How To Prepare For A Discovery Call As A Virtual Assistant
So you’ve started your new business.. are you wondering how to prepare for a discovery call as a Virtual Assistant?
It sounds really scary right!? You’ve got a potential client and they’ve booked a call with you. Now what?
Perhaps you haven’t got that first potential client yet but you’re just wondering how you can prepare for the call and what are some discovery call questions?
I’m here to help you with that!
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How To Prepare For A Discovery Call As A Virtual Assistant
If you want to avoid the back and forth of emails it helps to consider using an app or program for potential clients to book a discovery call with you.
Decide How You Want To Schedule Calls
There are a lot of different apps and programs that you can schedule discovery calls through. I personally use Calendly because I find it the simplest to use and it synchronises to my Google Calendar.
All you do is set up Calendly and then send the link to any potential clients that want to book with you, or you can even embed the calendar on your website.
I like that in Calendly you can specify certain days and times when you are available for a call and if you go on Holiday etc you can override these settings.
You can also link Calendly to Zoom or whichever video call service you prefer.
There are a lot of other tools that Virtual Assistants use, that’s why I’ve written a post with 15 of the best Virtual Assistant tools, that you can have a look at.
Research Your Client And Their Business Beforehand
This might sound obvious but research as much as you can about your client before you get on the discovery call with them.
That means check the following:
- Website if they have one
- Check their social media accounts
- If they have an email list, sign up to it
- If they have a Facebook group, join it
All of these ways to research your client will give you an idea about what their business does, who their ideal client is and how they communicate with people within their community.
Although a discovery call isn’t an interview in any way shape or form, the research that you should do prior to the call is similar to what you should do for an interview.
Allow Yourself Plenty Of Time
What I mean by this is before your discovery call takes place, allow yourself plenty of time to set up your laptop or phone. If your call takes place at 11am for example, make sure that you are setting up your area 10-15 minutes ahead of time. This just allows you a bit of extra time in case you have any technical issues.
You want to be ready to start the meeting at the time they’ve booked. Not only so that you look professional, but also because you have to consider that they are also a business owner, which has taken the time out of their day to jump on a call with you.
If you’re late and the time runs over, they might have other commitments that they need to get to and you might not get to ask all of your discovery call questions.
On that note it’s a good idea to limit the time of the call to 30 minutes if you can. As a Virtual Assistant time is money my friend!
Seriously though, 30 minutes should be long enough to ask all of the questions you need to and allow the client to tell you everything they need to about their business and struggles.
Make Sure You Have Everything You Need
I’m one of those geeky people that likes to lay out everything that I need before a discovery call. Notepad and pen, webcam, laptop, a drink, phone for my notes app, spare microphone incase I have a technical issue.
Now you might not need all of the things that I do but get all of the things that you think you might need. It would be awful to have to go and get something right in the middle of the call.
Have A Script Or Outline For The Call
Something else you should prepare, prior to the call is a script or outline. Unless you have a memory like Sherlock you’re likely to forget things that you want to say or ask!
Take your notes from when you researched the business and put them into a notes app or old fashioned pen and paper if you prefer. I go through some main questions to ask in the section below, put those into your script too so that you have something to refer back to if you get stuck during the call.
Prepare Yourself And Your Space
Prepare Yourself
For the discovery call it would be a good idea to make sure you’re nicely presented. It’s not an interview so really smart is probably not necessary but you should consider how you appear to the client.
Make a little bit of an effort if possible, however that looks to you personally. For me I just make sure my hair is in a ponytail and tidy, plus I wear a smart/casual top.
Obviously I’m not your Mum so wear what ever you want! 😁
I’m just saying that a bikini and hot pants might not get you the clients that you want..
Prepare Your Space
Try to minimise distractions as much as you can (not always possibly if you have children, I know).
Make sure that where you plan to have the call, gets plenty of light. If not, do you have a ring light you can use?
Also consider sound, test that you can be heard properly. Within Zoom you can check this before you start a meeting. Do you have a microphone or headset that you can use? I have a quiet voice so I always use a microphone or headset to make sure that people can hear me properly.
8 Discovery Call Questions Every Virtual Assistant Should Ask
As an introvert myself, I do get quite nervous before doing a discovery call. I find that there are a few little things that ease my anxiety on the day.
Weirdly one is eat a banana, this is something that I learnt when I was having driving lessons. I can’t remember the specifics so don’t quote me on it but I think it’s something to do with the vitamins that are in bananas. I also avoid caffeine before a call, as if you’re anxious already caffeine can make it worse.
One last tip is sit up straight and breathe! So simple but it does wonders in making you feel more confident and calm.
It helps to have a script and outline of any questions that you would like to ask the potential client as I mentioned above.
I would also recommend having a sort of introduction so your client knows what to expect from the call.
Something like…
“How this call is going to work is that I ask you some questions to get some more information about your business. Then I’ll go through the services that I offer and how I can help you; and there will be time at the end for any questions that you may have. Is that ok?”
As an introvert the scariest part about discovery calls for me is the very beginning, once I’m in the flow and talking on video everything becomes so much easier to deal with.
That’s what I like about having a sort of introduction. It gives you a great starting point. Even if you don’t really feel that confident about how to call is going to go, you’re still taking charge and showing your potential client that you’re professional; and you know what you’re doing.
It it also worth noting that if any point during the call you don’t feel that the client will be a good fit with you or you discover that what they need doing, is not a service you provide – you can always recommend another Virtual Assistant that would be a better fit. Although it’s important to get clients for your Virtual Assistant business, sometimes you might just know that it wouldn’t be a good fit and that’s totally ok!
1. Tell Me About Your Business? What Do You Do And Who Do You Serve?
This is a great opening question because it gets the client talking about their business and what they do. Even if you know a little about the client’s business, it’s also useful for you to get some more information about the business so you know how you might be able to help them.
2. What Lead You To The Decision To Hire Support?
This is a great question, usually if a business owner has got to the stage that they’re booking a discovery call with you – they’re struggling to keep on top of certain parts of the business.
Asking this question gives you an idea of where they’re at and the main reasons why they are reaching out to you at this time.
3. What Are The Top Three Tasks You’re Looking For Help With?
You might find that the client has already told you what it is that they’re struggling with at this time. However, if not then this is a great question to ask, to find out specifically the tasks that they will need doing.
Up front and clear questions will just make your life easier when you know what it is the client needs doing.
4. How Many Hours Of Support Are You Looking For?
This is a very important question, you need to establish if they just need your help with a certain project or if they will need ongoing support from you.
It will also help you decide if you should be steering them towards a package rate (if you offer it) or if they are unsure how many hours they’ll need you can always charge them your hourly rate for now and reasses in the future.
5. Do You Have A monthly or project Budget?
People are often a little bit nervous about talking about money on a discovery call but unfortunately, it does need to be talked about. As the Virtual Assistant you should ask if they have a budget so you can determine if they will be able to afford your rates.
At this point during the call you can then talk about your services and what you can do to help them. You could also discuss your hourly rate or packages if they’re not already aware of your pricing.
Rates really matter, charge your worth and always look at the average rates that Virtual Assistants charge in your Country. For example in the UK the average Virtual Assistant charges £27.50 per hour. You can charge higher rates if your services are quite specialist, even if you’re just starting out as a Virtual Assistant.
The VA Handbook has a great article on how to set your VA rates, which you should check out if you haven’t decided what you want to charge yet.
6. How Did You Hear About Me (If Applicable)?
This question is particularly useful if they found you from your website or emailed you directly so you don’t have any idea how they found out about you.
It’s just a question that will be useful for you to know the answer to. For example if you’re a recommendation from someone else or if they found you on social media then you know what has worked for the future.
7. Do You Have Any Questions For Me?
Always make sure you ask this towards the end of the call, if the client hasn’t worked with a Virtual Assistant before they might have questions. Even if they have worked with a Virtual Assistant before, they don’t know specifically how you’ll be working, so it’s an important question to ask.
8. What Do You Think So Far?
If I client is serious and wants to work with you they would have probably made it clear by now. However, if they seem a bit undecided you could also say something like the following:
“If you want to have a think and let me know that’s totally fine. I can send you the contract to have a look at a bit later if you want?”
This lets the client know that you’re ok if they aren’t ready to commit right at this moment but you are also making sure they’re aware that you’ll be following up with them very soon.
Optional Questions To Ask
If you’re finding that the discovery call is very positive and it seems like the client will be requiring your services (and they’re a good fit) you can ask a few additional questions to gain some more information about how they will want to work with you.
What’s Your Preferred Method Of Communication?
Specifically you need to find out how they would prefer you to update them on your progress. For example, do they prefer email, phone calls or messages on social media?
If they are purchasing a package from you, you might have included a catch-up call as part of your package so you can also mention at this point that you’ll send them your availability for that call, nearer the time.
Is There A Preferred Time Of Day I Can Contact You?
The client might have a certain time of the day which they dedicate to planning, scheduling etc. So it definitely pays to ask this question before you contact them when they’re busy or having family time.
How Would You Like Me To Account For My Time?
This question is only relevant if you’re signing on with the client at your hourly rate. Basically if you’re planning on timing your work in your accounting software or an app you can screenshot your times and sending them to the client or you can fill out a timesheet for them if they would prefer.
If you’re working with someone who has worked with other Virtual Assistants before, they may have their own processes and own procedures so it’s worthwhile asking.
Following Up After The Discovery Call
It’s good practise to send a Contract as soon as possible if the client has agreed to work with you.
It’s completely up to you how you would like to run your business of course but a Contract is a must!
I like to be super clear in the contract as well so that the client knows exactly what I will be working on and when it’ll be completed. It keeps things open and less room for misunderstandings.
Make sure you choose a good company for your contract, I recommend Koffeeklatch because they regularly update their contracts to make sure you and your client are legally covered and they have a Facebook group if you have questions about anything.
Once the Contract has been signed, most Virtual Assistants will ask for full or part payment and send the first invoice to the client. Once again, this is completely up to you.
I’ve mostly sent my invoice at the same time as sending the contract for signing, although I did agree part payment with one client.
I hope I’ve helped you prepare for a discovery call as a Virtual Assistant. Some of these discovery call questions should help you out if you’re feeling a bit stuck during the call.
It can be very overwhelming starting your new Virtual Assistant business, that’s why I’ve written a guide How to get started as a Virtual Assistant, to help you out.
Damaris
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