we can focus 100% on your coaching business and how I can help you. You can decide on that call.” She was relieved and thrilled that I would be willing to spend another hour dedicated to her.

This is why I prefer, and recommend to my clients, to call a sales call: a sales call, a consultation, or a discovery call.

I personally love “consultation.” Because that is exactly what it is: A consultation to see what help they need and if I can help them.

When I first started coaching, I used “Discovery Call” because it felt like we were just discovering what help was needed and if I could help them.

So whichever of the three you choose or if you come up with your own name, that is fine! Just keep the best practice of being very clear about what happens on the call and that you WILL be discussing how they can work with you.

For this post, I’ll continue to refer to these calls as “sales calls”.

How to sell the value of your free sales call to get potential clients asking to meet with you.

Before we can talk about how to have a great sales call, you must first be able to get people to sign up for your sales call! Again, no trickery! It’s just not needed.

First, sell yourself on how valuable a sales call with you can be. Keep in mind that your ideal client is struggling and needs your help. Just getting clarity on where they are stuck and what they want (covered in the sales process below) is HUGELY life changing. What is also life changing is finally making a decision if they want help or support or if they feel equipped to tackle their goal on their own. You are helping them make this decision on the call with you.

Now make a list for yourself answering the following: Why is getting on this call a total WIN for my potential client regardless if they choose to work with me or not?

Next, start sharing your offer and telling people that this call is how they can decide if they want to work with you. Tell them all the ways getting on the call will be a win for THEM.

This is where you will be meeting people (in person, on social media, through your blog, etc) and telling them what you do. Think about how you can add value to the people you meet. How can you add value in your posts? How can you add value through sharing your own story? How can you thoughtfully connect with others?

Test different approaches out and figure out what works best for you.

How to prepare for your sales call.

One of my coaches calls the sales call prep process a way to prepare for “Clean Selling.” And I love that. It means that we want all the drama, attachment, and judgment out of our minds before we connect with potential clients on a sales call. This is hugely valuable because you will be able to show up in service of your potential client and help them really decide if working with you is the right option and if it’s NOT the right option, you’ll feel great about saying so.

So how do we clean out our minds before the sales call?

It can be a simple two (2) step process:

Step 1. Brain dump all the thoughts you have about your upcoming call and the person you are meeting.

Step 2. For each item, ask: How true is this? Does this thought serve me? Is there a better thought that would serve me?

How to have an extremely effective sales call.

I want you to close 70-80% of your sales calls.

So I’m going to introduce you to my sales process, called SUGAR$?!.

Situation

This is where you determine the who, what, when, where, and how.

PURPOSE:

Your number one goal is to make this call a comfortable and safe place. You’re about to dive deep into this person’s struggles, so make them feel welcomed. This is your time for introductions and to set the stage for what to expect on the call.

WHAT TO DO:

Greet your prospective client! Ask them how they are doing, how the weather is, or ask about something you already know you have in common. Thank them for hopping on a call with you.
Introduce yourself (in 30 seconds) if appropriate - "We are going to go deep on your stuff, so let me first tell you a little about me..."
Tell them about your call process: "This is typically how I run these calls..." or "Over the next 30-45 minutes we will..." Then ask: "How does this sound?" or "Does this sound good?" (You want to get their buy in - early and often.)

Un-satisfaction

Here you will find out what they don’t like about their current situation and why.

PURPOSE:

Your prospective client got on a call with you because they have a problem that needs solving. Your goal is to deeply understand their pain point(s).

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

What made you want to get on a call with me?
Tell me about your struggles with _____.
What's not working?
What is it costing you right now to have this challenge? Financially? Emotionally?
How long have you had this challenge?

PRO TIPS:

Stay away from "Why" - instead use phrases like: "Tell me more" or "How come"
- "Why" during this stage often leads to defensive and short answers.
The deep information you will learn during this phase will help you when you need to handle objections.

Goal

Now you will find out what their goal is or what is the ideal solution.

PURPOSE:

You've just dug really deep on their problems and pain points. Now it's time to get them to dream about the future and bring excitement for what could be.

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

What are your goals? and how come they are important to you?
What would reaching that goal mean to you?
If we fast forward ___ years from now, what has to happen for you to be really happy with your progress?

PRO TIPS:

Practice active listening! At key moments, repeat what you are hearing back to them. (Use their own words! No seriously, exactly the words they used... don't try to translate.)
Ask "Is that an accurate statement?" or "Did I get that right?" question after you've repeated what you heard.
- Not only does this create micro commitments, but it gives your prospect a chance to hear what they are saying and better explain it if they feel something is missing.

Action

What are they willing to do to see change?

PURPOSE:

You now know their pain and their vision. Now you want them to describe their ideal solution to you. It is so very tempting to tell them your solutions for them, but let them tell you!

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

What do you think needs to happen to change all this?
What support would help you the most?
What would be most valuable to you over the next 90 days? (Use the time frame that is your program length.)
If you continue down the same path, what would you miss out on in the next 3 years?

PRO TIPS:

This is a great time to repeat all this back to them once again, and ask them if they agree. Ask if you heard them right.
- Be sure to ask clarifying questions that lead to a "Yes!" This creates micro-commitments.

Reframe

Repeat what they want, fill the gap.

PURPOSE:

They have a need and you have a solution for them! Now is time to reveal your solution as the answer to their pain points.

WHAT TO DO:

Say something like: "This is how I think someone could help you achieve [their goals] over the next 90 days..."
Ask: "If you had this, would it be valuable to you? Why do you think that is?"
Ask: "Are you ready to commit to making this a priority?"

PRO TIPS:

Remember, this is about them and their goals, not you and your offer.

$ - Investment

Time to have the money talk!

PURPOSE:

They have committed and want to move forward. Now it's time to have the money talk. Remember: Your program is a valuable investment.

WHAT TO DO:

Reiterate that what they need is exactly what you do and that you would love to support them.
Recap what they have told you (in their words) and that they already stated the value this would bring for them.
They will likely already be asking you what it will cost to work with you. State what the cost is to work with you, "The investment to work with me is ___." Then shut up and listen!
- This is the BIGGEST mistake I see with all sales - both with professional sales people AND online business owners - you must state your price clearly and concisely, with no other commentary. Then REALLY shut your mouth and listen to their response. Be ready to hold a space of silence if you need to. And after 1 minute, if they haven’t said anything, you can ask, “What are you thinking?”
- By adding too much commentary, you just confuse the situation and devalue your solution.

PRO TIPS:

Give them ONE price. If you offer discounts or a variety of payment plans, don't bring these up when you first state your price. Handle any objections next. The discounts or payment plan offer comes during objection handling.
- BUT for example, if you have one price and they can pay in full or split into three payments, you can say that when you state your price. “The investment to work with me is ___. You have the option to pay in full or split into three equal payments.”
- Don’t bring any other complications into the deal until you’ve identified and worked through any objections.
If there are no objections (HECK YES!) move to Getting Paid!.

? - Objections

Objections are just unanswered questions.

PURPOSE:

Objections are unanswered questions. You've gotten an objection - GREAT! That means you are doing the right things. Treat objections as an opportunity to coach and provide more information. An objection means that your prospective client is still interested!

WHAT TO DO:

Breathe! Count to 3. Or 5.
Say "Thank you!" This is an opportunity to address a question and move forward. Plus saying thank you puts everybody back on the happy train!
Show that you care and that you are listening. Try: "I hear what you are saying and I think I can help."
Uncover what's really going on. Ask open ended questions to get to the bottom of the objection - it might not always be exactly what the person said at first. If you get stuck, just ask "Why?"
Clarify and confirm what they are telling you. It may take 4-5 (or more!) questions to really uncover the pain or nature of the objection.
Quantify the pain this problem is causing your prospect. What will happen in X amount of time if this isn't resolved.
Back up the value you bring that directly solves your prospects pain with proof and testimonials. Sharing another client's similar story can go a long way!

PRO TIPS:

Make sure you understand the objection thoroughly before you respond.
Put yourself in a place of curiosity!
Confirm that you have solved the objection before moving on.

! - Close the Deal

Will you be working together?

PURPOSE:

As a service provider that wants the best for their clients, you are there to support your potential client in making a good decision for their future. Collecting payment is the transfer of energy that signals your client is committed to improving their situation.

WHAT TO DO:

First, you need to decide if you will collect payment (or a deposit) while on the call or if you will send an invoice after you get off. (Decide this before you get on a call.)
Provide a clear and SIMPLE run down of how payment works and what your new client can expect next.
Follow up with whatever the next steps are quickly so your client gets immediate reassurance that they have made a good decision.
- For example, if you say, "After we get off this call I'll send over the onboarding email." Then after you get off the call, you better send that onboarding email!

What to do after your sales call.

After every sales call you should evaluate how it went. This is the best way to identify growth opportunities and improve your sales skills.

Start by writing down EXACTLY what happened and EXACTLY what your potential client said (taking notes during the call helps a lot with this process!). Then simply ask three (3) questions:

What worked or what went well on this call?
What didn’t work or what didn’t go well on this call?
How would I want to do things differently on the next call or the next time I encounter these hurdles?

Make a bulleted list for each! Be sure to get really detailed on #3!

For example, if a potential client offered an objection that you didn’t handle well (identified in #2), then you can come up with all the ways you might want to handle that objection next time when answering #3.

EVALUATING YOUR CALLS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO TO GET BETTER AT SALES.

What happens when they say yes?

Congrats! Your client said, “Yes!” So now what?

Simply tell them what to expect next. How will you be collecting payment? What is the next step - to hop on a call or for you to send them a questionnaire?

Keep it simple and be sure to follow through on what you tell them!

I’ll be posting soon about creating an amazing onboarding experience for your clients. Be sure to check back!

If you found this post helpful…

I made you a cheatsheet to keep what you learned close at hand. Enter your email address and download The Sales Frame - SUGAR$?! Cheat Sheet (plus a bonus section to help you create an exceptional client experience)!