A common term that you will hear a lot around the virtual assistant space is “discovery call”. In this blog, we are going to jump right into what a discovery call is, how to prepare for a discovery call, and how to have a successful discovery call. Are you ready? Buckle up!
What is a Discovery Call?
A discovery call is a virtual conversation between you (the virtual assistant) and your potential client who is interested in working with you. Discovery calls are absolutely not an interview. Virtual Assistants are contractors, not employees. Viewing this as a get-to-know-you conversation will help tremendously when it comes to shaking off some nerves you may have leading up to the call. Discovery calls should not be more than 30 minutes, and a video call is always best.
Best Practices for Preparing for a Discovery Call
Before hopping on a Discovery Call, you will want to make sure that the potential client is a good fit. The best way to determine this is to have everyone fill out a contact form. I have my contact form set up in my HoneyBook account. Take a peek at the image below, and use it as an example when creating yours.
Contact forms are a great way to gather information and also weed out anyone who is not going to be a great fit without having to get on a discovery call to figure that out- win-win!
If the potential client looks promising, you can send them your one pager with more information as well as an invite to schedule a discovery call with you. Using a scheduler is a game changer and cuts out back and forth communication, which can be frustrating for potential clients. I mean…no one likes proposing 7 different dates and times and none of them working out, right?
HoneyBook has a scheduler that is amazing and will connect to your Zoom and Google Calendar. You for real need to check out how amazing HoneyBook is. Use this link to save 35% off your first year!
Now it’s time for the single most important part of your preparation….doing your research. Before you get on that Discovery Call be sure to check out their website and social media accounts. Get a feel for who they are, and what they are all about, and make note of anything that resonates with you.
Be sure to make an outline of questions you want to be sure to ask on the discovery call that you can reference and help keep you on track.
It’s time for the Discovery Call
You have done the prep, and now it’s your time to really shine. Spend a few minutes looking back over their website/social media accounts and your outline. Take a deep breath and go! Be sure to take the lead on the discovery call. This will help avoid any awkward lulls.
Ask questions and really listen to the answers. Write them down and reference these later. Figure out specific pain points that they are experiencing in their business and paint the picture of how you can help. Be sure to leave time, in the end, to answer any questions that the potential client has for you and clearly explain what the next steps will be and what they can expect.
Celebrate and follow up after the Discovery Call
You did it! Celebrate that! Sending a thank you email 1-2 hours after is always a great gesture and following that up with the agreement and invoice within 24 hours is key.
Once you have a few Discovery Calls under your belt, you are going to gain more and more confidence.
[…] Meeting face-to-face on Zoom with a new potential client is a great opportunity to build a relationship and establish if there’s a mutual fit. (Check out this post on Discovery Calls here.) […]