Three proven tips to optimize your free consultation & close the next sale

Unless you spark confidence in your prospects that you’re the solution to their needs, how will they have enough confidence to say “Let’s do this!” at your free consultation? You and your brand may be the bee’s knees at what you offer, but unless you have a system to convey the benefits and outstanding results your work together will spark in their lives, you are left longing for success and avoiding looking at your financials.

Creatives, wellness practitioners and healers regularly offer a free discovery call, free consult, consultation, call it whatever you like, this free sales call is an essential element in acquiring new business for many solopreneurs, service providers and sales professionals.

Despite the free consultation being a golden ticket in earning trust and holding space for prospects to invest in your services, in my decade plus of experience as a business coach and sales trainer to these industries, many people have so much resistance around the sales part of their work, that they haven’t taken the time to create an aligned system.

Here are three key tips to optimize your sales calls, free consultations or as I like to call them, discovery conversations.

Make it easy for people to book

Making it as easy as possible for people to work with you is a non-negotiable in our digital world. Have you got a streamlined system for people to easily book a call with you to discuss the possibility of working together? And once they click on that link, does your system make you look professional and start to build trust in your prospects that they’ve made a wise decision in booking this free call?

If not, it’s easier than you may think to set it up. You can download my sales cheat sheet here, Ten Proven Tips to Close Your Free Consults, Without Feeling Pushy as a powerful resource to elevate your system.

Be prepared

As Oprah says, “I doesn’t believe in luck. I believe in opportunity meeting preparedness.” If you’re winging your sales calls, you’re leaving money on the table, disappointing yourself and the people who can deeply benefit from your work .

Being prepared allows you to be authentic, aligned and intentional in your conversation because you aren’t scrambling trying to keep up with the conversation. Your free consultation can now be the transition point to actually do the work you love so much, changing peoples lives for the better.

Be a good director

Your prospects have a lot of emotions about this call and not a lot of clarity around what to expect during your time together. Be a good director and let them know at the start of your free consultation what to expect during this short time together. Taking the time to do this is a game-changer. Time and attention are precious resources and both of you deserve to get what you need and make it a fruitful experience.

This includes setting expectations, taking charge during the call and leading the conversation. Someone needs help and that is the reason they reached out to you. Their time, energy and attention are limited resources, and they decided to spend them on you, don’t let them down.

I offer my Crush your Consults online workshop throughout the year, click here for upcoming dates and sessions.

Keep going, keep growing,

Lisa van Reeuwyk

PS – If you are ready to blow up your bank account and push past resistance and uncertainty, book a Discovery Conversation with me. We can chat about your situation and vision and discuss possibilities.