Freelance discovery call script

# Discovery Call Script (30 minutes)

## Pre-call prep (10 minutes)

- Review their site and recent posts
- Note one or two specifics to reference
- Prepare 8 to 10 questions
- Review their LinkedIn and team page
- Clear your schedule before and after the call

## Open with structure (2 minutes)

Script:

> "Thanks for the time today. Here is how I usually run these:
>
> First, I will ask a few questions to understand your situation. Then I will share how I usually approach work like this. By the end, we should have a clear next step. Sound good?"

## Section 1: Situation (8 minutes)

Goal: understand what triggered the conversation.

Questions:

- "Tell me what is going on right now. What prompted you to look for help?"
- "Walk me through the situation in your own words."
- "What does your team look like right now?"
- "What have you tried before, and what worked or did not?"

Listen for:

- the trigger
- recent changes
- internal pressure
- previous freelancers or agencies

## Section 2: Goals (5 minutes)

Goal: understand what success looks like.

Questions:

- "If we worked together for the next 90 days, what would success look like?"
- "What is the one number or outcome you most want to move?"
- "How will you measure progress?"

Listen for:

- specific outcomes
- timelines
- anchor metrics

## Section 3: Constraints (5 minutes)

Goal: understand budget, timeline, and team constraints.

Questions:

- "What is your timeline for this?"
- "What is the budget range for this kind of work?"
- "What is your team's capacity to support delivery?"

Direct questions are fine. Most clients respect them.

## Section 4: Decision process (3 minutes)

Goal: understand who decides and how.

Questions:

- "How does the decision process usually work on your side?"
- "Is anyone else involved in reviewing proposals?"
- "What would it take for you to say yes to working together?"

Skipping this is the most common reason proposals stall.

## Section 5: Approach (4 minutes)

Goal: share how you would approach the work.

Keep it under 4 minutes:

- one line on your typical engagement
- 2 to 3 standard deliverables
- how you measure success
- a rough timeline

Avoid pitching your full bio.

## Section 6: Close (3 minutes)

End the call with a clear next step.

Script:

> "Based on what you described, this fits well with the kind of work I do. The next step is for me to send a proposal with scope and pricing. Want me to send that within 48 hours, or would another timeline work better?"

Confirm:

- proposal delivery date
- follow-up call (optional)
- preferred email address
- decision timeline

## Post-call (within 1 hour)

- Send a recap email within 1 hour
- Confirm next steps and proposal date
- Add notes to your CRM
- Schedule follow-up if applicable

## Recap email template

Subject: Quick recap from our call

Hi [name],

Thanks for the conversation today. Quick recap:

- main goal: [goal]
- timeline: [timeline]
- budget range: [range]
- next step: I will send a proposal by [date]

Looking forward to it. Let me know if anything is missing from this summary.

— [Your name]

## Common discovery call mistakes

- pitching before you've understood the problem
- skipping the budget question because it feels rude (it isn't, when it's asked normally)
- monologuing about your process
- leaving without confirming who decides and how
- ending without a specific next step and a date on it

I've made every one of these. The last one kills the most deals.

## Note for repeat use

After your fifth or sixth call, go back and look at which questions produced real answers and which ones got dead "pretty good" responses. Adjust and move on. Treat this as a starting point, not a word-for-word script.

Replace anything in [brackets] before sending. This template is provided as-is, free to use.