- Life Coaching
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- Discovery Session
- Coaching Discovery Call
How to Structure a Discovery Coaching Call
A Discovery Call is a process designed to help you and the prospective client assess whether your time together will be a good coaching "fit" before any commitment is made. To achieve its purpose, it needs a structure, a direction and a closing commitment.
Before I developed my Discovery Coaching Call process, I had conducted many free sessions with prospects and the results were hit and miss. Creating a structure and clear pathway to follow suddenly increased my success rate and helped me to weed out "tire kickers".
My eBook "Mastering the Discovery Session" will show you how
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To avoid finishing a "free discovery call" or "trial session" feeling drained (and still not sure whether the person will sign up) you need to have a template and a structure to follow where:
- you and the prospective client get to know each other a little
- you get to know what the client expects from coaching
- both of you decide whether to go ahead together on the coaching journey
“Wendy’s Mastering The Discovery Session is a practical guide for this crucial step in any coaching relationship. She shares the essentials for success, including a checklist, success hints and ready-to-use examples to help you drastically improve your first exchanges with a potential client.”
François Bachmann, Coach and Facilitator, Switzerland.
Pre-Discovery Coaching Call Structure and Questions
Before you schedule a Discovery Call, this step will help make sure each inquirer is genuinely interested in coaching and will not waste your time. You will follow a structured, initial filtering process of those who might not be suitable for coaching by you, not a good fit, or simply not serious.
Step 1: In your reply to their initial contact (in person or online) send a form starting with the essentials: name, email, and some vital questions.
There are seven vital pre-session questions in my book and each will help you clarify their level of interest and provide a filter before booking a time for a Discovery Call. One of the most important questions is "Why do you want coaching?"
Another question checks out whether you might have a problem coaching them.
Step 2: Once you are satisfied that your time will be well spent with them in a Discovery Session and a time is confirmed, send another short questionnaire, preferably to be returned to you before the first scheduled coaching session. A Word doc or Google Form will both work equally well. Don't send a PDF because they will need to be able to write on the document.
This set of questions will go more deeply into who they are and what they need and will give you a real snapshot of the client and what they are looking to get from coaching. In the book, I provide a template to introduce the questions to the person that shows them the benefit of answering them.
Answering these questions will save an enormous amount of time in the call itself and get the coaching off to a flying start.
Note: It's a good idea to confirm the Discovery Session the day before by email or text. This will help make sure they are locked in or give them an opportunity to let you know otherwise. You don't want to be sitting around waiting for them to call or, when you call them, getting no answer or an "I forgot".
How to Structure a Discovery Coaching Call
Step 1:
Open the actual call with a clear frame-up (2–3 minutes)
Start with brief rapport (a friendly hello etc.), then explain what will happen in the session:
- you’ll ask a few questions
- you’ll both assess whether you are a good fit
- and you’ll decide the next steps at the end.
This keeps the call from turning into aimless chit-chat or too much free coaching.
Step 2: Go over the questions you sent them after scheduling the call
After you have had a brief 'rapport-building' welcome chat, the first thing to do is briefly go over the completed pre-discovery session questions.
When you have gone through all the questions and (perhaps) asked for more information, tell them how you would help them achieve their goals or outcomes and the program you would recommend. "This is what I would do to help you achieve the outcomes or goal you want."
In my book, I show you how to close the session by:
- asking for a commitment and setting a date for the first session in an elegant and non-confrontational way
- showing you what to do if the session looks as if it is going to run over the allotted time.
Step 3:
Explore their desired outcomes and motivation for coaching
This is the heart of the discovery coaching call and is where many coaches accidentally start “coaching.” Don't make the same mistake!
I cover how to navigate this part of the coaching discovery call in great detail in "Mastering the Coaching Discovery Session", with some hints and important questions to ask.
Here is a summary of the basic approach to take:
- Just listen and take notes… resist coaching
them or offering suggestions.
- Find out if anything is in the way of you coaching them.
- Help them discover the cost to them if nothing changes.
Following this structure will provide you with extremely useful questions and approaches that support you to create a successful discovery session, and convert them into a quality client.
Here are three of the key focus areas of the coaching conversation that are critically important and which I explain further in the book.
- If you could solve this (problem/issue/reach this goal), what would that be like for you?
- Here's what I would (or can) do to help achieve the outcomes or goal you want.
- Ask if they have any questions or considerations.
Step 4: Complete the session with a call to action
Having answered any questions, this is the part of the discovery coaching call where you will ask if they would like to go ahead with coaching and suggest a particular coaching package. In my book, I show you how to proceed if they say "Yes" and elegantly handle a "No" and reservations you or they may have.
Sometimes, things don't quite go as you hoped and there are challenges. Here are some real-world scenarios Mastering the Discovery Session will help you know what to say or do if:
- You feel they are a good match and you would like to work with them but they are stillhesitating to commit.
- They are keen, but you don't think they are a good fit for your coaching for whatever reason.
"This book about discovery calls was
very helpful and easy to implement. I’ve got new clients since I followed the
steps."
Tope Keku, Life Coach USA
Ready to Master Your Discovery Sessions?
If you’re done with Free Trial or Discovery Sessions that go nowhere and want a simple process you can trust, this is the next step.
Use it for your very next inquiry and start turning more of your discovery calls into committed clients.
Download “Mastering the Coaching Discovery Session” PDF Now
All my eBooks will help you to enhance your coaching skills, raise your profile as an expert, and attract quality new clients whatever your niche. I wrote them from my 25+ years of coaching experience to pass on what I have learned from working with clients from all walks of life and with a wide range of coaching needs. Check them out below and get a sense of what’s inside.
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