Your previous efforts of sending out cold or warm emails will hopefully lead you to the next step — having an initial phone conversation with your prospect.
Making a positive first impression on that call is crucial and working from a Prospect Intake Checklist will help you achieve a professional appearance.
You want to get as much information about your prospect as possible without taking too much of their time. Being prepared and having a set list of questions to ask is the best way to do that.
This call is not a conversation you want to wing. Without having a prepared structure, you may sound unprofessional and forget to ask key questions.
Remember, the goal of this initial conversation is to collect all the information you need to prepare a compelling project proposal.
Key Points to Consider
- Schedule 30 minutes for your phone call. This is a standard block of time for many phone calls. While it may be possible to cover the checklist in less time, you want to make sure your prospect has the time to expand on their answers.
- Generally speaking, do not ask yes/no questions. Instead, ask open-ended questions that give your prospect the chance to go in-depth on their answers.
- Keep the call conversational. While you’re working off a checklist, you want your prospect to feel like they’re in the midst of a conversation as opposed to an interview.
- Ask your prospect if you can record the call. This will help keep you more engaged in the conversation if you don’t have to worry about taking notes.
- Your prospect may not be able to answer all of the questions. That’s okay. Just move on to the next question.
- At the end of the call, be sure to let your prospect know what will happen next — that you’ll be preparing a proposal and when you’ll be sending it.
Personalize the Checklist
The Prospect Discovery Call Template we’ve provided includes a list of questions to ask in the initial phone call. This is your starting place.
For example, you may want to make adjustments to the copy so it fits your voice. This will help you feel at ease when talking to your prospect.
Or, you may know enough about the project or prospect based on previous communication to add specificity to these questions.
Coming up next week — templates for project price and time ranges.
